Welcoming Love At the Home of a Pharisee (Luke 7:36-50)

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1 2 Welcoming Love At the Home of a Pharisee (Luke 7:36-50) Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven...for she loved much. (Luke 7:47) I knew he was special when I first laid eyes on Him. There was just something about him. I didn t know at the time, but I could feel a warmth and air of compassion just being in His presence. The first time I saw him He was speaking so gently to a group of people. What I noticed immediately was his tenderness that was directed to all people, not just men, but women and children. He enjoyed the children and he played with them and answered their questions too. They seemed just as important to him as any man. Such love is what I saw genuine love I never knew genuine love, love that is true, love that is considerate, love that doesn t expect anything in return, love that doesn t hurt Yes, I suppose the ladies that raised me loved me. I guess it was that love that gave me life. I guess that was love. Without them I would have died, but would that have been so bad? My life has been always overshadowed with the feeling of being unlovable. Oh yes, I have many a man s attention, but never a man s love. Being born a girl, a

2 daughter, not a son, how my parents grieved so much that they tossed me out on the street...out onto the street! I brought them pain, disgrace, and humiliation just by being born, born a daughter. So as a wee child they placed me on the street to receive the rewards I deserved death or life in bondage. Would death have been so bad? My life was spared by women who entertained men for money. I had luxuries. I had jewelry, perfume, dresses, and food and I danced and laughed and made merry, but my heart was always empty, longing for more of something. Emptiness is not a good feeling and my heart was empty. People didn t exactly welcome me. My life wasn t quite what most people would call respectable, but it was all I knew. People were mean, even cruel to me and I carried bitterness like poison. My life was burdened with sorrows and pains. Then one day I was singing and dancing for the men and I saw Him walk by. His eyes caught mine, such tenderness in those eyes. It felt like He looked right through me, right to my heart, my empty heart. I felt warmth that I had never felt before and something began to move in me. Just from looking in His eyes I knew He was special. He was like no man I have ever known or seen and I have seen many. Everything about me began to change and I felt the compassion that radiated just from this man that walked by. I thought I heard Him say. I might have imagined it, but I m sure I heard Him say, You are loved my child, you are loved.

3 I have never forgotten those words, whether I heard Him say them or whether His heart told my heart, it doesn t matter. All I know was that I was changed. I was loved and I felt that love. That was many days ago, but in my heart it was like it happened just today. I had lived my life making merry and showing everyone that I was happy at least on the outside, but on the inside I was empty. I knew what people said about me and I pretended I didn t care or that it didn t matter because... well just look at all the things I have. They are just jealous I thought, but then I thought these things, these luxuries. They are just things and I don t really know why anyone would be jealous of my life. It wasn t exactly honest and pure. No, purity was not a description of my life. An outcast at birth how could I be anything less than this despicable worthless person, but yet He looked at me like I was special - even I! You are loved, you are loved I had seen him many times with different people. Many people grumbled about Him. I listened to what they said. They were angry because they said He was a blasphemer. I saw Him heal people. I saw Him give sight to the blind and cast out demons, how could He not be of God? He loved those who hated Him. He allowed harsh words and afflictions to be hurled at His body and He didn t return the aggression with anger, but displayed forgiveness and genuine love. I heard He was going to eat with one of the Pharisees. Something just kept telling me I had to go there. It was

4 like my heart was crying. All I had to offer Him was the perfume I had. He allowed me to come into His presence. Those who were eating with Him ridiculed Him for allowing me to be present. Not only did He welcome my presence, but also He embraced my actions for love as I knelt at His feet and wept. I had never felt so accepted and loved and I wept for the joy in my heart and for the grace He gave me. My tears poured out like a cleansing, a cleansing of all the infirmities within my body, within my soul. With my tears I washed His feet. What an honor to be at His feet, washing the feet of my Lord. All I had to dry them with was my hair. Oh, how I was blessed as I touched the feet of my Lord and how I gently dried His feet with the same gentleness as that of His voice. The alabaster jar of perfume was all I had to offer. As I poured out the fragrant perfume, everything about me began to change. I relinquished my hold on my life. Today my life was changed. No longer do I carry bitterness. No longer does my heart cry and grieve. No longer do I feel unloved. My spirit was set free from the shackles of emptiness and I was filled and embraced with such love. Today, I have been broken, forgiven, made whole, and today I am accepted as a child of God. What about you? Are you empty today? Today, do you need to be broken, forgiven, made whole, and filled with love that never ever stops? Today, my Lord loves you and He weeps for you to allow Him to fill that emptiness within your heart within your soul won t you allow His tears to cleanse you...now this very day?

5 Jesus - God in human likeness- humbled himself to be obedient to death - even death on a cross- so that you may have life- life in the royal kingdom of God. A Father gives his only son, Jesus to die so that others may live, that is love. Parents who give their child up to die because she is born a girl, that is the betrayal of love. A Son who willingly lays down his life, taking on the very burdens of the unloved, suffering humility and disgrace in order to bring life to a depraved generation demonstrates genuine love. That is the love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Do you know that love? Do you have the love of Jesus living in you? Is your heart empty and needing refilled? Do you need or want to open your heart to such love? Do you want to have the Lord touch you this day? Won t you come and be filled with the love of Jesus and receive His true, authentic and genuine love. Won t you come and relinquish your hold on your life today and allow Him to change you and to be used for His glory and He will fill Your life with great riches. Amen