At the Feet of Jesus

One of the sweetest stories in the Bible to me is the story of the woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears. When hearing this story when I was little I didn’t really understand why the woman was washing His feet with her tears and hair, I figured she must have just loved Jesus and that was all she had to wash His feet with. Being older now and having experienced more life, I now see why this woman did what she did.

This woman was known as a big sinner in that part of town, when people saw her they knew her for all the things she had done. She had a bad reputation and people weren’t afraid to call her out on it in front of everyone, including in front of Jesus. But Jesus already knew the things this woman had done, but none of that mattered because He forgave her and He loved her.

While Jesus sat in this Pharisee’s home to eat dinner, the host probably thought he was doing some grand gesture by giving Jesus food in his own home, but it wasn’t really his all that he was giving. Jesus saw right through the thoughts that this man had towards the woman, so of course, He stood up to her defense.

This woman laid at the feet of Jesus and didn’t just cry, she wept on Jesus’ feet. She then proceeded to dry off our Saviors feet with her hair, kissing His feet and covering them with expensive perfume. This seemed strange to those standing around watching, but to Jesus it was so sweet to watch His daughter, laying down her life at her Master’s feet, and giving Him all that she had, her tears, her hair, and probably the most expensive possession she had. She laid it all at the feet of Jesus.

How many times are we actually like the woman who washed Jesus’ feet? And how many times are we just like the Pharisee?

Are we snottily looking down at well-known sinners who enter the church off the streets or are we weeping in gratitude at the feet of our God for all He has forgiven us of? He sees right through our thoughts and our actions, He sees the Pharisee, and He sees the weeping woman.

This woman was giving all she had, the very best she had to offer, just to wash Jesus’ feet one time. She wanted to give Him her all to thank Him for all He had forgiven her for. God has forgiven us for so much… but are we reacting to His grace with gratitude, like the weeping woman, or with an attitude, like the Pharisee?

When we think of the love of God, the love He has so relentlessly, unconditionally lavished on us, the grace He has covered us so kindly in, we should be filled with unfathomable gratitude. As a result of this gratitude, like the woman who washed Jesus’ feet, we should sprint at the opportunity to lay our lives, our pride, our possessions, our bodies, our all at the feet of the One who saved us all.

It is so sweet, so pleasing, so heart-warming and intimate to Jesus when we truly lay the wholeness of our lives down at His feet. Not looking around to see what everyone else is doing, not looking to see if anyone is watching, not paying attention to those who may call you crazy or unreasonable… but simply just giving it all. Your whole entire being, your finances, your work, your future, your reputation, your dreams, your all, at the feet of Jesus. None of these things are rightfully ours without Him anyways, but He gives us the choice, the opportunity to choose letting it all go or hoarding it.

I pray you choose to let it go today. I pray you and I, every single day, every single moment of every blessed breath of life we have, choose to be like the weeping woman… to give Jesus our everything, to weep for His goodness, and to just be at the feet of Jesus.

“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. 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. 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.” Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said.

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. 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. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Luke 7:36-50 NIV

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