We tell the world that Salvation is something that costs you nothing, and promises everything. But in reality, true salvation, will cost you everything.
There’s a woman in the Bible, who risked everything, including her life, for just one moment with a very important man. Some day I want to have coffee with her in Heaven. And yes, there will be coffee in Heaven because, well, the Bible says He brews it. Go ahead and say it, I’m pathetic. But you laughed, didn’t you?
You may be thinking, “oh she wants to meet Esther, or maybe Ruth, possibly even Mary sister of Lazarus.”
Wrong on all accounts.
I want to meet the prostitute in Luke 7.
This woman was a “woman of the night,” a harlot, a prostitute. She sold her body to make a living. She was a woman that no one, at least no “good people” would talk to or associate with. Also in those days, people did not bathe once a day like we do, maybe not even every week. And because of that, around this woman’s neck would hang a vial of perfume. This perfume would be used to overpower the body odor that I’m sure everyone had. She would most likely use a single drop at a time because it was such a precious commodity to have perfume. That was part of her livelihood. She would also use her hair as an eye-catcher. Women’s hair was supposed to be covered, up, and reserved only for her husband. However, this woman used her hair to work her whiles on the men.
To set up another scene, Jesus is at the house of Simon, and Simon had not offered to wash his feet. It was customary in those days that a guest, such as the rabbi Jesus, would have their feet washed. If it was an honored guest, the host would wash the person’s feet themselves. Picture walking all day in hot, dry, sand. Its probably been dusty, you’re starting to sweat, and now its stuck to your feet. Oh, did I mention you were also wearing leather sandals or are barefoot? I think your feet would need washed… Well, after being snubbed by Simon; Jesus and the fellow guests reclined at the table, which meant they were laying on their side, propped up by an elbow. Therefore, the guests’ feet were probably touching at some point. Jesus’ feet were not washed, Simon snubbed him and didn’t wash Christ’s feet. Imagine if all the men’s feet were dirty, or just a few were clean? Simon didn’t wash Jesus’ feet.
In the moments leading up to this dinner at Simon’s house, something touched this woman. Something, or someone, touched her so much that she was moved to tears. She then went into the dinner uninvited and stood over Jesus. Now not only was this uninvited interruption a huge offense, but because she was lower in class than Jesus, standing above Him at his feet was another sign of disrespect. In today’s culture, what she did would be called obscene.
The woman was weeping, in fact, she was weeping so much that her tears were washing His feet. She was cleansing the Lord’s feet with her tears. I cannot even fathom this. I cry, not many people see me cry, but I do. I’m not made of stone. But to wash two feet? That’s a lot of tears. She then took her unbound hair (another obscene offense) and began to wipe His feet and clean them. Hair was a woman’s mark of beauty, and worthiness. It was not cut, and never seen by anyone except her husband. She let her hair down and then dried Christ’s feet with her crown of beauty.
But here comes the best part.
She took that special vial of perfume, the one that she used maybe one drop per man that she serviced, and used the entire vial on Christ’s feet. Then, she prostrated herself on the floor, in front of an entire room of people, and began to kiss the Lord’s feet. She didn’t just use oil, she used perfume, expensive perfume. She was so desperate to show her affection that she risked death for a chance with the Lord Jesus.
Now Simon, he was not very happy with this harlot crashing his dinner party, but Jesus began to tell the parable of the two men who owed money. Their debts were forgiven, who loved the moneylender more? The one with the most debt forgiven. So Jesus, turning toward the woman, 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. You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. Her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
Sometimes I think the more people mess up, and realize that God forgives them, the more power they have in reaching people with the true love of God. I know I’ve been forgiven of things, and for me, its given me a special love for people in similar situations. I’m able to talk to them, without judging. I’m able to love them, without stipulations. I want them to know the same forgiveness I have known. I want them to know the loving God who I know and love for myself.
This woman’s faith, almost cost her everything. She could have been stoned for what she did. But, Christ forgave her for everything. She left that house, and was totally forgiven, but she had been willing to give up everything for a moment with Christ. Everyone may say “Salvation is a free gift, you don’t have to do anything!!” And no, we do not have to DO anything to receive salvation. It is a free gift. But once we have that gift, kind of like a new baby, it is going to cost us everything we have.
So while I do want to meet Esther, and Ruth and many other people in history.
I really can’t wait to have coffee with a prostitute.
