Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 101

April 11;      Luke 7:39;       51/260(IV);      ‘Religion is Cruel’

Luke 7:39 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."

The Lord Jesus was invited by a Pharisee to his home to eat.  A woman of the city known as a sinner, knowing Jesus was in the Pharisee’s house brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiped His feet with her hair.  She also kissed His feet and anointed them with oil.  The judgmental Pharisee was astonished by the fact that Jesus allowed this sinner to touch Him.  Jesus without the Pharisee saying anything, but by a word of knowledge (knowing things that have happened or are currently happening), knew the hypocrisy of the Pharisee’s thoughts.  Jesus then began to say to the Pharisee that he did not follow common courtesies given to a guest.  The Pharisee did not wash Jesus’ feet, nor have one of his servants wash His feet, but this ‘sinner’ woman washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiped His feet with her hair.  Evidently it was proper to give a guest a kiss, the Pharisee did not do this, but the woman never ceased to kiss Jesus’ feet.  Finally guests heads were anointed with oil.  The Pharisee did not do any of these courtesies. But the woman anointed Jesus’ feet with fragrant oil.  Jesus summed it up by saying to the Pharisee, because this woman expressed her love to Jesus in what she did, the Lord forgave her sins.  The Pharisee who was judging this dear woman, must have been humiliated by what Jesus said and rightfully so.  Jesus finally tells this ‘sinner’ woman that her faith, the way she expressed her love and devotion to Jesus, saved her and she could go in peace.  She did.