Taken and modified from multiple sources
Continued From Yesterday
In Luke 7 we see one of the Pharisees, (verse 36), was requesting Him to dine with him. So He entered the Pharisees house and He didn’t mind being with the self-righteous hypocrite, He reclined, (once again, it was a prolonged event).
From the history that I’ve read, the way they used to do it is that the houses tended to be somewhat open and there would be a meal going on with dignitaries and people in the community typically allowed to stand around on the outside and listen to the conversation. Apparently that’s what happened in this case..
“And behold, there was a woman in the city who was a sinner (most likely an immoral woman, a prostitute). And when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume.”
Some historians say that small thin alabaster bottles containing perfume were sealed up at the top and they were actually carried around the neck of women. Now for a prostitute, this was a part of her operation. Sounds like Proverbs, doesn’t it? I’ll perfume my bed.
And so, she must have been a fairly successful one because hers was an alabaster vial, they weren’t cheap. She brought this vial and standing behind Him, (verse 38), and at His feet.
Now wait a minute. On the outside, you know, you could stay. You might not like her there, but that was after all, the public street. But she moved into the house! She’s moved in!
Jesus is there reclining, His feet are up here and his arm perhaps draped, comfortably. She comes up behind Him and weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears.
This is outrageous. Are you kidding? And then she is wiping His feet with the hair of her head and kissing His feet. And then she breaks the neck of the alabaster bottle and she starts pouring the perfume on Him.
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.”
This is just too touchy. “That she is an immoral woman.” The Pharisee, of course, is operating out of his own heart. What sinful man is going to have a prostitute doing that to his feet without having an illicit thought, or at the least being concerned with what the others around will think about His reputation?
Well, the way the story ends, you can read the middle, verse 48, instead of the woman corrupting Him, He says,
“Your sins have been.... what?.... forgiven!”
My, My My!
Instead of sin corrupting Him, Holy Grace reaches out and justifies her. And they said in verse 49-50
“Who is this who forgives sins?” And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you, go in peace...go in peace.”
She was an hamartolos, especially wicked, immoral and filthy is how that word is used as translated in lexicons. But she was on a mission. Luther says
· The only water she had was heart water and so she used her tears.
· The only cloth she had was her hair, so she used her hair. And
· The only gift she could give was what she used for her immoral relationships.
It had no effect on Him at all except to draw out of Him forgiveness. That’s because Hebrews 7:26 says this,
“We have a high priest who is...listen to this...holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens who does not need to offer up sacrifices for His own sins. He is a Son, verse 28, made perfect forever.”
Jesus could go to hell and be holy. He did. He did. 1 Peter 3:19, He could go into the teeth of a demoniac with a legion of demons and purify that man and leave him clothed and in his right mind.
To Be Continued…
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