The Short-Circuit to Love

1.7.2013 

Luke 7.44-46 44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. (NIV)

When you grovel in the dust the closest thing to you is someone’s foot. Jesus went to lunch and shrugged off Simon’s insults: no water to wash His feet – no kiss of greeting – and no oil of refreshment oh His head. Simon was breaching social protocol by publicly ignoring Jesus both as a man and a guest. Simon’s focus was elsewhere.

Jesus, we notice, didn’t turn to Simon and respond; Jesus turned to the woman and responded. He spoke to Simon but He was looking at the woman. And Jesus enumerated Simon’s shortcomings. And Jesus pointed out what Simon’s problem was: he thought too highly of himself.

Jesus was a threat and a nuisance to the Pharisees who didn’t respect Him, His teachings or His miracles: He wasn’t one of them. And in their eyes, anyone who wasn’t one of them, wasn’t.

Our church installed an espresso maker in our fellowship hall over the weekend. On Sundays you can come to our church gathering and have a latte, or a mocha, or an Americano. Guests get them free but the locals have to pay. We’re doing this to raise money for missions and things like that. Not one dime goes to fixing up the place or salaries, or stuff like that.

There were some names being thrown around for the various drinks that would be served and one of them was, The Pentecostal –three shots of espresso! If that don’t getcha rollin’ in the aisles I don’t know what will. The Pastor said you could get a cup of cold water if you wanted. I thought we ought to call that one, The Pharisee. The Pharisees tried to throw cold water on everything Jesus did and said. He wasn’t one of them.

Simon was, unfortunately for him, a self-righteous guy. He lived a blameless life and could stand before God and proclaim his innocence. And unfortunately for him, God isn’t (and wasn’t) impressed with his righteousness – or mine either for that matter. The woman loved Jesus much because He was the Only one in the room who wouldn’t use His foot to kick someone when they were down. The woman’s sins were forgiven because she loved God. Want to get your sins forgiven? Love God. Simon loved himself and his achievements: he loved who he was and how he lived. He didn’t need God because he kept the rules. And the short-circuit to love is rule-keeping.

Lord, loving You is obeying You and obeying You is learning to do what You love and sacrificing what I love. Help me to love much because I need forgiven of much…