Delighting In Jesus (Luke 7:36-50)
Prayer:
Righteous Father, thank you for making a way in Christ for me to know you, be alive in you, and be at rest in you. Help me today, Lord, to recognize your nearness and your greatness in order that I might delight myself in you. Amen.
Instructions:
Before you do anything, simply pause and be silent. Take a deep breath. Recognize how small and unholy you are before the Righteous Creator of all. Now, recognize how loved and redeemed you are through Jesus. The Righteous Creator calls you His child. Do not rush past this. Sit in the truth of it. Rejoice in the promise and hope of Christ. Repent of sins committed and good omitted. Allow His grace and mercy to make you anew. Meditate on these thoughts for at least 5 minutes before moving on.
Scripture:
Reflection:
What is your posture towards Jesus Christ? I’ve always been amazed by this story in Luke 7.
Obviously the Pharisee thought high enough of Christ that he invited Jesus to have dinner with him at his house. But that is where his high thoughts of Christ stopped. Truthfully, at most he saw Christ as a peer, not his superior. He did not even offer Jesus the common courtesy of their culture of allowing him to clean his feet and greeting him with a kiss. His posture towards Jesus was not one of affection and awe, but of religious intrigue. He wanted to debate with Jesus about life and to measure whether Jesus was worthy to be even considered his peer.
The woman, however, took a much different posture towards Jesus. Recognizing him not as a peer, but as the Messiah, she came looking for forgiveness and offering affection. She knew her sin. She knew the religious people in the room looked down on her. But she didn’t care. She was there to worship and meet with Jesus. She humbled herself and washed his feet with her tears and hair. Then she could not stop kissing his feet and anointing them with perfume. This act cost her financially, cost her emotionally, and cost her culturally. But she didn’t care. She adored Jesus and wanted to meet with him.
Which posture did Jesus bless? The Pharisee saw himself as far too dignified to humble himself before Jesus. The woman saw herself as far too needy to do anything but humble herself before Jesus. One wanted to debate Jesus. The other wanted to delight in Jesus.
When was the last time you got on your knees and humbled yourself before Jesus? When was the last time you cried before him, and delighted yourself in his grace and majesty? What is holding you back? Are you too dignified to do such a thing? Am I? Think about the sheer joy the woman must have felt when Jesus looked down at her and spoke forgiveness over her and offered her the parting phrase: go in peace. There is an intimate connection between delighting ourselves in Christ’s grace and enjoying his all surpassing peace. May you delight in Him today!