IDOK DEVOTION FOR TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2008
Luke 7: 6 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat.
I wish I could impart to you what reading this verse means to me. The Pharisee asked Jesus to come and eat with him. And Jesus did. Jesus went to the house of the Pharisee and look at these five words: AND SAT DOWN TO EAT. Use your Holy Imagination and see the scene. Our Jesus sitting down to a meal in the house of a Pharisee. Oh to be able to sit down and face to face share a meal with HIM!! One day we will. And even now the Holy Spirit enables us to dine with Jesus.
37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil,
You know what? We are all sinners. So when this verse was penned by our brother Luke, I don’t see it as Father pointing out to us this woman is a sinner but rather it is His way of letting us know that this dear soul’s sins were public knowledge. She was KNOWN as a sinner; her business had been talked about all over town. Can you use your Holy Imagination and comprehend how much courage it took for this woman to come to the house of a PHARISEE? She was desperate for Jesus. If we were so desperate for Jesus, wonder what our lives would be like?
38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.
Can you see this scene? Can you see this woman not just kneeling but bowing low to kiss the feet of Jesus? How many feet have you washed; other than your babies and/or grand-babies? It’s not something you have had opportunity to do often, is it? And if you have, wasn’t that someone extremely special to you? Yet this woman did more than just wash the feet of Jesus. She kissed them. Without sharing intimate details, I tell you it is only LOVE and DEVOTION that brings one to kiss the feet of another. This woman LOVED Jesus! Wonder what our lives would be like if we loved Him so much? And if we do not love Him this deeply, why don’t we?
39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”
To whom was the Pharisee talking? Can you see him muttering to himself? And what does Jesus do? He addresses him.
40 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
He called him by name and said I have something to say to you. Could Jesus be addressing you (or me) today regarding something we have been muttering about? The Pharisee was not talking to Jesus; he was indirectly accusing Him. But I can say one thing for the Pharisee, he did say and I am paraphrasing: ‘okay, what is it’?
So he said, “Teacher, say it.”
Jesus called the Pharisee, Simon and Simon called Jesus, Teacher. Obviously, Jesus knew the Pharisee, as He knows each of us; but obviously the Pharisee did not know Jesus. He invited Jesus to supper but He did not KNOW Him. Had he ‘known’ Jesus he would have called Him LORD rather than Teacher. And that I think Dear Ones is the plight of many. Jesus to them is just a teacher who lived 2000 plus years ago; not Lord of LORDS and King of KINGS.
And Jesus began a parable.
41 “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”
And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.”
44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.
Can you see that scene? Jesus turns to the woman and He invites the Pharisee to look at her also. As Jesus focuses on the woman, He compares her acts of kindness with the Pharisee’s failures to act. That must have ticked Simon (the Pharisee) off big time.
45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.
46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.
47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
Using your holy imagination, can you see Jesus having stood to His feet; having raised the woman to her feet, there holding her hands, he looks over at the Pharisee and says: “her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”? Do you think He was saying to the Pharisee, ‘you love Me so little because you have acknowledged little (or no) sin to Me? And then He looks back to her again with more love and compassion than she had ever experienced. He looks into her soul and says; “Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” Notice Jesus did not for a second smooth over or sugar-coat her sins. He just forgave her and moved passed her sins to her love. How different would we be if we did the same? With ourselves and with others?
Her faith in Him saved her. Saved her from eternal damnation in hell and as she abided in the peace she had just received she would be saved from continuing to live in those sins. And the Pharisee? Well, what do you think? What was he saved from? At this encounter, obviously nothing. There’s a world of folks today like Simon. They encounter Jesus and walk away, saved from nothing. Is there anything more tragic than that? But what about us? We, who have been saved, continue to encounter Jesus on the Pages of Scripture and in every encounter we should be saved from back-sliding and elevated to a higher degree of being In Love with Him.
48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
Dear Ones, Abide and Go in Peace today.
Abba, as we encounter You on the Pages of Your Word, we want to embrace You and Your Will, whatever it is. We want to Know You more. We again pray for these listed here. You know what each one needs, You know just what to do for them and we are privileged to ask You to do it. We pray too for our IDOK Troops, thank You for their safety and well-being. Thank You for the progress that is being made. And Abba You know I have been viewing media coverage of presidential candidates, You know the feelings that boil to the surface. I need Your help. I don’t want to sin against You either in anger or fear. You know my thoughts. Thank You that You are in Control. Abba, forgive and have mercy. I don’t know how but somehow before the November election open blinded eyes. Lord, please spare America; protect Israel and revive Your People for Jesus sake.
As I post this it is 84°F and scattered clouds in Al Asad, IQ & the time there is 6:09 AM AST – on August 5, 2008
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