The Sinful Woman

      Who was that woman in Luke 7:36-50? All the text says is she was a sinner. It further demonstrates she was well known as a sinner. Simon knew she was a sinner and expected Jesus to.

      Many assume she was some kind of prostitute. I guess they imagine that as the only kind of sinner who would be so well known as such by Simon the Pharisee. Perhaps they are right. Perhaps not.

      I think the text does not specify because the actual sin does not matter. Since it is left blank, our minds will fill that blank. As many have done above. The point of the story is that the sin was not what was important. What was important was that this woman had learned to love Jesus. Her faith in Him saved her from her sins.

      Aren’t we glad that God is not like the Pharisee? Look at us. We are all dressed up nice today and putting on our best show. But we know that deep down inside we are just sinners. In fact, sometimes we almost feel like hypocrites. If the people sitting next to us knew what we had done earlier in the week, they would move to the other side of the auditorium.

      In fact, as we look around, we are slightly convinced that some seem a little stand-offish. Do they already know?

      Actually, they probably don’t. If they are stand-offish it is probably because they fear that you know what they did this last week. The story of this sinful woman however reminds us that God is not stand-offish with us.

      Certainly, if we want to stay rebelliously in sin God will not accept us with open arms. If we want to try to hang on to sin, coddling it in our lives and nursing it slyly on the side, then we are hypocrites and God will judge us.

      However, if we have faith in Jesus and are turning to Him in love, striving to grow in Him, His arms are open wide. The Pharisee would spurn us and look down on us. But not Jesus. He is just so thankful that we have turned to Him.

      Knowing that kind of forgiveness, don’t we want to turn to Him and love Him even more? This sinful woman washed His feet with her tears and dried it with her hair. She was so enraptured with the forgiveness Jesus offered she would stop at nothing to show her love.

      What can we do to show our love for Christ? He has forgiven us. He did not cast aside or tell us not to touch Him. He accepted us and forgave us. As John would later write, “We love Him because He first loved us” (I John 4:19).

      Revel in His love for today as we gather to worship Him. At the same time, what can we do this week to wash His feet with tears and dry it with our hair? How can we love Him this week?

Edwin L. Crozier