She brought an alabaster vial of perfume

Luke 7:36-50 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, ³⁸ and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. ³⁹ Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.”

⁴⁰ And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” ⁴¹ “A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” ⁴³ Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” ⁴⁴ 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. ⁴⁵ You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. ⁴⁷ 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.” ⁴⁸ Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” ⁴⁹ Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” ⁵⁰ And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

The thing I find odd about the account in today’s text is that this woman, who was known as a sinner, probably a prostitute, by Simon, the Pharisee, and probably by most of the people in the city, was able to enter Simon’s house and come to his table, where he was entertaining guests. Is it possible that Simon knew this woman better than what we are told in the account? Hypocrisy is one of the things that Jesus was most critical of in the religious leaders of His day. Hypocrisy is also one of the greatest hindrances, which keeps unbelievers from the church. We are given no evidence, nor an explanation, regarding to what extent Simon may have known the woman. We can know though that either he was guilty of hypocrisy or he was guilty of judgment. Either way, it is Simon’s heart that Jesus addresses, not the sin of the woman.  

The text says:  Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.”   The text says that the Pharisee said these words to himself. In 1 Samuel 16:7 God says:  The LORD doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.       Again, in Jeremiah 17:10 He says:  I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.    Even though Simon did not speak out his judgment or condemnation of Jesus, Jesus knew his heart, and it was the heart that Jesus spoke of. The text says:  Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” “A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So 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 judged correctly.” 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.” Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”  

I know some people who have a wonderful testimony of loving and serving Jesus from their youth. I must admit that there are times when I wish that were my testimony. I wonder sometimes how different my life might have been if I had followed Jesus at any one of the many times He was revealed to me in my youth. But that is not my testimony. I do not glory in my past mistakes. I don’t think of them as the good old days. But this I do, knowing how much I have been forgiven, I love Jesus much. I am not thankful for my past sin, but I am thankful for my eternal forgiveness.

The text says:  She brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume.    That alabaster vial of perfume was probably the most valuable thing that the woman owned. Additionally it represented the lifestyle she had lived. Jesus says:  “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. Your sins have been forgiven. Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”    Breaking the vial and emptying it of the perfume was both an act of love and repentance. She showed that she was leaving her former way to love and serve Jesus, to worship Him with all her heart, soul and mind. We too, if we would be forgiven much, must be willing to break from what we have known and from the way we were. We cannot hold back. To repent we must be willing to give even the most valuable things we have in the world.

We are not told whether Jesus words had any effect on the heart of Simon, whether his heart was changed. None of us can change the paths we have taken or the decisions and choices we have made. But, regardless of our sin and our situation, if we will break the vial of our sin, if we will empty ourselves of all that we were, to love Jesus with all that we are and all that we have, regardless of where we have gone or where we have come from, Jesus says: “Your sins have been forgiven. Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Thank You heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit. I love only because You first loved me. I pour myself out because You poured Yourself out for me. May I neither regret nor glory in the sins of my past, but rather may I glory that I have been forgiven much. As I have broken from my past and emptied myself of what I was, fill me Holy Spirit, that there would be no void or empty place in heart, but that I would love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul and mind and I would be a vessel of Your love.    Amen.