Hola Divas! Welcome to our Bad Girls of the Bible Study by Liz Curtis Higgs. (YAY!) Just in case you are joining us for the first time, please read about the “Dance Fit Divas Bad Girls of the Bible Study“. You should also read past posts on each bad girl: “EVE“, Potiphar’s Wife, Lot’s Wife , Woman at the Well, Delilah, Sapphira, Rahab, Jezebel, and Michal.
Our Bad Girl for our final week is a girl who had been around the block more than a few times in more than a few ways. Like many of our bad girls, she did not have a name. She is just called the “Sinful Woman”. Ooooh….what a way to be addressed.
Our bad girl’s story started with a dinner party with an A-list guest attendance. With all kinds of boldness, our girl crashed the party.
When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. Luke 7: 36-37 (NIV)
She heard that Jesus would be there and she just HAD to go and see HIM for herself.
As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. Luke 7:38 (NIV)
Can you imagine how many people began to gawk and gasp and what was going on between the Sinful Woman and Jesus?
Well, Simon not only gasped he was appalled….
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” Luke 7:39
Isn’t it funny how people who know your past, never seem to let you live it down?
The Bible tells us that Simon was talking to himself. Perhaps he just thought the sentence above or maybe he muttered it under his breath. But Jesus heard him. Jesus knows our thoughts….we can’t hide and neither could Simon.
Jesus responded to Simon by telling a story about forgiveness and then he contrasted Simon’s behavior and the Sinful Woman’s behavior.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Luke 7:44-46
OUCH.
Simon learned a valuable lesson. Jesus sees us differently from the way the world sees us.
When we interact with Jesus we learn who HE is but we also discover who we REALLY are.
Then Jesus lowered the sonic boom for all of us:
Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
How is our love?
Does our love show how grateful we are to Jesus for saving us?
Have we forgotten how much we have been forgiven?
Do we need to confess some things so that our true worship can begin?
Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Luke 7:48 Hallelujah!
In the final verse of the chapter Jesus spoke to the Sinful Woman and said: “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Luke 7:50
In the book, Liz Curtis Higgs gives us a formula for igniting our faith based on the actions of the Sinful Woman so that we too can go in peace:
“Seek Him openly. Abandon self humbly. Worship Him completely. Embrace his forgiveness joyfully.”
I would also add BE QUIET!
There is no account of the Sinful Woman talking. She worshiped without words and let Jesus speak to her.
As the Holiday Season rushes in, and the burdens and drama stack up in our hearts, remember the Sinful Woman who showed us there is power in listening, expecting, and soul-cleansing quietly before the Lord.
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