Starved For Affection

(7 minutes)

When Simon saw what was happening, he thought, "This man can't be a true prophet. If he were really a prophet, he would know what kind of sinful woman is touching him." Jesus said, "Simon, I have a word for you."

"Go ahead, Teacher. I want to hear it," he answered.

"It's a story about two men who were deeply in debt. One owed the bank one hundred thousand dollars, and the other only owed ten thousand dollars. When it was obvious that neither of them would be able to repay their debts, the kind banker graciously wrote off the debts and forgave them all that they owed. Tell me, Simon, which of the two debtors would be more thankful? Which one would love the banker the most?"

Simon answered, "I suppose it would be the one with the greater debt forgiven."

"You're right," Jesus agreed. Then he spoke to Simon about the woman still weeping at his feet.

“Don’t you see this woman kneeling here? She is doing for me what you didn’t bother to do. When I entered your home as your guest, you didn’t think about offering me water to wash the dust off my feet. Yet she came into your home and washed my feet with her many tears and then dried my feet with her hair. You didn’t even welcome me into your home with the customary kiss of greeting, but from the moment I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You didn’t take the time to anoint my head with fragrant oil, but she anointed my head and feet with the finest perfume. She has been forgiven of all her many sins. This is why she has shown me such extravagant love. But those who assume they have very little to be forgiven will love me very little.” Then Jesus said to the woman at his feet, “All your sins are forgiven.” All the dinner guests said among themselves, “Who is the one who can even forgive sins?” Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith in me has given you life. Now you may leave and walk in the ways of peace.” (Luke 7:39-50)

"Did you know you could invite Jesus into your life just to make it all about you? What you can get from Jesus... what He'll add to your life." (Pastor Tim)

It's clear in the second part of this story, that Simon has invited Jesus into his home only to make it all about himself. Simon quietly begins to judge Jesus and this woman because she has taken the attention off of him. I love Brian Simmons' footnote in The Passion Translation: "Religion focuses on the sinfulness of a person, but faith sees the glory of the one who forgives and heals." Simon can't see the glory of the One who is standing in front of him. Why?

Why can't we see Jesus and honor Him accordingly? Why is it so hard? Pastor Tim answered this question on Sunday and this statement alone is worth sitting under the entire day: "When we're starved for the affection that we're made for, we'll demand to be the center of attention. We are made to be loved by God, and when we're starved for the affection that we are made for, we'll substitute any attention in place of the only thing that our heart truly desires...His affection."

Why can't Simon see Jesus and honor Him the way He deserves to be honored? Because Simon is starved for affection. This is the emptiness that religion produces in us. This is the thing that religion can't satisfy because it is completely incapable of touching the heart. When you're starved for affection, you can't make it about anyone else but yourself. The Son of God can be standing in the same room, and when you're starved for affection your heart is unable to give the intimacy, worship, and honor He deserves because it is starved, famished, and has nothing to pour out onto anyone else. This religious heart can only be nourished by the love of Abba.

There were customary, common acts that Simon did not extend to Jesus as a guest in his home. Because Simon could only see...Simon. But someone else was more than willing to do what Simon didn't bother to do.

The entire time this conversation is happening between Jesus and Simon, the woman continues to kneel at Jesus' feet weeping. It's clear that she did not come casually, to make it all about her. She came to get the affection her heart was made for, from the only One who could actually satisfy her deepest longings. She came to make Jesus the center of attention. And because she engaged in this extravagant worship, she inherited something that no one else in the room did - complete wholeness. See, there were areas in this woman's heart that still needed healing. She had already experienced a full measure of forgiveness in Jesus, but she knew there was still brokenness inside of her - maybe an unwillingness to forgive herself for decisions she had made. But she responded unlike anyone else - with honor and extravagant worship, and that act of worship paved the way for her to hear something from Jesus that her heart needed to hear - "All your sins are forgiven." She needed to hear that ALL of them, even the ones she was unwilling to forgive herself, were forgiven. Now she was completely whole - and could walk away with something she didn't possess before the encounter - peace.

Are we making it all about Jesus, or are we making it all about ourselves? Are we engaging in extravagant worship where our hearts can find what they were made for, or are we having a hard time seeing anything but our own needs and problems?

Pastor Tim wrapped up on Sunday with this thought: "I don't care how far along in maturity you are, there's still aspects of you that you don't like about you when you stare in the mirror. There are still things you wish you would've done differently. There are still things you wish you would've said differently. There are decisions you wish you would've made differently. And they are still chasing you today."

The temptation is to stare at the problems, to stare at the regrets and mistakes, to stare at the issues. But like Pastor Tim said, "When we chase after solutions that make us the center of attention, we cut ourselves off from the ability to be truly set free...it's His affection that heals every insecurity - it's His affection that heals every 'if only it was different' - it's at His feet that heals every decision that you've made that still haunts you day in and day out."

It's extravagant worship at the feet of Jesus that sets you free.

Beloved One, stop staring at yourself and get to His feet with the most expensive, extravagant worship that you can afford. Pour it out on Him! The reality is every one of your sins, bad decisions, past mistakes, and regrets are completely forgiven, but your heart needs to hear His voice say the words it longs to hear. That only happens when you lay aside your self-examination so you can stare at Him, and give Him the honor and worship He deserves. Make it all about Him, and the things you've never been able to shake will begin falling off effortlessly in His presence.

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Worship: "Beautiful Jesus + Jesus Changes Everything" by Melissa Helser

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

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