What is our attitude towards sin do we weep when confronted with it?
Luke 7:36-50 (focusing on 40-43)
36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
When I was young I would cry when I saw sad things on television – live sheep exports, famine in Ethiopia, injustice etc. Now, as an adult I can listen to the news and sometimes feel immune to the pain or the sadness that is reported. I have heard it all before. It is not fresh. It is a repeat of the same old story, nothing is new under the sun.
We can sometimes have the same attitude toward sin. We are worn down by seeing so much of it that we become accepting of it. Our attitude towards it is less than concerned. We tell ourselves that sin is not that bad. There are worse sins we hear voiced in our heads. Why concern ourselves with this when others have done worse. Our judgmental approach affects our ability to see sin for what it is. Ugly, bad and destructive.
But God hates sin. God did not intend for his people to sin. He wants to confront us with our sin problem. Yet we can be immune to it.
The woman in the town who came to Jesus and wept had not become immune to sin. Her sin in the face of Jesus purity saddened her to the point of tears that poured from her. Tears enough when taken in bulk to clean the dusty feet of Jesus. She acknowledged she had a problem, a sin problem and she is repentant and seeks forgiveness.
The cost for her to buy the alabaster jar would no doubt have been large. She knew her sin was also large and she wanted to give the best she could to Jesus and humbly seek his forgiveness. It is a beautiful display of an attitude of repentance.
Next time we see wrong, hurt, sickness and sadness let’s have the right response. An attitude of rejection of wrong and a desire to see right in the world. Let’s be like Jesus accepting the person, loving the person whoever and whatever they have done but let’s not accept the sin. Instead of being like the Pharisee and judging people let’s show people toward Jesus as only he has the power to forgive sins.
Head: The woman we read about today gave Jesus an alabaster Jar of perfume. What is the best gift we can give to Jesus? It may be our time, our thoughts, our homes, our families, our wealth.
Heart: Let’s check our heart attitude towards sin.
Hands: Is there a practical way that we can ditch a sin that is evident in our lives – ask Jesus for help. As the woman showed us today we don’t have to do it alone.
Prayer: Father God help me to have the right attitude towards sin. Help me not to accept it. Open my eyes so that I may see the sin in my own life and cause me to repent. To turn to you, seek forgiveness and live for you. AMEN.
A song to listen to:
Emma-Jane McNicol- Creek Road Presbyterian Church- Carina
