The Sinful Woman

Sinful Woman

**The Sinful Woman** was aware of her sinfulness and her need for forgiveness. She came to the dinner, uninvited but well prepared to worship Jesus with her jar of expensive perfume. The woman's tears of repentance and thanksgiving were wiped from Jesus' feet with her own hair. Jesus saw her heart and rewarded her faith that day. Her sins were forgiven and the joy and peace that only Jesus can give filled her heart.

## Bible InfoScan

This woman who showed up at Simon’s house to anoint Jesus is not named in the Bible. We are told only that she is immoral or sinful. In Bible times, it was common for uninvited people to stand near the table and hope to receive some food or attention at a dinner banquet. This woman did not come to receive, she came to give! She brought a beautiful jar of expensive perfume with a specific purpose; to anoint Jesus! She knelt at Jesus’ feet and wept as she anointed Him with both her perfume and her own tears! What a sight this must have been to all attending the dinner. To the arrogant and proper Pharisees, this must have been disgusting, offensive, and out of order! The word “weeping” used in Luke 7:38, literally means “to burst into tears”. She was overcome with her love and gratitude for Jesus! She could not hold her emotions back—nor did she care. Her devotion and focus were squarely on Jesus; not the important guests reclining at the table.

What would Jesus do? The Pharisees thought surely that Jesus would stop this inappropriate display of affection and rebuke her—a known sinner! Yet; Jesus did not. This confirmed Simon’s thoughts that Jesus wasn’t a true prophet; otherwise He would have separated Himself from the sinner! Luke 7:44-50 says, "Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer Me water to wash the dust from My feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet Me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing My feet. You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint My head, but she has anointed My feet with rare perfume. I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown Me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that He goes around forgiving sins?” And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”"

This woman showed true love, thankfulness, and a repentant heart to Jesus. Contrary to Simon’s belief; Jesus did see her sins; in fact, He said there were many! Instead of judgment and rejection, Jesus saw her faith and spoke forgiveness and peace to her! In (Psalms 51:17), after David received forgiveness from God for his horrible sins; he wrote: “The sacrifice You desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.” Jesus looked at the woman’s heart and received her genuine and pure worship. He instantly made her clean and whole again! In the Bible, she is referred to as the sinful woman; but more accurately, she is the forgiven woman! (Luke 7:36-50)

## Life Lessons

* Faith in Jesus will save you.
* No person is too bad for God's love.
* We are saved by faith.