Date: Tuesday, January 13th, 2015 Title: Forgiveness and Worship an excerpt taken from the book titled, “Gems from Joan”. “Have you ever dug in your heels and insisted on being right and doing things your way? Have you crushed someone’s heart and love in the process? The New Testament tells the story of a Pharisee named Simon who struggled with that very thing. Simon invited Jesus into his house for a meal, when something unexpected happened. Luke records the story for us: “[Jesus] entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume” (Luke 7:36-38). Well, the Pharisee was incensed. He saw himself as being more spiritual than the woman. Luke tells us his secret thoughts: “Now when the Pharisee who had invited [Jesus] 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, that she is a sinner’ “(Luke 7:39). He didnt say this out loud, but you can imagine how Simon was looking down his nose at her, shaming her and crushing her spirit. Has anyone ever crushed your heart and made you feel inadequate and inferior? Jesus has an answer for that. Knowing what the Pharisee was thinking and what was in his heart, Jesus confronted him. In the Pharisees mind, the woman was unclean and Jesus was violating the law by allowing her to touch Him. With this assessment came the implication that he always obeyed the law; that he, a Pharisee, was right before God. Speaking to his arrogance, Jesus pitted the Pharisee’s confidence in being righteous against the woman’s heart that believed in God for forgiveness and wanted to worship Him. Jesus told Simon that He had something to say to him, and the Pharisee replied, “Tell me, Teacher.” Fortunately, he had the humility to listen, unlike some people, who are so sure of themselves that they can only hear themselves talk. Jesus said, “I entered your house and you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss, but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with her perfume” (Luke 7:44-46). Jesus showed Simon that while he was focusing on being right and not needing forgiveness for anything, he totally missed the fact that he, too, was a sinner. Meanwhile, the woman recognized her sinfulness and worshiped God extravagantly because she was overwhelmed with gratitude to her Savior. God wants pure worship from a heart that simply says, “If this pleases you, Lord, let me pour out my life, my time, and my greatest treasures at your feet, simply as an act of worship, and not because there is some rate of return. I wonder if God is asking for our extravagant worship in some way today- in the way we love those around us, and in the way we love Him.” When I read this devotion I thought of the Cece Winans song titled “Alabaster Box” so I leave you with a youtube clip and these questions. What have you offered in your worship to the Lord lately? What’s in your alabaster box? Blessings.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 00:26:18 +0000
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