The Woman of Grace

The Woman of Grace

“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.
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.”
Luke 7:37-38

When we look at this woman through the eyes of truth, we see that she is a powerful, bold woman. She recognized the value of only two things in her sad life – that was Jesus Christ and the alabaster box of perfume.

She praised Him in the highest way she knew. She threw herself at his feet, praising Him with her tears, serving Him by cleaning His feet with her hair. She was saying, “I’m sorry,” “thank you” and “I love you,” all at the same time.

She abandoned herself in complete praise to Jesus Christ in front of anyone who was watching. What could they say that they hadn’t already? She crashed their highbrow dinner party uninvited, attended by the most judgmental people in all of society. She knew she was about to do something inappropriate. She still made a beeline for him without batting an eye.

The room stopped. She poured her anguish out at His feet, and she could feel His acceptance, strong love, and warm presence fill her heart. She knew He had accepted her, an experience she had never known but always craved! Time stood still as she made peace with her Creator, the only Man she knew would or could ever love her.
The leaders felt dwarfed by her display. Is this man a prophet, and yet allows a prostitute to make this strange display at His feet? Criticisms arose in their hearts, a defense mechanism for the conviction already weighing heavily upon 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.”
Luke 7:39

The second these thoughts formed in the leaders’ minds, Jesus breaks the silence with a question designed to prick their conscience even further.

40 … “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,[a] 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?”
Luke 7:40-42

With a question, Jesus brought the consciences of the leaders to their knees. He forced them to admit that she was in the right.

43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
Luke 7:43

But Jesus doesn’t just remove her scarlet letter. He doesn’t just validate her and justify her in front of her enemies. He glorifies her and praises her openly, while rebuking her enemies.

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.”
Luke 7:37-47

Jesus used the woman of grace to convict an entire room of Pharisees who had followed Hebrew law their entire lives. She was not only cleared of all wrongdoing; Jesus glorified her in front of her accusers!
Even if you only have 2 things you see value in today, be encouraged! The woman of grace only had 2 things of value – Jesus Christ and the alabaster jar of perfume. Though she was weak, God used her to convict an entire room full of powerful Pharisees. There is no limit to what God can do through you, even if all you have to be thankful for is Jesus Himself.

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