Face to Face with My Redeemer

There she stood. Eyes welling up with tears. She was so close. Just inches from Him. He had healed the sick and raised the dead. Certainly, there was hope for a woman like her.

Making it into this room this close, she couldn’t contain her emotion. Just like a fresh spring shower, the tears poured out of her. Onto His feet. To the feet of her Redeemer.

Jesus would dine with many along His journey. He was even accused of dining with sinners and being a glutton and drunkard. (Luke 7:34) Gasp. But this day, He was dining with a Pharisee.

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. Luke 7:36-38 (NIV)

Intentional Worship

When this sinful woman came to the Pharisee’s house, she knew the scrutiny that she was facing. A woman of ill repute couldn’t go anywhere without being noticed. He tears flowed so freely that they began wetting the feet of Jesus.

With her face to the ground, at the feet of Jesus, she began wiping the tears from His feet with her hair. She kissed His feet and poured perfume on them.

I love that being in the presence of Jesus when our guard is really let down allows us to see ourselves for who we really are in the presence of a perfect King.

Personally, when I am feeling convicted, my tendency is to keep my distance from my offender. Maybe that looks like less time in prayer or in the Bible.

Feeling guilty for something we have done or maybe a way we behaved, lends to keeping our distance so we don’t have to face Jesus or our sins.

This woman came to worship with her jar of perfume. Sins and all. She had intent. Having most likely heard about what He was doing for others, I can imagine her hope. Maybe just maybe, there was a chance for her.

A Sinful Woman

For much of my life, I lived the way I wanted to live. I professed to be a Christian but there were no signs of it except maybe a weekly trip to church which only really made me a church attendee. Share on X

Honestly, I remember thinking if I don’t look over my shoulder, I don’t have to face Jesus. I knew He was there (not physically but in my heart). I knew He was watching, but if I didn’t have to come face to face with Him, I didn’t have to come face to face with my sin. This meant eyes forward on the world, I could continue to live the sinful life I was so deeply entangled in.

That is not true by the way. A sinner’s life has a way of catching up with itself. Living for yourself never really brings satisfaction. The pit that you find yourself so deep in has only one way out. You can continue to dig the hole deeper or you can look up and reach to God to pull out.

I feel deeply for this woman. Maybe because I , too, was in a broken place and for far too long had lost my way. I know when I was finally so overcome with shame and ready to crawl out of the pit, I was face to face with the feet of Jesus. It is there I repented and my many sins were forgiven.

If This Man

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 (NIV)

If this man were a prophet. What Simon didn’t know or realize was that Jesus was not just a prophet. He wasn’t just a man. He was God in the flesh. Jesus knew all there was to know about this woman. Most importantly He knew He was what she needed.

His response to Simon was this brief story that put His thoughts of this woman on the stand.

“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?” Luke 7:41-42 (NIV)

Which of Them Will Love Him More

I believe we would answer the same as Simon did. The one whose debt was greatly forgiven would love Him more.

This woman didn’t come to Jesus because she loved Him more. Her love didn’t save her more. She took a chance when she came of not even seeing Jesus.

Jesus was not telling Simon that greater love will forgive greater sins.  A great debt was paid on her behalf and the result was great love toward the one who forgave it.

You have judged correctly. Jesus told Simon. Simon hadn’t actually said anything. These thoughts were to himself.

If only Jesus knew… He was casting judgment out on not only the woman but also on Jesus.

Jesus knew who was seeking forgiveness and He knew whose debt would result in greater love.

Not Just for the Elite

Jesus didn’t just come to earth for the elite. He didn’t just dine with those who would have been considered the top of the social order.

So when Simon, a Pharisee, asked Him to have dinner, He obliged. Jesus was always on mission. To seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). And although the Pharisees saw themselves far from lost, Jesus took every opportunity to point them toward the right path. And this time was no different.

Jesus didn’t show favoritism to the elite over the poor. Jesus knew who He had come for.

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17 (NIV)

The Pharisees thought so highly of themselves that they imagined when the true Messiah came, He would surely come for them.

They were sorely mistaken. We could be sorely mistaken as well if we believe that we in anyway contribute to our sins being forgiven.

Maybe we think, we have done pretty well, certainly, we should make it to heaven. Maybe we think our good outweighs our bad and that is our ticket to our heavenly home.

He is the Way

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 (NIV)

There is only ONE way to the Father. This Pharisee thought he had it or had already earned it. What I love about this verse is you can substitute any word or thing you hold dear in the place of I AM and it doesn’t work.

Jesus said, “Being good is the way”… No. He said, “Getting baptized is the way”… No. Jesus answered, “Going to church is the way”… Doesn’t work. He said, “Reading your Bible every day is the way”… Nope.

I think you get the point. While all of these things are good. They are not the way.

Jesus said I AM the way. He is the way. There is one way. I know that is quite hard for people to digest but Jesus is THE way. In our world where we would prefer a buffet of options and many roads that lead to the same glorious place, we want there to be ways. But that is not the case.

Jesus is THE way.

You Are Seen

And turning to the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give Me water for My feet, but she wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not greet Me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing My feet since I arrived. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she has anointed My feet with perfume. Therefore I tell you, because her many sins have been forgiven, she has loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.” Luke 7:44-47 (BSB)

Simon, do you see this woman? I can read those sweet words over and over.

Jesus saw that woman. He noticed her wiping the tears from His feet. He noticed her pouring the perfume on His feet. She hadn’t stopped kissing His feet and He was the center of her worship and He noticed. Because He noticed, her many sins were forgiven.

Face to Face with her Redeemer that day changed everything.

Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Luke 7:50 (NIV)

Her hope was placed in Jesus. He forgave her sins and her faith, even if it was the off chance for a new beginning got her noticed and she was saved.

Her desperation and shame now had a new name and it is peace. She was now free to walk in the sweet grace and mercy of Jesus’ forgiveness.

Personal Reflections

Please share your thoughts with us in the comments. Also, feel free to journal your responses as we go through this study.

1. Do you ever feel like Jesus doesn’t notice you? Or maybe He has so many people to notice that you may have been overlooked?
2. Do you feel the depth of your forgiven sins? Have you praised God lately for the opportunity to come face to face with your redeemer?
3. When is the last time you were physically on your face at the feet of Jesus? Share on X
4. Staying down and living in shame is not where Jesus wants you. Just like this woman, He told her to go in peace. Have you been able to grasp the Peace that only God offers in the face of forgiveness?
5. If you have lived your life with trying the many roads that don’t lead to Jesus are you ready for Him to guide you on the right path?

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