When Extravagant Love Crashes the Party
(5 minutes)
Afterward Simon, a Jewish religious leader, asked Jesus to his home for dinner. Jesus accepted the invitation. When he went to Simon's home, he took his place at the table.
In the neighborhood there was an immoral woman of the streets, known to all to be a prostitute. When she heard that Jesus was at Simon's house, she took an exquisite flask made from alabaster, filled it with the most expensive perfume, went right into the home of the Jewish religious leader, and in front of all the guests, she knelt at the feet of Jesus. Broken and weeping , she covered his feet with the tears that fell from her face. She kept crying and drying his feet with her long hair. Over and over she kissed Jesus' feet. Then, as an act of worship, she opened her flask and anointed his feet with her costly perfume. (Luke 7:36-38)
Just like Zacchaeus and the rich young ruler that we've spent time with over the past two weeks, we're getting another picture in this verse of two people's encounter with Jesus.
Simon, a Jewish religious leader, is so intrigued by Jesus and the words that He is speaking that he invites Him into a more personal space, his own home. He doesn't settle for the occasional sighting in the street but wants more of Jesus so he invites Him back to his house for dinner, and Jesus accepts the invitation.
Not too long after Jesus is seated at the table, an "immoral woman of the streets, known to all to be a prostitute" barges into the meeting that she wasn't invited to, locates the feet of Jesus, and proceeds to weep profusely, covering His feet with her tears and drying them with her hair. Over and over she can be seen kissing Jesus' 1st century feet that had been walking all day long. More than that, before she interrupted this gathering she found the most expensive, ornate flask that she owned and filled it with the most expensive perfume, bought with money that she earned from selling her own body. She prepares this gift before she arrives and "as an act of worship," she opens her flask and anoints Jesus' feet with the expensive perfume.
Can you believe what this woman had to go through, mentally and emotionally, before getting to the feet of Jesus? Can you imagine the obstacles that were in her way because of her own choices in life? The risk she takes in entering a religious leader's home, uninvited, surrounded by a huge crowd filled with judgmental stares and raised eyebrows is bold, to say the least. But she doesn't flinch. She doesn't allow anything in that room to keep her from the feet of Jesus.
Before we move on to the outcome of this story, I feel the need to stop here and allow this woman's intentional intimacy and extravagant worship to do its work in us.
How intentional are we in our intimacy with the King? What strikes me about this story is the fact that this woman made some decisions long before she got in this room with Jesus, the religious leaders, and the disciples. She set her intentions while she was at home. She set her heart on finding the most expensive flask she owned while she was at home. She set her sights on the best perfume money could buy before she ever stepped into this gathering at Simon's house. Again, how intentional are we in our intimacy with Jesus? This thought is challenging me. Here's another question I have: how much of the depth of her encounter with Jesus in the room was owed to her intentional honor outside of the room? How significant were those decisions leading up to her arrival at His feet? My heart is saying, "Very significant!" What is your heart saying?
Pastor Tim said this on Sunday, "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."
How intentional are we in our intimacy and honor towards the King? Let's allow Abba to speak to us today about how we're approaching Jesus. Everyone wants an encounter with the King, but few people are being intentional on the path that leads up to that encounter. And it may have more impact on our experience than we even know.
Beloved One, spend every moment of your day making it all about Him, and He will not fail to turn around and make it all about you. Your eyes were uniquely designed to gaze at Him, and His eyes are already fixed with tender love on you. This is the key to covenant marriage - keeping your eyes always on the other, and not on yourself.
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Worship: "When I Lock Eyes With You" by Maverick City and UPPERROOM
Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place
Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!
