WHO was the woman with the alabaster jar?

Frank said I should include more photos... Here's a snapshot of him, one year anf four months ago.

WHO?
Turn with me to Luke, the chapter before 8.
Let's close our Bibles for a while and open your heart.

IMAGINE... you are a character in the story. One of the bystanders in the courtyard of Simon's house. Say, you are a cook, a servant, or one of Simon's friends who was invited. You are seeing a lesson of Jesus unfolding in front of you right now.

Here, it is customary to offer your guests a 'foot washing', simply because the roads are really sandy and it doesn't feel good to eat and stay with dirty feet. For Rabbis such as Jesus (who was VERY well known), they would be given olive oil as well - known for its cleansing properties, olive oil was also used to clean the face of grime. But when Jesus arrived, he was ignored. He was given the INVISIBLE TREATMENT.

WHY???
The Bible didn't say. Maybe Simon wanted to embarrass him. Maybe Simon was embarrassed to acknowledge him as a Rabbi in front of his guests. Or ...did he just forget that Jesus was on the guestlist?

If you were Jesus, how would you react to this treatment?

Everyone pretended not to notice. But... a woman SAW.

Not just any woman. She was a woman of 'ill repute', a immoral woman, a sinful woman, a prostitute. No one associated with her, no one wanted to acknowledge her presence or even that they knew her. Those men who knew her had to come to her quietly, at nightfall. Out of all the people present today, only she could feel how Jesus felt.

She had been feeling this way her whole life. But...she couldn't understand why they were doing it to a Rabbi, a teacher, someone highly regarded, somewhat like a university professor today. 'Why are they doing this to Him', she wondered in her heart.

You are there today. You know what she did for Jesus. The alabaster jar contains perfume. For most women, it was used as dowry, something you pour on yourself as a gift to your husband on your wedded night. For immoral women with her job, often involving carousing with dirty, smelly, men, the perfume was used to cleanse herself when she had finished. But today, there was a man that did not treat her the way all the other men did. He dared to look at her. He dared to associate with her. He did not chase her away. So she wept. Tears of freedom, of knowing she has been accepted by God. She just pours out, unable to speak, just sobbing at Jesus' feet.

If you are present today, as a bystander, a guest, a cook, a servant...You will realise one thing. Jesus has not spoken. All through the 'invisible treatment' he has kept silent. When the woman was at his feet, he kept silent.

Now it was his turn to speak.

He spoke addressing Simon, but not looking at him. "Look at this woman." Does Simon not see her? Of course everyone can see her, is looking at her and passing judgment on her. Jesus tells him a simple story of a man who was forgiven more. Who would be more grateful? This is a question that doesn't need Simon to answer, really. It's quite foolproof. The point Jesus is trying to draw here is a parallel between Simon and the woman. The woman is obviously, sinful. More so than Simon. Who has the larger debt? The parallel draws a contrast between the woman's sin - she is painfully aware of it - and Simon's sin - he is painfully unaware of his.

Yet Simon has sins too, the sins of the heart. How about a hardening of the heart. A natural criticism of 'immoral women'. A disrespect for Jesus. Even an attitude problem.

Jesus saw the woman with the alabaster jar as she is - someone who needed acceptance. In His eyes, she saw understanding without being judgmental.

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Consider:

In many ways, we are like the woman with the alabaster jar. We are also like Simon.
a) What has the woman with the alabaster jar taught you about today?
b)In your VALUE system, what is one thing you gotta change?
c) Share an area of our life that we struggle with (Eg being judgmental, unable to show acceptance, etc.) WHAT IS YOUR ACTION PLAN?

Pray.

And remember the story of the woman with the alabaster jar. =)


Copyright mine.

Related with thanks from John Ortberg's book, courtesy of Penelope's library.