The attraction of a woman to come and pour perfume on Jesus head and feet demonstration of sacrifice and service to her Lord. A woman of uncleanness by the religious right standards enter the home of a Pharisee to anoint the feet and head of Jesus. Almost sounds a little rebellious in a since from a comic stand point. Let us set the stage of the unclean, the unkempt by society and life style entering the home a religious zealot. One not willing to allow sinners around his table. The poor that read this devotional is going to understand the humor and yet some rich snob somewhere is going to be taking Simeon view of disgust that the woman would really enter that Pharisees house and defile his home, by her presents. As objection came of this woman’s presents in the house of the Pharisee they questioned Jesus if he knew what type of woman this was that was washing his feet with her tears and drying them with her hair and also pouring perfume on him. Jesus of course did not miss a beat. He began to tell a story of two that were forgiven. One that owed five hundred and one that owed fifty. Have you even been so poor and had a person ask you for money. Yet you had none to give because it was not yours to give in the first place what you did have. One can not give away someone else’s money. Sooner or later that money got to be given back. Jesus seen to debts of a person of great sin and a person with less sin. The one with greater sin was anointed his feet and head. Trying to purify him in the house of a Pharisee, without water and soap. Instead she chose to wash his feet with her tears and dry them with her hair. Jesus sin before the Pharisee was because he allowed this woman to touch him. Yet he then accused the Pharisee of not seeing to his needs of washing his feet. To purify him before allowing him to enter into his house as custom of entering a Pharisees home as well as any home if one was traveling.

To the Pharisee Jesus was not clean because he went against traditions of the law. The woman understood the problem of Jesus’ uncleanness by the religious people view and sought to remedy the appearance of filthy rags before the religious zealots. I once new people that were unclean that loved Jesus. Unclean to the appearance of the religious right. Because the religious right were Christians they tried to be a little more tolerant then they had to be. After all the appearance of these people would not passed public or state inspection. They were people that needed love compassion and help. Help that only a person like Jesus would of reached out too. There were people that tried to help, but could not. There were people who received money for helping but time spent helping was in truth worth more then what was paid. Yet they were unable to do what really needed to be done for those people, but in truth no one cared. Who was more noble those that tried or those who said they tried and did nothing. It still sadden me when I think on this story because these people loved Jesus, but outwardly they had problems. Because of there own health issues they could not take care of themselves properly.

There is a point with even my own allegory of a story of a need and comparing to the event of the time of Jesus. Often to religious right they can not see their own filth of a lack of love and compassion for sinners. After all we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. Yet often we look at people by what they wear, smell like and even talk like. Yet sin is not always clear and because of this there are people who are not sheep in wolves clothing or perhaps they really are wolves trying to be sheep. Depends on if you think the religious right was more wolfish then those in wolves clothing wearing a crown of life.

Jesus was giving the hope of forgiveness as the Pharisee claiming the hope only could look on with disgust. He had the solution to share the love of God and only seen rags of filth. Often the poor look on and say oh don’t worry about it, we all been there sometime in our life. Come on let us get this mess cleaned up for you are not better then me or vise versa. It is the holier then thou attitude that cause division between groups of people. Unless you walked a mile in someone else shoe you never know about the hole in sole of the shoe that allows gravel in to rub a blister on the foot.

Jesus had the ability to purify the heart. The woman’s trangression of entering the holy house was forgiven. She went her way. Simeon still sat with his mouth open trying to figure out what Jesus just did. How can he forgive. Because the woman was mocking the situation. A person consider unclean and the Jesus untraditional like behavior caused people to consider him unclean. Yet I like to think the Pharisee had a little more compassion then what was shown for Jesus was after all sitting at his table. Jesus also told the woman her faith saved her. She was counting on Jesus to understand her.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your wisdom and understanding of the errors we make is often for the benefit of teaching others. That your provision of love and forgiveness is greater then ourselves. In Jesus precious name, Amen.