Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

One of my favorite accounts in the Gospels is the story that takes place in Luke 7:36-55. It’s such an incredible story of love and forgiveness. Apparently Luke even thought so because he begins writing this account with the word “Behold” - an exclamation telling us to observe something remarkable that is happening.

Let’s set the scene. In the earlier parts of this chapter, we hear accounts of Jesus’ miraculous healings as He traveled. Now He has been invited to dine with Simon, a Pharisee, a group of self-righteous legalists who did not believe Jesus was the Messiah and who were appalled at His willingness to be a “friend of sinners.” Nonetheless, Simon must’ve figured that Jesus would make for an interesting dinner party guest. In these times, a dinner party was much more than a casual meal with friends on a Friday night. It was often a gathering of rabbis, officials, and other important members of society, in which they reclined at the table and had lengthy conversations involving religion and politics. Many Biblical scholars say that it was an event that townspeople would attend to simply watch and listen to the discourse even though they were not allowed to partake in the meal or discussions. Then, in walks a woman. We are immediately told who she is in verse 37 - “a sinner.” Or as it has come to be understood, a prostitute.

She approaches Jesus, weeping so hard that her tears are described as raining down on Jesus’ feet. She lets her hair down, a very shameful thing to do in this culture, and wipes Jesus’ feet. Then, she anoints His feet with an alabaster vial of perfume, a precious and expensive treasure that she was most likely able to purchase with earnings from her sinful lifestyle. No one pulls her away, so she sits at Jesus’ feet, embracing and kissing them. Wow. What a display of adoration for Jesus, completely motivated by love and faith, and totally unhindered by societal norms or the opinions of others. Unlike the others sitting at the table, this woman realized that she was a sinner in desperate need of rescue, and she knew that Jesus could offer her forgiveness. No one else in the room mattered to her - only Jesus. There was no way she couldn’t be overcome with this amount of love and emotion in the presence of her Savior.

Immediately, Simon is appalled. As a Pharisee, he has sought to separate himself from the unclean and the sinful. Now, a notoriously sinful woman has not only entered his home but also disrupted his entire dinner. And even worse, Jesus has not pushed her defiling touch away. There was no way that Jesus could be the Son of God when He didn’t even seem to realize that this woman in front of Him was a sinner, right? When Simon voices his disgust, Jesus responds with a parable in verses 41-47, which He ends with the following words: “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

This parable reveals to us that our love for Christ grows in direct relationship to the understanding of the magnitude of our sins and how extraordinary the forgiveness of our Father is. Just like the woman in the story, the outpouring of love for God in our lives should be fueled by the recognition of our great sinfulness and our great Savior. When we realize how desperately we need Jesus, we can’t help but fall at His feet and worship.

Reflection:

• Take a few moments and quietly reflect on your need for God and His grace. Thank Him for the many sins He has forgiven in your life.
• Find time today to play your favorite worship song. Take on a physical posture of praise by kneeling before God or lifting your arms to Him as you pour out your love and worship to Him.

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Family Application: Luke 7

Author: Dahlia Landers

Have you ever seen a miracle? Not just being the first one chosen when you are making teams at recess, but something you know was not possible without God. Jesus used miracles to encourage stronger faith in the people He helped.

Jesus saw how much faith the centurion had when he asked Jesus to come to heal his servant. At first, he wanted Jesus to come to his house to touch and heal the servant. The centurion thought about how he was unworthy to have Jesus in this home, so he sent friends to tell Jesus not to go to the trouble to come, but to say the word and the servant would be healed. Jesus told the crowd that the centurion had greater faith than any other He had met. When the friends got back, the servant was healed!

Not long after that, Jesus went to a town called Nain. The disciples and a large crowd traveled along with him. When they were just arriving, they saw a funeral coming out of the city gate. A lady following from behind was very upset because her only son was dead and her husband had already died. When Jesus saw her, His heart was sad for her. He reached out to touch the boy and told him to get up. The boy sat up and began to talk. Jesus returned him to his mother!

In each story, Jesus showed people who He is through His actions.

Jesus healed many different people to show that if you have faith you can have a relationship with Him.

• Why does Jesus want you to have faith?
• Prayer: Jesus, thank You for these stories that allow us to see You at work while You were on earth. Help us to have a strong faith that helps people see a difference in us. Give us opportunities to be a good example for You.