"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. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven - for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." Luke 7:44-47
This is probably one of my favorite stories in the Bible. This act of selflessness and love is the most amazing thing. Back in Biblical times a jar of perfume was expensive and significant. A jar of perfume was the equivalent to an entire month's wages. The Matthew Henry Commentary gives amazing insight to this story.
"She washed them (Jesus' feet) with her tears, tears of joy, she was in a transport to find herself so near to her Savior whom her soul loves. She kissed his feet as one unworthy of the kisses of his mouth, which the spouse coveted. It was a kiss of adoration as well as affection. She wiped them with her hair as one entirely devoted to his honor. Her eyes shall yield water to wash them and her hair be a towel to wipe them; and she anointed his feet with ointment (perfume) owning him hereby to be the Messiah, the anointed one. She anointed his feet in token of her consent to God's design."
What she did to and for Jesus was an expression of her great love for her Savior in through him her sins were forgiven. This act of love was her showing him the fruit of her love and accepting him as her Savior. Jesus accepted this broken, humble act of love and forgave her of all her sins. It's amazing to me that Simon the Pharisee who's house Jesus was in, found this act offensive. Why?
In verse 47 Christ realizes and owns that she has sins but they were forgiven because she loved much. The loving much was not the cause of her being forgiven it was the effect of it. V. 47 'but he who has been forgiven little loves little.' Through this statement Christ is telling Simon that his love to Christ was so little that he had reason to question whether or not he loved him at all in sincerity. This woman made Simon feel challenged and uncomfortable because he didn't show Christ the same abandon and sacrifice.
Never allow anyone to make you feel inferior or ashamed to pour your love out on Christ in any way you feel like. This woman humbled herself at the feet of her Savior, and this selfless, humble act of love for Jesus impacted those around her. She was forgiven of her sins and given new life. Phillips, Craig and Dean a Christian band has a song that impacted me in reference to this story. The chorus goes:
"Like oil upon your feet
Like wine for you to drink
Like water from my heart
I pour my love on you
If praise is like perfume
I'll lavish mine on you
Till every drop is gone
I'll pour my love on you
Pour my love on you."
I can only hope that I can live the rest of my life humbling myself before my Savior and having the chance to lavish and pour my love out on Him for all that He has done for me. I have much to praise him and love Him for, He's given me things I feel some day's I don't even deserve. But we love because he first loved us.
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