Tuesday, January 20, 2009

The Sweet Scent of God's Amazing Grace

In the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Luke, the Pharisees didn’t think Jesus was a very good judge of character. Simon the Pharisee had invited Jesus to dinner and our scripture reminds us of the following: “A woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that Jesus was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment.” This woman was what the Pharisees and many of us today would call “damaged goods.” She was probably a prostitute. We know that because a decent woman never let her hair down in public. Simon and those gathered with Jesus were first confronted with this woman’s tears. I am sure they were simply tears of shame and frustration. She was a sinner with a bad reputation and it was totally scandalous for this unclean woman to enter the house of a righteous Pharisee named Simon. It was even more scandalous that she knelt by the feet of the guest of honor and wet his feet with her tears. It was scandalous that she poured her perfume over the feet of Jesus. It was scandalous that she dried his feet with her hair. Everyone was offended; everyone that is, except Jesus. Everyone else saw “damaged goods.” Jesus saw a precious child of God and loved her unconditionally. Everyone else saw unrighteousness, and Jesus saw a sin sick soul that needed to be cleansed. Everyone else saw a prostitute, Jesus saw a lost daughter of God needing to find her way home. All we know is that she was considered an outcast and then she encountered Jesus who said: “I believe in you!” Jesus, tells her he understands and He loves her unconditionally, no matter what it was she did. No wonder this woman wanted to show her love and respect for Jesus. She came offering the only things she had left to give, her tears, her perfume and herself. Have you ever given someone something you thought was a great gift, only to have them accept it, but not with the enthusiasm you expected? That’s the attitude the woman heard from those gathered with Jesus at Simon’s table. Those gathered around Jesus were filled with judgment and condemnation! The woman, though, ignored their comments and their stares. So enthralled with who Jesus was, so moved by His love for her and others like her, the downtrodden and fallen, she poured out her soul and bathed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume. The beautiful smell of her gift filled the room. However, there was a smell more beautiful that made her perfume smell like nothing. That was the sweet scent of God’s amazing grace. The Pharisee sat in judgment. All he saw was the woman’s sin, not her need, not her potential, not her worth, just her sin. But not Jesus! Jesus recognized the presence and action of this woman as profound gratitude and pure love sparked by the God’s grace. Jesus spoke to Simon and then to the woman. To Simon: “Her great love shows that her many sins have been forgiven.” And to her: “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” Not only was forgiveness poured out upon her, but in that outpouring, her brokenness was healed. She had been redeemed and made whole by the unconditional love and grace of Jesus Christ. That second chance, that new start is why Jesus died on the cross. Jesus poured out His life for you and for me. He poured out His life so we could experience and smell the sweet scent of God’s amazing grace. Like Jesus, we are called, not to sit in judgment like Simon, but to welcome everyone who is seeking that very same redemption, and offer them God’s unconditional love, forgiveness and the sweet scent of God’s amazing grace!

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http://www.gbgm-umc.org/mesquite

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