A Word Of Comfort

Paul has not just spoken or written words to the Corinthians, but he has sent assistance to them, people whose specific mission is to help the believers complete their preparations in full, nothing lacking. In his wisdom, he takes this route so that not one Macedonian who comes to that Church in Corinth, will find unpreparedness in any part. Our help, all our assistance to make sure that we are not in any wise, unprepared, is through the Living, Active, Serving, Testifying Words of our Lord. Every Word has come from the lips of Jesus, and in them will be our completeness, ensuring our preparedness will be in Him. By faith, in this hour called today, we hear these words of Jesus in our hearts and heads. We are receiving His words, His commands, so that His joy may be in each of us and that our joy will be complete, lacking nothing.

We go to a sinner, who has been totally captured and changed by the Love of Jesus. Here is a sinner who has been brought from under the yoke of sin, so that she is no longer a slave to sin. Love has redeemed her and made her one with all the redeemed. She has heard that Jesus will be in town. His friends will be celebrating His presence with them, with a dinner party. Here is a Pharisee named Simon, who is delighted to entertain Jesus and His disciples. The dinner party is going well and Simon is pleased with his preparations, as Jesus and all the other invited guests are really having a good time.

Then comes a bit of an upheaval. A woman of the town, who lived a sinful life, on hearing that Jesus was in town and where He was, simply could not resist going to see Him. She prepared herself with her best gift to lavish on Jesus. Her heart and mind were fully prepared, to take whatever the Pharisee and others would certainly say about her. She knew that she was a sinner. She knew that she was not an invited guest. She knew that her going to Jesus would cause some kind of disruption, but she went anyway. Her love response to Jesus could not be curtailed.

She goes to where Jesus is and stands behind Him. She literally worships Him in the sweetest, sincerest and most lavish way she knows how. She is bathing Jesus’ feet with her tears, wiping them with her hair, kissing them with her lips and anointing them with her hands. Can’t you see how she has just emptied her entire self, her whole being, so beautifully symbolized in the pouring out of her perfume from that alabaster jar, on the feet of Jesus?

All eyes are upon her and Simon is most concerned about his Friend Jesus and what He is revealing about Himself. We are told that the Pharisee said this 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: 39b. In Simon’s heart, he shows the opposite of what is in the heart of that sinner woman, towards Jesus. Remember, Simon is a Pharisee, one lawful and right before God, in lawful works and words. He will never have such a woman even wash his feet, for to touch even his dirty feet would be unheard of.

However, nothing of Simon’s actions or thoughts, or the actions and thoughts of anyone else for that matter, cause any kind of self-pity, anger, hurt or retreating on the part of that Jesus-cleansed woman. Now here is the mind-blowing part, the fully complete part, the validating part, the joyful part. Jesus straightens Simon out and lifts the sinner woman high above all. He publicly shows His utter pleasure and appreciation for her and what she has done for Him. Jesus speaks words of forgiveness to her, thus cleansing her thoroughly and completely with His Spoken Words. Then He utters these last words to her. Your faith has saved you; go in peace. Luke 7: 50b

This woman now completely washed of her sins, is made fully prepared, as it were, for life and service in the Lord. You see, it is not just having one’s sins washed away, but it is the faith to fully believe, receive and be clothed in the Lord’s transcending and transforming peace. O the joy that must have filled this changed life!

What is all this saying to you and to me? It is that we are only fully prepared, with the complete joy of the Lord, when we know His perfect Peace abiding within us. It is the peace that by faith, allows us to face all that we will encounter in this precious and special time of Lent.