Our Attitude Toward Jesus

Is our attitude one of love, worship, humility and obedience? Or do we have an attitude of apathy, disrespect and superiority?

Luke 7:37-38: And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee*s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

I believe the woman was weeping because she knew that her sin disqualified her from even being in the presence of Jesus. Being in His presence was an undeserved privilege. Being in His presence made her aware of her sin and unworthiness. She was overjoyed and deeply and genuinely humbled to be near Him. Imagine yourself washing someone*s feet with your own tears. What love! What humility!

If she was willing to do this humble thing it proved that she was willing to do ANYTHING to demonstrate her love for Him. No one asked her to do it. She simply couldn*t think of anything else to do. She did what she could. Lest she offended Him by her tears on His feet she dried His feet with her hair. I have seen people kiss the feet of little babies. Other than that I have never seen anyone kiss feet. Her kissing the feet of Jesus was an amazing expression of her love.

Some believe the woman was a prostitute. Some believe that the Pharisee who hosted this occasion was one of her customers. He certainly knew what her livelihood was. She may have used the ointment on herself to make herself attractive to him or his friends. It was probably the most valuable thing she possessed. She now knew that it only had value if she could use it to love JESUS. Now she knew the ugliness of her sin. She no longer wanted to beautify herself. She knew that was impossible in the presence of the most wonderful man that ever walked on earth. She wanted to beautify HIM!

She did not care who saw what she did. The others present were insignificant to her compared with Jesus! She only had eyes for Jesus! No one will ever convince me that she did these things to anyone but Jesus. Her kisses were not hit-and-run kisses. She continued giving them as long as she could. I believe she would have kissed His feet until she fell asleep from exhaustion.

The things she did demonstrated a complete break with her past life. They demonstrated Biblical repentance. She would no longer use the ointment as she had in the past. It is sad that the word repentance is used so little in our culture. It means to turn around or to go in a different direction morally. It means turning away from sin and turning to God. We can understand what it means by what this woman did.

It is obvious that the Pharisee who invited Jesus into his home considered himself superior to Jesus. He did not even honor Jesus as much as he would have honored an ordinary neighbor. It was a common tradition to provide water for guests to wash their feet. He did not even provide the common courtesy of the culture. He was not even a good host. He knew the courtesies of the culture. He deliberately snubbed the Lord Jesus.

Luke 7:39-50: Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

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