Thankfulness

The unnamed woman in Luke 7 showed a level of thankfulness that felt familiar. The word say’s the city knew her as a sinner so we can conclude that she had a reputation that followed her. We don’t learn anything about her or what was the reason the whole city knew her in that way. But how familiar it felt to have also had a past before Jesus, to have people who knew me before I truly knew my Savior. Those who knew me, before I knew there was a better way to live. Well this woman heard that Jesus would be at the house of a Pharisee and decided she would go there and meet Him. Two things came to mind when I read that. One, is she allowed to just show up? And two what made her want to go? So I learned that during that time if a rabbi (teacher) was staying somewhere you were allowed with no invite to go and hear them speak. So with my first thought being answered I then dug in deeper “ what did she hear about Jesus?”.

Well verses 14-17 talk about when Jesus had reached a city called Nain, there was a man who was dead. That man was the child of a widow and it was her only son. Jesus having compassion on the woman performed a miracle and raised the boy to life.

14 And He came up and touched the bier [on which the body rested], and the pallbearers stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise [from death]!” 15 The man who was dead sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16 Fear and profound awe gripped them all, and they began glorifying and honoring and praising God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has visited His people [to help and care for and provide for them]!” 17 This news about Him spread through all of Judea and in all the surrounding countryside.

Okay so at this point the miracle had spread, so that must’ve been how the woman heard about Him I thought to myself. She shows up with an alabaster vial of perfume and it says that she wept at His feet. She was crying so much that her tears began to wet His feet so she wiped them with her hair. All of this while also kissing His feet and anointing them with her perfume.

Every action this woman has made leading up to now shows how SHE saw Jesus. She saw Him as worthy to give Him of the best that she had since we learn that her oil wasn’t just ordinary oil but expensive oil. We also know that there were other people in the room but she didn’t care about how she was being perceived she still wept at His feet anyways. Really take that in for a second and just Imagine what that may have looked like. Now I’m really starting to wonder “what did this woman know that she cried at His feet with such thankfulness? And what was she thankful for?” I thought surely she had an understanding that the others didn’t. When Simon the Pharisee saw her kissing His feet he thought to himself “ if this man were a prophet he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching Him”.

Jesus responds back to him with a parable of two debtors. Luke 7:40-43

40 Jesus, answering, said to the Pharisee, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Teacher, say it.” 41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors: one owed him five hundred [h]denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they had no means of repaying [the debts], he freely forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I take it, for whom he forgave more.” Jesus said to him, “You have decided correctly.”

I believe that this woman had an understanding that Jesus was the Messiah they heard about. The one who would come and give them salvation for the remission of their sins. So now i’m understanding her more, I see why she was so thankful and what she was thankful about. From my own experience with repentance and believing that Jesus gave Himself in place of my sins it's a different kind of thankful worship I offer to Him. Because I know ALL OF what He is forgiving me for. So I can imagine that for so long she felt the weight of her sins and carried the guilt and shame that came with it. But to her surprise the one who would take it all was in front of her! How could she not weep at His feet?!

Luke 7:44-46

44 Then turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house [but you failed to extend to Me the usual courtesies shown to a guest]; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair [demonstrating her love]. 45 You gave Me no [welcoming] kiss, but from the moment I came in, she has not ceased to kiss My feet. 46 You did not [even] anoint My head with [ordinary] oil, but she has anointed My feet with [costly and rare] perfume.

Luke 7:47-50

47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Those who were reclining at the table with Him began saying among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith [in Me] has saved you; go in peace [free from the distress experienced because of sin].”

Just a little more reasoning to back up my thoughts, is the people at the table said “who is this who even forgives sins?”. That shows that they saw Him as a Teacher and not as the Messiah. So when Jesus said “your faith has saved you” I thought to myself what was her faith? Well it seems like her faith was that she believed in Jesus. She believed , acknowledged and trusted that He was the one they had been waiting for.

Don’t let your past stop you from going to the one who gave His life for you. We read that the one who has more debts will love the one who forgave them more. So with whatever your past looks like and no matter who knows what about you, all that this means for you is you have more to be thankful for! And you have more reasons to praise Him

Because although the woman had people around her who felt like she wasn’t worthy to be at His feet, Jesus welcomed her. He knew exactly who she was and yet He didn’t push her away, He instead corrected the one who was watching. You see people are going to watch and they will comment but it all goes back to just you and God. Look at how Jesus brought Simon right back to himself!

I pray that this blesses you as much as it has blessed me! Our God is worthy of all of the praise and of all of the honor! Hallelujah !!