Go in peace (Luke 7:50)

And He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." (Luke 7:50 NASB)

"Go in peace," Jesus said to the woman. She was well known as a sinner, and scorned by the religious community.  Not welcome in polite company, she found her way to Jesus's feet only by barging in where she was not wanted, and stayed there only by the divine intervention of Christ.  Peace?  It had likely been many years since she had known peace. 

At the feet of Jesus, weeping a river of tears and using her hair as a holy towel, something incredible happened. She let go. She let go of her desire to sin, she let go of that mountain of sin and guilt she had accumulated, she let go of her shame. Giving it all to Jesus, she left it with Him. In that place where all the hurt, guilt, and shame had been was an infilling of faith, hope, and love.  It was more than enough, but Jesus had yet another gift for her. Peace. 

Peace. Isn't that a lovely word?  Webster's Dictionary defines peace as a state of tranquility or quiet, freedom from hostilities, civil disturbances, or emotional unrest. For this woman, it meant freedom from the war between good and evil, sin and holiness that had waged in her for years. The word translated here as peace is eirēnē. This is the same word the angels used when they sang before the shepherds the night Jesus was born. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace among men." 

Sometimes used to mean "undisturbed", as well as harmony between men and nations, it can also mean the peace that only God can give. In this instance, I believe it is used with all the richness of intent possible. What Jesus offered this woman was the freedom from disturbance from her past and those who would remind her of it, as well as a freedom from fear for the future. He offered her the quiet assurance of peace with God, and the understanding that He would be with her, whatever her earthly circumstances. 

The richness of this peace can only come through repentance and the forgiveness it brings. Do you long for peace? We can have the same peace the woman with the alabaster vial found at the feet of Jesus. We cannot, however, keep the burden of sin and guilt we have been carrying.  It must be left at the feet of Jesus in exchange for the freedom and peace only He can give. 

If we have had enough of our burdens, then let us leave then with Jesus and accept all the healing He longs to offer. Join with me in accepting his faith, hope, and love, as well as that precious "extra".  Go in peace. 

Go in peace. 

Faith and Fidelity (Luke 7:50)

And He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." (Luke 7:50 NASB)

The word translated as "faith" in this verse is pistis. This word is sometimes translated as faith, assurance, or fidelity. Translated as faith, it is used to indicate an absolute, unwavering certainty of something. This woman had the absolute certainty that Jesus was the Messiah and that He had the power to both forgive her sins and set her free from her bondage to sin. She staked her life to that truth. 

This word is also sometimes translated as fidelity. It expresses a sense of solidity and constancy. One who has fidelity is unwavering and solid as a rock. That is the kind of faith the woman with the alabaster vial had in Jesus. She was so certain of her faith in Christ that she was through with wavering, through with being tossed about by her sin and her sinful desires. She was a lost sheep who had been found and she was done with her wandering, finally, permanently done with going astray. 

It is the kind of faith in God we should also have. When we, too, have pistis, we will likewise be done with our straying from Christ. That is not to say we will never sin again, but our wandering and our bent toward that sinful lifestyle will be done. Our love for Christ will supersede our love for this world. 

This kind of faith is born in a desperate weariness of sin and the price it exacts. It is found in the same position this weeping penitent woman assumed. When we, like her, willingly and humbly position ourselves at the feet of Jesus, filled with sorrow for our sin and in overwhelming joy at the love and mercy of God, we, too, can have this kind of faith. 

How does our faith compare to the faith of this woman? Do we have a firm, unwavering assurance that brings freedom and life or are we still clinging to some of the vestiges of our old life?

There is freedom in pistis. Pray today that we and our loved ones would embrace this saving, life-changing faith and be done with wavering and wandering astray. 

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Link to last night's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-terrorist-prayer-list.html

The Power of Position (Luke 7:38,49)

and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume.

Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this man who even forgives sins?" (Luke 7:38, 49 NASB)

Real estate agents often say, "Location is everything".  In these verses, we find the importance of location before God as well. 

In the first instance, the repentant, weeping woman positioned herself behind Jesus and at His feet. It was the position of a follower (from behind) and of humility (at His feet). When she dried His feet with her hair, she was not only behind Him, she was kneeling at His feet, a position of penitence. Her physical position wordlessly demonstrated the attitude of her heart toward Christ. She was a repentant, humble disciple and, as she knelt at his feet, her sins were washed away and her eternal destiny was secured. She became a clean, new woman. 

The other guests took a very different position. They were "reclining at the table with Him".  These people chose a position of equality with Christ. They sat beside Him. There was no humility. There was no evidence of penitence or discipleship. In the end, they recognized that the woman, that weeping bundle of brokenness on the floor, had gained something they had not, and wondered about it. Her sins had been forgiven. There seems to have been no doubt about it. "Who is this man?" they wondered. They wondered, but neither their position nor their hearts changed, and their question went unanswered. 

The position, or "location" we choose to assume before God is vitally important, and has eternal consequences. Do we opt for an equal position, expecting that our opinions and desires have equal merit before our righteous and holy God? Do we assume the position of penitence, humility, and brokenness? There is a vast difference of heart accompanying those two positions, and we do well to examine our own position before God. 

Giving our own desires and opinions equal or greater weight in comparison to God's may be the way of our world, but it is not the way of forgiveness and healing. Only one person left the dinner party that night with a soul redeemed by mercy and grace, and it was not one of those sitting at the table. It was the weeping bundle of brokenness on the floor. Her position of humility before Christ may have seemed untenable to those at the table, but it yielded her an eternal reward, and it can do the same before us. 

Pray today that the position we and our loved ones assume before God will be one of humility and penitence. Pray, too, for the brokenness that leads to true discipleship and a life redeemed by mercy and grace. 

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Link to last night's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/06/all-kinds-of-knowing.html

Who is this Forgiver? (Luke7:48,49)

Then He said to her, "Your sins have been forgiven." Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this man who even forgives sins?" (Luke 7:48, 49 NASB)

This verse is easily overlooked in the midst of the story of the woman with the alabaster vial, but it has an astonishing bit of information. Jesus looked at the woman and spoke a precious gift into her life. "You are forgiven".  How amazing that must have been for the weeping woman at His feet! She had suffered enough because of her sin, and He was banishing that sin, sending it as far as the east is from the west. That is what Our Lord does with the sins of a repentant sinner, and it is a heartbreakingly beautiful gift every single time. 

Those at the table with him heard the exchange, and were, not surprisingly, taken aback. As one person turned to another, they began to ask, "Who is this man who even forgives sins?" This is the amazing tidbit. They were not asking if He had the authority to forgive sin. That was apparently a foregone conclusion derived from watching the exchange between Jesus and the woman. 

How about that? One weeping, worshipping, repentant sinner kneeling at the feet of Jesus and receiving His forgiveness was such a powerful visual testimony that an entire roomful of people recognized with no uncertainty that her sins had been forgiven. They did not doubt that Jesus had forgiven her sins. They simply wondered Who He was that He was able to do it. 

This little verse should be like a knife cutting through our pride and our reserve. If one broken sinner receiving forgiveness is such a powerful tableau that a roomful of people could recognize the power of Jesus, what would He do with our repentance if we allowed Him to use it?

That question bears repeating. What would He do with my repentance if I allowed Him to use it? What would He do with your repentance? How many lives could be changed?  

Oh precious ones, may we stop hiding our brokenness and allow our Healer to touch those sin-scarred places and make them whole. May we allow Him to use our healing in such a way that all those around us cannot help but to believe. 

The Double Portion (Luke 7:42,43)

...When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?" Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have judged correctly." (Luke 7:42, 43 NASB)

We are stepping back a verse or two to catch a lovely truth we missed. Jesus, as you know, told Simon the story of two debtors who were forgiven as an introduction to a defense of the woman with the alabaster vial. "Which one will love more?" He asked. Simon knew it was the one forgiven more. 

The unstated implication was that the woman, who was know by reputation as a sinner, loved more because she was forgiven more. Once again, we see the principle of greatest and least in action. When you think about it, the most notorious sinner can end up as the one who loves our Lord with the most extravagant depth, simply because they KNOW the depth of forgiveness they have received. The one least deserving of forgiveness, the woman, became the one with the greatest love! 

Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion... (Isaiah 61:7 NASB)

This verse gives us a glimpse of something else the woman received. Along with the forgiveness, acceptance, and vindication poured out on her that night, Jesus also replaced her shame and humiliation with joy. This was not just a little happiness, this was "shouting time" joy. Isaiah describes it as a "double portion". 

The greatest love and a double portion of joy!  Doesn't that make you want to repent all over again? Our Christ does not respond to repentant sinners with anger and recrimination. He responds with forgiveness, healing, and joy, and it's more than enough reason to embrace the cross and cling to Jesus. 

Today, pray that we and our loved ones will bring our brokenness and sin to Christ and exchange it for the forgiveness, love and joy only He can give. 

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Link to last night's post:  http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/06/friday-night-with-friends-front-porch.html

The Forgiven Woman (Luke 7:37,39,48)

And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume...

Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner."...

Then He said to her, "Your sins have been forgiven." (Luke 7:37, 39, 48 NASB)

The three selected verses for today's consideration leave out a considerable amount of the story. If you've been following along, you will remember that the woman found the object of her searching, Jesus, seated at the table with Simon and the other guests. She knelt at His feet, overcome with emotion, weeping a river of tears on His feet, drying them with her hair. That vial of perfume was used as a sweet smelling offering to anoint His feet. Her gift of worship suffused the room with a sweet-smelling fragrance that lingered long after she was gone. 

She came to the feet of Jesus as a sinner, yet the fragrance of her worship filled the room. 

Simon knew her sin, and only saw her in terms of that sin. He saw nothing more, and he clearly missed the lovely aroma wafting around him. It was the aroma of a holy love, the aroma of a sinner redeemed by mercy and restored by grace. It was the very aroma you and I can have when we worship Christ with hearts overflowing with gratitude for His amazing grace. 

Jesus knew her sins, too. He knew what He would soon do to purchase her redemption, what He was already doing. Knowing, He loved her and forgave her. In a gift of divine insight, He publicly forgave her sins in the hearing of all those in the room. Lest this seem trivial, remember that she had lived a publicly sinful life. She was known by her sin. With one five-word sentence, Jesus changed her from "the sinner woman" to "the forgiven woman".  

She gave Jesus a lovely gift of worship and love. What Jesus gave her in return was the gift of eternity. 

Dear ones, how easy it is to be a Simon, following the form of religion without the heart!  Following the form of religion, however, is not discipleship. Discipleship requires the repentance and humility to worship at His feet wherever our following leads us. 

Pray today for hearts willing to embrace the humility, repentance, and obedience of true discipleship, not only for ourselves but also for those we love. 

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Last night's link: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/06/family-surprise.html

Forgiven much and loving much (Luke 7:47)

For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." (Luke 7:47 NASB)

Jesus was having dinner with Simon, a Pharisee who was well versed in Scripture but perhaps not so well versed in hospitality. It may have been, however, more a matter of not caring than of not knowing. Jesus had arrived for the dinner as requested. Simon had not greeted him with a kiss, offered him water to wash his feet, or used oil to annointed his head, all of which were expected behavior for a host toward his honored guest. They were in the midst of the meal when a. "woman with a past" barged in, went straight to Jesus, and knelt at His feet. Weeping, she washed his feet with her tears, kissed them, and poured perfume over them. 

Jesus had not missed anything happening in the room. While the woman was worshipping at His feet, Simon was fuming across the table and thinking about all the mistakes in her past. Jesus confronted Simon with a little story about two debtors who were forgiven. Simon, a little grudgingly, agreed that the one forgiven more would love more. 

Jesus then asked a surprising question. "Simon, do you see this woman?" He then began to describe to Simon how He saw her and her actions, and contrasted that with how He saw Simon's actions. Simon looked terrible in comparison to the woman! 

Coming to today's passage, we see that Jesus rebuked Simon in no uncertain terms. "Her sins, Simon, were many but they are forgiven because she loved so much, BUT the one who is forgiven little, loves little." There was no doubt that the "one who is forgiven little" meant Simon. In his own eyes, he felt that his sin was considerably less than the woman's. As a result, he felt less in need of forgiveness. 

Simon had the terrible problem of not recognizing his own sin. Since he did not "see" his sin, he felt less in need of the forgiveness of God, as well as less love toward God. How tragic! Simon had spent a lifetime as a religious expert (Pharisee). He knew so much about religion, and so little about God! 

In a way, we all have the same problem Simon had. It is much easier to accumulate a storehouse of religious facts and opinions rather than cultivate an active relationship with Almighty God. It is our human tendency to know about God rather than to actually know Him. The danger comes when we substitute that knowledge for relationship and are satisfied with the substitution.  

Are you, like Simon, satisfied with knowing about God or have you, like the woman, found your longing satisfied at the feet of Jesus?  

Pray today that we and our loved ones would hunger for an authentic, vibrant relationship with Christ, see our failings and need for flegiveness, and find fulfillment at the feet of Jesus. 

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Link for last night's post is here: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/06/ttglc-soup.html

Do you see this woman? (Luke 7:44)

Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. (Luke 7:44 NASB)

When Jesus turned to Simon with "something to say", He asked him a question that might have seemed silly to Simon. "Do you see this woman?" He said. Of course Simon saw the woman! He had just been pondering her wicked past. He saw her, and all the wrong things she had ever done. He saw her, for sure!

Jesus had seen the woman, too. When Jesus began to describe what He had seen, it sounded vastly different than what Simon had seen. It also sounded amazingly better! Simon saw the past. Only the past. Jesus saw the past, too, as well as the havoc the past had created, but He also saw the fresh start she was making. He saw her love for her Lord and the humility and generosity of spirit she had displayed. With the past and the present, He had a glimpse of her future and the woman of faith she would become. His view of this woman brought great compassion and a willingness to invest Himself in her life. 

We see people every day who are struggling and in need of compassion and assistance. Our willingness to be involved in their lives will be dependent, in large measure, upon how we "see" them. Do we see them with "Simon eyes", focusing on their mistakes and their past failures? Do we see them with the eyes of Christ, focusing on the person they are now and all they might become? Being the hands and feet of Christ begins with having the eyes of Christ. 

Do you have the eyes of Christ toward those less fortunate? Do you have the eyes of Christ toward those who have filled their lives with one mistake after another? The woman with the alabaster vial had filled her life with mistakes, but as she wept at the feet of Jesus, repentant and broken, those mistakes were washed away and a new life began. 

Pray today to see those around us (especially those we love most) with the eyes of Christ. Pray, too, that those with mistake-laden lives will have the past washed away at the feet of Jesus, and will rise to become the men and women of God they were created to be. 

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http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/06/life-on-farm-greenhouse-compound.html

Motivation

Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have judged correctly." Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." (Luke 7:43-47 NASB)

Jesus had just told Simon the story of the two debtors who were forgiven their debt. "Which one will love more?" He asked. Today, we begin to look at Jesus's reply to Simon, who had answered "The one forgiven more."  

What Jesus said to Simon must have been hard to hear. Simon considered himself much better than the woman, who was well known as a sinner. Jesus drew a sharp contrast between Simon and the woman that did not support Simon's opinion of himself at all. 

He began by telling Simon what he had gotten right. The one forgiven more will love more. He then moved to what Simon had not gotten right. Simon apparently was proud that he had invited Jesus to his house, and was not at all happy about the woman crashing his party. He had invited Jesus, but he had not done any of the things that would have been usual for a host with an honored guest. He had not greeted Jesus with a welcoming kiss, given Him water to wash his feet with after a dusty walk, or put oil on his head. The woman, however, had done all that with sincerity, heartfelt love, and tender emotion. 

Jesus must have surprised Simon when he said,  "For this reason I say to you, her sins are forgiven." Simon was a Pharisee. He obeyed the law down to the most obscure detail. If anyone's sins were forgiven, it should have been his, or so he thought. Jesus was telling Simon that, though she had a mountain of sin in need of forgiveness, her love was so great that it counted for more than all the sacrifices Simon had given out of a sense of duty. 

Motivation. Jesus clearly took it seriously and He indicated here that wrong motivation can render all the rule-following of less consequence than that motivated by love for Christ. 

What motivates our actions and obedience? Appearances or love for Christ?

Pray today that we and our loved ones will have the kind of love that comes from an understanding of the great gift of our forgiveness and brings forth actions filled with compassion and tenderness

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Link to last night's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-problem-of-stealing.html

Seeing and Doing (Luke 7:41-43)

"A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?" Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have judged correctly." (Luke 7:41-43 NASB)

Simon was in a hard spot. He had just been thinking about the weeping woman at Jesus's feet and considering what a sinful woman she was.  Before he knew it, Jesus was telling a story about debtors being forgiven. It was like Jesus had read his mind! You can be sure that this very bright Pharisee could tell exactly where Jesus was headed with his story. You can also be sure he was looking for a way out. He wanted an interesting dinner guest, not a life-changing interaction around the dinner table!

Simon gave Jesus a crafty answer to the question of which debtor loved more. "I suppose the one with the bigger debt," he said. This word suppose comes from the root word lambanō.  According to Vine's Expository Ductionary, it can be translated as receiving something "without necessarily signifying a favorable reception". It is a way of saying, "I see what you are saying, but I'm not accepting it for myself." Simon thought he was better than the woman, and he had no intention of seeing things a batter way. 

We respond to Jesus with "suppose" sometimes, too, don't we? We hear "love your neighbor" and "suppose" it means the person we like least of all, but towards whom we have no intention of showing love. We hear Jesus say "forgive" and "suppose" it means the one who has hurt us so terribly, but we don't really want to forgive, do we?  It's much easier to "suppose" than to allow Him to change our hearts. It is easier, but it is not better. 

In what areas are you saying "I suppose" to our Lord?  Why not saying, "Change me, Lord" instead?  

Today, pray that we and our loved ones will be willing to not only see things God's way but also do things His way. 

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Link to last night's post:

http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/06/maggie-mamie-and-answered-prayer.html

Which loves more? (Luke 7:41-42)

"A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?" (Luke 7:41, 42 NASB)

Simon, a respected Pharisee and religious leader in his village, watched the "woman who was a sinner" and her extravagant outpouring of love and generosity. He knew who she was and what she had done, and he silently condemned her. It was his house and she was not invited. He would never invite "her kind" into his home! If Jesus really were a prophet sent by God, he would know what kind of person she was, he thought, and surely he would not allow this scandalous display! Simon's thoughts were full of venom towards the woman and her Lord. 

Jesus knew his spiteful thoughts and answered them with a little story. "Simon," He said, "two people owed a debt. One owed a little, and the other owed a lot.  In fact, the second person owed ten times as much as the first one, but neither could repay their debt. In an unbelievable act of generosity, the moneylender forgave them both.  Which person will be more grateful? Which will love him more?"

Poor Simon. He was a really smart man, and he could see that there was no way he was getting out of this with his prejudice and arrogance intact. That was exactly what Jesus had in mind. 

When Jesus looked at Simon and the woman with her alabaster vial, He saw two sinners. One had piled up sin with her body, but one was continuing to pile up sin with his mind and heart. They were both sinners in need of mercy, just like us. 

To God, Simon's sin was just as scandalous as the woman's. To God, our sin and that of our loved ones is equally scandalous, equally heinous. We all have a debt we cannot repay, and we are all dependent upon the mercy of God. Remember that sin always requires a sacrificial payment to bring forgiveness. Only Jesus could pay that once and for all. It is mercy, not giving us the punishment that we deserve for our debt, that erases the balance and removes our guilt. Mercy. What a beautiful word! 

Today, as we pray for our loved ones, remember that the same mercy, the same terrible and severe mercy, was required to remove our sin as well as the most heinous sinner's. We all desperately need mercy. It is the one who both receives the most mercy and recognizes it who loves the most. 

Pray today that we and our loved ones would recognize our sinfulness and the great mercy we require.  Pray, too, that we would love our Lord in like measure, extravagantly and without limit. 

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Link to last might's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-sneaky-serpent.html

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Speak to my heart (Luke 7:40)

And Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he replied, "Say it, Teacher." (Luke 7:40 NASB)

Simon had just been enjoying some critical, judgmental thoughts against the woman with the alabaster vial of perfume and against Jesus, who had a pretty clear idea of his thoughts. Jesus looked at Simon and called him by name. "I have something to say to you," He said. He did not call the party to order to harrangue all the attendees. He did not single Simon out and shame or denigrate him. He saw Simon's heart-sin, and simply dealt directly with Simon. 

"I need to talk to you" are words that seldom preface a pleasant conversation. Hearing them, my first thought is not one of great joy, but usually dread. Simon did not seem to be worried about what Jesus had on His mind, however. "Say it, Teacher," he said. 

Since Simon saw Jesus as a teacher, and not as Lord or Messiah, he likely was not expecting words that would cut through his facade of righteousness and go straight to his heart. Simon's response indicates a willingness to listen to what Jesus had to say, regardless of what he had just been thinking about Him. Perhaps there is more to Simon than is apparent at first glance. 

His response to Jesus is one we would do well to emulate. When confronted with wrong attitudes or wrong deeds, how much better it would be to say, like Simon, "Speak, Lord. I'm listening." Why not start your day with those very words? 

The hymn "Speak to My Heart, Lord Jesus," written by Gene Roth and BB McKinney, expresses this so well, and is a good prayer song for us and for our loved ones today. 

"Speak to my heart, Lord Jesus, Speak that my soul may hear;

Speak to my heart, Lord Jesus, Calm ev'ry doubt and fear. 

Speak to my heart, oh, speak to my heart,

Speak to my heart, I pray; 

Yielded and still, seeking Thy will, 

Oh, speak to my heart today."

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Link to last might's post:  http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/06/friday-night-with-friends-tupelo.html

Known by Name

Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner." And Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he replied, "Say it, Teacher." (Luke 7:39, 40 NASB)

If the Pharisee knew "what sort of person" the woman was, it stands to reason that he knew who she was. If he knew "who" she was, he knew her name, yet he never calls her by her name. "This woman", "a sinner" are the labels he gives her, but he does her no honor by refusing to use her name. He prefers to know her by her mistakes. 

Names are important to us, aren't they? Well, our own names are important to us. They tell us that the person using our name knows us, knows who we are, knows something about us. When speaking to strangers, we do not use their names. When speaking to friends and loved ones, we do. 

Simon did not speak his spiteful thoughts aloud, but Jesus knew. He could likely read it on Simon's face. If she were looking at Simon instead of Jesus, the woman at His feet would have known, too. 

Interestingly, Jesus, knowing those thoughts of Simon's, turns to him. The first word out of His mouth is Simon's name. "Simon, I have something to say to you," Jesus said.  He didn't talk about Simon or against Simon. He spoke directly to him, and He called him by name. 

It is a great comfort to be known by name by Almighty God, isn't it?  If even the hairs of our head are numbered and known by God (Matt 10:30), you can be sure He knows who we are. Jehovah knows us by name and, according to Psalm 139, He keeps track of us. We are never so far from God that He does not know where we are and what we are doing. We are known. 

Take heart, friends, in the knowledge that, though the world may know us and our loved ones by our mistakes, Almighty God knows us by our name and our heart. You are greatly loved and well known. 

Pray today that our loved ones would recognize the watchcare and intimate knowledge of God for them, and be drawn to Him because of His greatly personal love for them. 

Response to Devotion (Luke 7:39)

Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner." (Luke 7:39 NASB)

The dinner Jesus was attending was full of drama. First the uninvited woman had arrived and, standing behind Jesus, she had such a flood of tears that she soaked His feet, then she let her hair down and started drying His feet with her hair! As if that were not shocking enough, she starting kissing His feet and pouring perfume on Him! This behavior was better suited to the bedroom of a married couple, and was scandalous in the midst of the party. 

The Pharisee took it all in and was silently seething. "This man is no prophet," he was thinking. "If He were, He would know what kind of trashy woman was touching him and he would get rid of her. A prophet would never put up with this!" Poor Pharisee! He was wrong about so many things. 

Jesus knew exactly what kind of woman she was, as well as what kind of man the Pharisee was. He knew the motivation behind the behavior of both of them, and only one pleased Him. It wasn't the Pharisee. 

There was a great divide between the broken, humbled, woman and the proud, judgmental Pharisee. Both were sinners, but only one of them recognized it. Both approached Jesus, but only one approached with love and gratitude. Onlookers today might call the woman a fanatic, and they would be right. Her devotion to Christ was singleminded and life-changing, as ours should be. 

Are we more like the woman or the Pharisee? Are we filled with devotion to Christ or critical of those who are?

Pray today that we would be so filled with love for Christ that there is no room for criticizing others. Pray too that our loved ones will have the humble, loving heart of the woman rather than the critical judgmental spirit of the Pharisee. 

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Please continue to pray for the release of the Nigerian schoolgirls. 

Last might's link: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/06/kidnapped-nigerian-schoolgirls.html

Translucent versus Transparent

And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, (Luke 7:37 NASB)

Yesterday, I wrote about alabaster and the use of alabaster to make window panes.  I called those panes transparent, but that was not quite accurate. When I sent the information about alabaster windows to my son, he searched for a picture of the windows and replied back, "You can't really see through the windows. They just let the light through. Its's really pretty, though."  

Ryan is correct. The appropriate term for those alabaster windows is translucent. They are not clear, but thin enough to let the light shine through. The result is that of a gentle glowing light. He is correct about the effect. It's really lovely. 

The alabaster does not let the harsh light of noonday sun through in all it's intensity. It diffuses it and lets it through without glare. Those inside can look at the panes, and thus the light, without discomfort because of the translucency of the panes. 

That is exactly how we should be with the light of God inside us. The glory of God is so intense, so bright and shining, that we cannot see it directly. It is only in eternity that we will have eyes that can see Him as He is, in all His majesty. 

Our witness of Christ should, in some ways, be like the alabaster panes, translucent and diffusing the light just enough to allow a lovely glow rather than a blinding, harsh spotlight. We are rarely drawn to approach a spotlight, but soft lamplight in a window is a different matter entirely. So should we be with the light of God, allowing our inner light to be glowing in such a way that others are drawn to the light inside us. 

Are people drawn to the light of Christ in us or do we emit a blinding spotlight that is off-putting? Truth must be spoken, but tempered with love, offering reconciliation with Christ rather than condemnation. 

Pray today for translucence that allows the warm glow of the love of Christ to shine through us in such a way that our loved ones will be drawn to the glow and then to Christ Himself. 

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Link to last might's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/06/mamie-meets-something-big.html

See-Through Alabaster (Luke 7:37)

And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, (Luke 7:37 NASB)

Alabaster is a mineral known as calcite, and, as the name implies, is a carbonate of calcium. It can be either white or brown or a swirled mixture of the two colors. Because of the chemical structure, it is relatively easy to carve and has been used for everything from relief carvings to perfume bottles and decorative figurines. As we see in this verse, the woman was carrying a perfume bottle made of alabaster. 

Alabaster is used in another way that might be surprising to you. When the alabaster is cut into extremely thin sheets, it is transparent and can be used for window panes. In fact, there is a church in Spain with alabaster windows today. 

What a lovely picture of our relationship with Christ! When the excess is cut away, you can see right through it. When all the hurt and sin is removed, when our hearts are purified, we should become so transparent in spirit that onlookers can see right through us to Christ. 

Are our hearts as transparent as a pane of alabaster? When people spend time with us, do the see more of us or more of Jesus?

Pray today for the transparency of spirit that allows our loved ones and all those we encounter to see Christ in us and that seeing, they will believe. 

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Link to last might's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/06/gathering-rags.html

The Intimacy of Her Hair

And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. (Luke 7:37, 38 NASB)

Even today, strictly Orthodox Jewish  married women cover their hair when in public. Paul wrote that her hair was a woman's glory and, when praying or prophesying, it should be covered. With that in mind, it changes how we understand this passage. 

Approaching Jesus from behind, she knelt at his feet, tears streaming down her face in such a flood that it was wetting His feet. Having no cloth to dry Him, she reached up, let down her hair, and used those long tresses to dry the tears. It was, for that time, a scandalous display. Women did not let their hair down in this manner before men who were not their husbands.  In fact, the display of a woman's hair was considered "enticing" and was reserved only for her husband. 

Using her hair to dry His feet was an act of extreme intimacy and love. Only a prostitute would be so emboldened in public, they probably thought. There was no way those Pharisees could understand the depth of emotion and the baring of her soul before Jesus, the One who knew all and still loved her. What they thought about her likely never entered her mind. She was worshipping her Lord, and her eyes were fixed on Jesus. 

It is not her hair, but the depth of emotion and love that drove her to use her hair, that we should emulate. Her all-out, nothing-held-back love is something we we would do well to embrace. 

How fervent is our love for Christ? What do we hold back? How often do we dampen our response to Him in order to avoid the censure of those around us?

Today, pray that we and our loved ones would have hearts so filled with love for Christ that we hold nothing back from Him. 

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Link to last night's post: 

http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-sign-of-enoch.html

Approaching from Behind (Luke 7:37)

And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. (Luke 7:37, 38 NASB)

At this time, Jesus was "reclining at the table". This was not the table and chairs to which we are accustomed. It was a low table around which pillows were piled (rather than chairs) on which the guests sat. If you understand the position of the guests, you can better understand the woman's action. Jesus was seated, leaning to one side, with His feet behind Him. 

This woman knew Jesus was in the house and came prepared to offer a gift of love to Him. She quietly approached and, by the time she arrived just behind Jesus, tears were streaming down her face. She was overcome with her love for her Savior and her gratitude for the forgiveness of her sins, as well as conviction/grief over her sin. We might have tapped Him on the shoulder to let Him know we were there, but she just knelt behind Jesus, with tears dripping onto those precious feet.  

She had come with a lovely gift, but she did not even try to catch His eye or look Jesus in the face. She was not trying to earn points with Him, she was simply there to honor Him. 

It's one thing to do public acts of love for Jesus in a way that brings recognition to ourselves. It's another thing entirely to honor Jesus "from behind, at his feet". How often do we offer silent, loving acts of service "from behind"? How often are our actions motivated only by extravagant love and immense gratitude?

Today, pray that we and our loved ones would be filled with "behind" love that seeks no recognition but only strives to honor Him. 

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The link for last might's post is here:  

http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-friendly-community.html

Welcoming Sinners (Luke 7:37)

And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, (Luke 7:37 NASB)

Several times recently, the question of allowing people who are perceived to be sinners into the church has come up in conversation. Every time, our discussions have focused on two facts. The first, of course, is that we are all sinners saved by grace and forgiven by the boundless mercy of God. Every sin is heinous to God. Remember that Adam and Eve's disobedience with the fruit resulted in expulsion from the garden. We are the ones that consider our own sin as somehow less terrible than that of others. I have never found a sin scale in Scripture. 

The second point in this ongoing discussion is that Jesus was known as the Friend to Sinners and spent time and enjoyed meals with many people who were considered the dregs of society. Heaven is full of sinners saved by grace. Take Moses and King David for example. Nowhere in Scripture do we see Jesus saying a sinner is too sinful to come to Him. God loves sinners, and so should we. He has not appointed us to be gatekeepers. We are called to be sowers and harvesters. 

With all this said, there is an astounding bit of information included in this little verse that directly relates to this issue. "There was a woman who was a sinner." The Greek word translated as was is eimi. This is a verb that comes from the root word that is in the "first person singular present indicative mood". According to blueletterbible.org, "when the present is used with the indicative mood it denotes present time".  As I understand it, was here indicates ongoing activity. In other words, she had been a sinner and still was a sinner. 

It may seem shocking, but it's true. With one single word, the answer to the question of exclusion is answered. No. Everyone is welcome at the foot of the cross, and, as a result, everyone should be welcome to come to Jesus. It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict. Only God can change a sinful heart. What better place to encounter the Most High God than in a church service where we have gathered to worship Him? That is why we are there, isn't it? 

This woman was a sinner, but she was welcome at the feet of Jesus. 

We will soon see that she came to Him with many tears and much weeping. I suspect the time spent at His feet changed her life forever. What would have happened to her, however, if she had been refused access to Jesus? What would have happened to us if we had been refused access to Jesus?  That transition time between the stirrings of conviction and the transformation of a sinner saved by grace may be difficult to watch, but it is a crucial time and one that needs considerable care and prayer. 

Today, rejoice that the Most High God has poured out His mercy and grace on us and our loved ones, no matter the faults, and is even now working to transform us and make us new. 

The sinner woman (Luke 7:37)

And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, (Luke 7:37 NASB)

There was a woman...who was a sinner." This woman is commonly perceived to be  a prostitute, and she may well be, but that is not what the Scripture says here. The word translated as sinner is hamartōlos, and is a verb that means "to miss the mark." It is used to mean both one who has strayed "from the paths of righteousness" as well as one who has sinned against God (the fallen state of man).  It would, then, be accurate to say "There was a woman who was a sinner, just as I am a sinner."  It looks a little different that way, doesn't it? 

Whatever her sin, whether it was prostitution, adultery, gossip, or unforgiveness, she had become known as the woman who had continued to sin. The description of her as a sinner implies that, whatever the sin, it had been a regular part of her life, at least until she met Jesus. How horrible that must have been! Even after trusting Christ, she was still haunted by her past. 

I cannot imagine how painful it would be to constantly be described by the things I did before I was transformed by Christ. Can you? What if people described you as "that woman who will not forgive" or "that man who is always angry"? Remembering who we were before Christ saved us helps us to keep in mind that great mercy He has demonstrated to us. At the same time, when we give our burden of sin to Christ, it is His alone, and should not be used like a ball and chain to hinder us for the rest of our lives. 

For this woman, who likely knew exactly what people said about her, their gossip meant nothing in comparison to the great gift of forgiveness that Christ had given. She had been transformed by grace and the gratitude she felt knew no bounds. Are we as cognizant of that mercy and grace demonstrated to us, as grateful as this woman? We should be. 

She was a sinner, just like us. We should be extravagantly grateful, just like her. 

Pray today that our hearts would be so full of gratitude for the gifts of forgiveness and transformation that it spills over into every part of lives and is apparent to all, especially those we love the most. 

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Link to last might's post is here: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/05/sealed-with-handshake.html