WOMANHOOD 2 RESTORED, RENEWED ,RECLAIMED FOR CHRIST.LUKE7.

    Our Lord came not to be ministered to but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many. In this delightful story, he liberated a women., and left a heritage for every generation. 

    One of the Pharisees, ‘who had rejected the counsel of God for themselves, not being baptized of John,’ (v30) asked the Lord Jesus to eat with him.’ (v36)   This surprised many, for the Pharisees insisted on obedience to the law of God, demanding titheing ( giving one tenth of one’s income ) and being ritually pure, that is keeping the detailed observances of the Old Testament. Their hearts were not right, although they preserved the fine points of the law. 

    God’s Son agreed , for great truth would come out of this dinner experience, so ‘He went to the Pharisees’ house, and sat down to eat.’ ( 36) .  Jesus Christ was accepted coldly, no water was given Him to bathe His dusty, tired feet, nor oil poured on His head, nor the acceptable kiss of welcome. However, the Son of God  was in the place where the glory of God would be clearly shown, and He would touch lives.  Many women have been made free of their burden of guilt after reading of Christ’s gracious acceptance of a fallen woman.

    Every eye saw one person slip into that room, ‘ for behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, ( what a description of one who must have been morally hopeless, ) when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisees’ home, brought an alabaster box of fragrant oil.’ ( v37)  Did she wear a  garish frock, or hair-do, or jewels, to show she was a prostitute scorned by many ‘righteous’ in that city,   The Living Bible described her ‘ as a woman of the city – a prostitute).  Why had she come?  How was this degraded woman drawn to Jesus Christ, holy and pure?  He still attracts the most needy today, as He makes all things new.  I’m glad He drew me to Himself.

    She sobbed inconsolably, as‘ she stood at His feet, behind Him weeping,  and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and she kissed His feet, and anointed them with the fragrant oil.’ (v38)  The air was electric.  Never had the guests seen the distinguished Son of God so honoured.  The woman was not sensual, enticing the manhood of the Son of man.  Remember that ‘He was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin.’ She was no temptress, although she had squandered her years awakening the depraved appetite of fallen men.  Now, she loved and worshipped Jesus Christ.  She humbled herself, standing at His feet, probably in the darkest corner of the guest room.

   What did the guests think? Luke’s gospel does not say,  except for the Pharisee himself., who challenged our Lord Jesus as Messiah, meaning Prophet, Priest and King. He rejected our Lord as Prophet.  Therefore, He rejected Him as the Anointed One.

    ‘When the Pharisee, who invited Him saw this, He spoke to himself ( his secret thoughts were known to the Lord and revealed for every generation following ) , This Man if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is, who is ‘touching’ Him, for she is a sinner.’ (v39)   His soul ( mind, emotions and will) was stirred, as he rejected Christ as prophet .   His lustful passion may have been awakened, seeing the harlot of the city , ( had he secret transactions with her prior to this? ) and clearly misunderstanding her intention. 

    The Pharisee used a special word ‘ touching ‘Him, alluding to the sense of contact to control another, to awaken, and to gain an advantage from the incident.  He saw all this in the physical and sensual.  He accused this weeping woman of sexually exciting the Lord of glory.  Depraved!

Her old life of promiscuous sexual conduct had finished, and she embarked on a holy walk to love and cherish and revere her new Lord.  ‘For if any man, or woman, is in Christ, he or she is a new creation. ‘ Wake up, Pharisee, don’t be bogged down in your old fallen nature, but rejoice at a miracle of new life in this woman.

    Now it was our Lord’s time to speak as ‘ Jesus answered and said to him, Simon, I have something to say to you.’  ‘Teacher, say it’,  was the cryptic response from one under the Spirit’s  working.  We too must be open to receive God’s word.

    ‘There was a certain creditor,  who had two debtors.  One owed 500 dollars and the other owed 50.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me which of them will love Him more?’  Simon answered and said, ‘ I suppose the one to whom He forgave more.’ You have rightly judged’, replied our Lord. (v41-43)  Every guest heard the Lord’s parable to the Pharisee, and would have pondered its meaning.  The woman, in spite of her tears, also heard.  She understood, for it was the secret source of her weeping, and anointing of Jesus.

    ‘Then He turned to the woman an d said to Simon, ’Do you see this woman?’ I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has washed my feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head.’ In army days inWW11, I walked the roads of Israel and know how dusty abd dirty were my army boots.  Her sorrow for sin  flooded tears, which bathed the feet of our dear Lord.  The holy Son of God walked in touch with the fallen world, which groaned and travailed together until now. Our Lord rebuked a hard-hearted religious leader.

    A woman’s glory is her hair,’ the scripture shows, and this repentant woman allowed her glory to fall on the feet of the Lord.  She wiped His feet with her treasured hair.  Her love was unbounded, as she worshipped at His feet.  Would you give your greatest treasure to Him?

    Furthermore, ‘You gave me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in..  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.’ (v44-46)  The term kiss my foot, which I refuse to use,  originated in this intimate  acceptance of devotion of a reconciled woman. She blessed her Saviour for ‘His feet were blessed in taking the gospel to such lives. ‘ His heart must have leapt with rapture. 

    The Pharisee had withheld the anointing with oil.  Hence her generous sacrifice of the fragrant ointment from the alabaster box.  She poured her treasure on His feet.  Kings should be anointed with oil. Likewise the high priest and prophets were set aside for God in this way.  By this she shouted that Jesus Christ is the Anointed one, the Messiah.  Our Lord must have rejoiced at such perception.  Once a prostitute, now a woman of discernment.  What a complete turn around!

    God’ Son spoke to the Pharisee, ‘ Therefore I say unto you,’ her sins which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.  But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.’ They penetrated more than any two-edged sword.

    His choicest word is reserved for the new person, probable sitting in the place of a willing slave composed at His feet‘ as He said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven .’ There is now no judgment for you in Christ Jesus ‘.  No explanation, for the King speaks authoritatively from the throne.  She is free, forgiven, cleansed, reconciled, restored.  Hallelujah!

    The guests were in furor as they began to say among themselves, ‘ Who is this that even forgives sins?’  They did not know that the eternal God was among them, and that through Calvary suffering he would earn the right to forgive her sins. 

    He turned and said to the woman, ‘ Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace. ‘

Her tears were shed. Her face glowed.  Her heart was still.  Her faith strong. She would build a new life and enjoy the purity and rightness that her new Lord had given her.

    Did she find a man of God and live a holy life in the beauty of wedlock? 

    Allow the Lord Jesus to speak such calming words to you.  And go, also, in peace.