Once upon a time in New Haven there lived a barefooted man. He fancied himself a guru and was often seen dressed in white, walking barefoot on city sidewalks. On sunny summer days, on crisp autumn days, on icy blizzard days, and on spring puddle-splashing days, he was barefoot. He was barefoot all the time. How did he do it? Frostbite, broken glass, rusty nails, sharp stones, and avoiding dangerous urban gangs? No problem, I guess. Nothing deterred him. I never really wondered about his self-proclaimed status as a holy man, although I would like to have heard what he had to say about being barefoot by choice, but he never spoke to me. Mostly, I just wondered about his feet. Cold toes in the winter, dried, cracked heals in the summer - ouch, but hes not the first guy to be barefoot all the time. Jesus and his buddies, and probably most humans way back then, either wore sandals or went barefoot all the time. In Jesus day, they salved their dusty dogs with something called muron (pronounced: moo-ron) in Greek. The word means a smelly ointment or a perfume. Muron was soothing to dry feet and was expected by guests as a part of common home hospitality. We dont provide that kind of hospitality any more when guests are underfoot, but hospitality itself remains customary in our time, and is spiritually rooted in ancient Jewish culture and religion. Lets Pray: Dear God, when we open our homes and hearts to our guests, may we serve them with hospitable joy. Amen. Heres a Thought: Hospitality soothes souls. Source: Luke 7:36-50 NIV 36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisees house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisees 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,[c] 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.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 10:42:41 +0000
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