We're Listening & 
Following YOU LORD! LIKE NO ONE'S THERE!
Loving MUCH!
Luke 7:36-39, 44-47 (NIV) “Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38 and 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." (Verses 44-47) “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-for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."
WOW! What a worshiper! This woman was not invited to this meeting and she knew that everyone at this meeting would not welcome her, except for One. This meeting was taking place at Simon, a Pharisee’s house. See, everyone in the town knew Mary. The Living Bible calls her A WOMAN OF THE STREETS – A PROSTITUTE. The Amplified Bible calls her A SOCIAL OUTCAST, DEVOTED TO SIN. Yes, everyone knew this woman, but no one wanted anything to do with her in the Church of that day. Every day the ones who knew God and His love would pass her as she waited for her next customer to come. Daily The Church of that day passed by her and just looked at her, maybe even stared at her. Daily The Church of that day would turn their faces from her, not talk to her about God, or try to avoid her by crossing the street or keeping their distance from her. The only ones who wanted her were the ones who would pay for her sexual services.
I imagine that she really did not have anyone. No family, for she would have been with them. No friends, except for the other “social outcasts” of her day or maybe a returning customer that she might talk to. And yet, this courageous woman who knew how everyone would feel about her arrival, for she had seen their disgust of her daily, burst into that room and interrupted that meeting. She, who had been touched by many men, was now touching the feet of the Messiah.
Can you not just hear the people in the room now? “How dare her come into this house! If He were a prophet He would know who it is that is touching Him! This is not allowed here! No One has ever acted like this and I cannot believe that Jesus is allowing this woman to come in here and behave this way! Would someone get that sinner out of here, she is ruining our meeting! I am so embarrassed, look at her acting like that! STOP THAT NOW!” But, she was the only one in this meeting who was giving Jesus what He really needed.
She laid down all pride and fear she might have had and boldly pushed her way down the street where she worked, into that front door and into that room and completely broke all the rules! She worshiped Jesus. She did not allow what everyone was saying to each other, or under their breaths, or even thinking about her, stop her mission. She pressed into Jesus and gave Him her worship, she gave herself to Him. She gave Him . . . her.
When this woman gave Jesus herself, she gave Him more intimacy than she had ever given any man. Though she had sold her body and parts of her mind and emotions away many times, she had never given herself like this. She went there to give herself away. Maybe for the first time in her precious life, she gave herself away FREELY. She gave her intimacy away without expecting anything in return. She just gave. When is the last time that you and I have just GAVE TO JESUS? Not expecting anything that He can give us in return, not expecting Him to answer any of our wants or needs. JUST GIVE TO HIM. JUST LOVE ON HIM.
That night when she went to Jesus she gave freely. No payment after her intimacy like she was accustomed to. No, that night’s intimacy was free. And that night’s intimacy was real, it was pure and it was not dirty. It is amazing, as she cleaned the dirt off of the feet of Jesus; she was ACTUALLY BEING WASHED HERSELF! She was trading the dirt on His feet for the dirt in her life! And this bath of intimacy and worship happened right in front of everyone! Spend some time today and JUST LOVE ON HIM whether in private or public, just love on Him LIKE NO ONE’S THERE!
Keep Getting Ready, Jesus Is Coming!
Pastor Jamie