Our family normally celebrates Thanksgiving in Amarillo. We have a Thanksgiving like many families—with a meal jointly prepared by the several families participating. There is turkey and ham, mashed potatoes, broccoli rice casserole, sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top, dressing, and hot rolls. There are desserts, including pies and cakes and candy. It is a feast. IMAGINE IF THAT FAMILY THANKSGIVING FEAST WAS INTERRUPTED BY A HOMELESS MAN ENTERING THE HOUSE UNINVITED AND JOINING IN OUR FEAST. HE JUST WALKS IN AND MAKES HIMSELF AT HOME. HOW WOULD YOUR FAMILY REACT TO THAT INTRUSION?
One of my favorite stories during Jesus’ ministry is in Luke 7:36-50. Jesus received an invitation to dinner at the home of a Pharisee named Simon. When Jesus arrived, he did not receive any of the courtesies normally extended to invited guests. NO FOOT-WASHING, NO KISS OF GREETING, NO ANOINTING WITH PERFUME. As they were eating, the unimaginable happens. A sinful woman (probably a prostitute) enters uninvited and goes to the feet of Jesus. She weeps on his feet and dries them with her hair, she kisses his feet, and then, she anoints his feet with expensive perfume. Simon is appalled. His guests must have shared Simon’s disgust. He is thinking to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know the kind of woman who is touching him.”
At this point, Jesus tells Simon and his guests a short parable. It is about two who owe amounts of money, but are forgiven. He asks Simon which person will love more. Both have been forgiven. When Simon answers, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt cancelled”, Jesus relates his parable to this sinful woman and Simon. She has demonstrated her love for Jesus by her loving actions. Simon has demonstrated his lack of love for Jesus and for the woman by his actions. This great story ends with Jesus pronouncing this woman’s sins ‘forgiven’.
What a great picture this story by Luke gives us of Jesus!! As He demonstrated so many times, He is the ‘FRIEND OF SINNERS.’ Are we? Would we be embarrassed, even appalled, to have someone like this woman approach us in the presence of people we know? How would we treat her? Would we be more concerned about how we look in the eyes of our friends than we would be about her welfare? Jesus has patterned for us attitudes and actions as we live daily in this world. Are we more LIKE JESUS or SIMON in our attitudes and actions?
Prayer: Father, thank you for Jesus. Thank you for how He loved and how He showed that love. Help me to be like Him as I interact with people daily. Amen.
Terry Brown
Abilene, Texas
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