Grateful Humility

April 6

Deuteronomy 9-10

Psalm 41:1-6

Proverbs 10:15-17

Luke 7:24-50

Grateful Humility

“And turning toward the woman, He 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.  For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much.  But he who is forgiven little, loves little.’”  Luke 7:44-47 LSB

Yesterday’s lesson about the centurion leads perfectly into this lesson about forgiveness and love.  Like the centurion, this woman had perfect recognition of her position.  She knew she was a sinner.  She knew that she did not deserve Jesus’ mercy and grace but came to Him humbly seeking His favor.  When she came into His presence she broke down in tears. Realizing that her tears were wetting His feet, she began to wipe His feet with her hair and pour perfume on them.  This detail is significant because women wore their hair up and their heads covered.  A woman would not have let her hair down in public.  And yet this woman was so humbled in Jesus’ presence that she took her hair down and used it to wipe His feet. 

            In contrast, Simon, the Pharisee who had invited Jesus into his home had no awareness of his own position.  He thought that he was superior to this woman and, when witnessing what the woman did, he said to himself, “If Jesus were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.” (vs. 39)  In His omniscience, Jesus sensed what Simon was thinking and told him a parable about two debtors.  Jesus knew exactly who she was and He knew exactly who Simon was as well.  He knew their hearts.  The woman had lived a sinful life but she recognized her sin and was ready to repent and come to Jesus.  Simon had lived an apparently “righteous” life but had no recognition that his heart was sinful and he needed Jesus.  Simon did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah.  When he invited Him into his home, he thought maybe Jesus was a prophet, but then began to doubt that because He wasn’t following the “law” by letting a sinful woman touch Him.  He failed to see that Jesus was the Messiah, because he had an improper estimation of his own position.  He didn’t think he needed forgiveness and mercy and therefore he didn’t receive it. 

            These verses serve as a reminder to those of us who grew up in church and came to faith at an early age that not having an apparently “sinful” background does not make us any less in need of Jesus’ forgiveness and mercy.  Failure to recognize the sinfulness of our own hearts can lead to pride and an attitude of superiority.  This attitude in itself necessitates forgiveness and mercy.  Humility leads to a proper view of ourselves which is expressed in gratitude and love for Jesus and others.