April 30, 2011

  • worship ~ the woman remembered | letter 116 on assurance & joy

    Luke 7:36  One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. 37  And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38  and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39  Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40  And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

    41  “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42  When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43  Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44  Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45  You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46  You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47  Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48  And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49  Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50  And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

    Mark 14:3  And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 4  There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5  For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. 6  But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7  For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8  She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9  And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

    stony heart unfrozen
    alabaster flask broken
    pours grateful token
    fiery affections spoken

    men may criticize
    mock and chastise
    Christ looks inside
    heart circumcised

    merciful Savior
    every tear He savors
    having found His favor
    her love was no labor

    debtor, tarry no more
    your debt fully borne
    the curtain's been torn
    enjoy heav'ns rich store

    divine meets human
    real participation
    living communion
    indissoluble union

    though world rejected
    labeled defective
    offering accepted
    of lambs He's elected

    flawed to man's eye
    by God sanctified
    pleasing sacrifice
    never despised

    worldly disgrace
    can never erase
    God's eternal grace
    or His shining face

    as men rise to judge
    look up to the Son
    hear Him: "It is done!"
    your sin is expunged

    love's offering tendered
    always remembered
    precious love poured
    God never ignores

    men may shame
    heaps of disdain
    can never restrain
    glory's acclaim

    worms come and dine
    fellowship divine
    grafted to the Vine
    partake of His wine

    debtor's welcome
    beyond all telling
    holy compulsion
    sweet consolation


    Related:

    my other letters on assurance and joy including:

    Links to my "Conversations with God about failure"
    Links to my series "Dealing with Past Sins & Guilt"
    from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet...
    even among the voices (Bible reading: Nehemiah 6:1-14)
    one woman's (not so secret) addiction
    Galatians 1:10 . . . if I yet pleased men . . .
    Keep me away from the paths of the destroyer that I might behold Your face. (Psalm 17)
    the sparrow reminds us
    even in my disappointment - still blessed by my Father
    a word in doubt
    Lenten Reflections: the remembrance and the rendering (Luke 20:9-26)

    Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Comments (5)

  • HI Karen, this is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. The nearby Presbyterian pastor spoke one Sunday about this story. It blessed my soul a great deal.

    It is amazing how Jesus can just turn the tables on the critics. This one is one of His masterpieces.

    I loved how you shared this and the ascetic writing. She is one of my favorite women in the Bible. I sure want to meet the gal at the well. She was a genius in getting all the men to rush out and meet Jesus. She was also a great gal for God.

    Loved this post!!

    frank

  • When I read this story, I realize that I would be looked down upon by the super religious also. I have little to offer Him other than my heart which is from Him to begin with. O that I would love Him with such abandon!

  • @ANVRSADDAY & @quest4god@revelife -  We so often try to "pretty up" our worship, but God is concerned first and foremost about the heart. This woman certainly sets the bar high for us, doesn't she?

  • I forget where I read of it, the women who was pouring this perfume on Jesus' feet, it was not a sin offering to appease her sins. But she knew she already was forgiven, and was brought to nothing but awe and reverence. I hope daily to be brought to that humility that I don't find within myself.

    EDIT: Oh yeah, Scotty Smith this morning tweeted: The Bible is not telling a story that leads us to shout, "We win!", rather, "The Lamb has triumphed!", even over us."

    I found this amazingly convicting.

  • @llamalima - Right! Her worship was not a atonement at all, but rather - "your faith has saved you."  It was an expression of her heart flowing from God's mercies received! ~ Romans 12:1: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service...

    Amen! The Lamb has triumphed! Or else we would be lost forever!

    I was reading in Isaiah 64 and 65 yesterday (NKJV):

    You are indeed angry, for we have sinned--In these ways we CONTINUE; And we need to be saved.

    people who provoke Me to anger CONTINUALLY to My face

    WE are that people! That is our state apart from the mercies of God, His mercies which continue after us because the Lamb has triumphed and He has triumphed over us! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

    And the sooner we submit ourselves to that, to Him, the sooner we find true joy! It's really absurd of us to keep going back to the broken cisterns, but the flesh does rise up and we do it for a time, but then, thanks be to God – because the Lamb has triumphed, we are once again brought to our senses and to our knees and then get up and leave the pig sty and return to the Living Water! His Spirit is working in us to transform our spiritual appetite so the things of earth do begin to grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace!

    Psalm 138.

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About me...

Christian hedonist in training. Pressing on to know more and more of the joy of the LORD. Pleading with God to rend the heavens and revive and refresh my own soul, as well as His Church, to His praise, honor and glory.

Thank God. He can make men and women in middle life sing again with a joy that has been chastened by a memory of their past failures. ~ Alan Redpath

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tent of meeting: Prayer for reformation & revival

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