Do you see this woman?

Luke 7:36-48 is a familiar passage for many of us. Jesus is dining with a Pharisee when a sinful woman drops by, she brings with her a contrite heart and a costly flask of fragrant oil. She was behind Jesus weeping. She washed his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair and anointed them with the fragrant oil. The Pharisee was perturbed, to say the least. 

NKJV: Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat.  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,  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.  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 Pharisee knew the woman was a sinner, why didn't Jesus know???

And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

So he said, “Teacher, say it.”

 “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”

And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.”  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.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  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.”

 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

 Jesus asked Simon, "Do you see this woman?" Simon saw her and he formed negative thoughts about her, he judged her. How often in this life have I been a Simon? Whether towards another person or myself. 

Jesus saw the woman with love and mercy. He saw her contrite heart. He forgave her sins. We are called to love people, we are to see them with the eyes and hearts of Jesus. That includes ourselves. 

When you look at yourself in the mirror who do you see? A child of God or a divorcee? The apple of God's eye or an adulteress? A precious pearl or a failure?

God loves you. He is El Roi - the God Who Sees. He knows your heart, He knows your pain. 

If you struggle with seeing yourself as redeemed by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, please talk to your pastor, please ask trusted friends to pray for you, and or find a ministry which schedule prayer time with you. There are many such ministries out there, I can recommend CHM and CHC :

Christian Healing Ministries in Jacksonville, FL - 904-765-3332, Mon-Fri 9a-4:30p EST. 

Christ Healing Center in San Antonio, TX - 210-930-7760, I do not have their office hours.