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Tha “Sinner”—Episode IV

Yeah, we back at the Gospel of Luke, chapter 7, versez 37-38, ill peepin’ how God engages wit sinners, specifically in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, God’z Messiah. We already peeped how a women who may have been tha town “ho’ crashed a party of “righteous” Phariseez just to come to Jesus. She knew who she wuz, how she been livin, an’ came to Jesus—to God—in an str8 up, no frontin’ way, ill sorry an’ heartsick ‘bout tha whole drama of her life. Check it:

“…she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears.

Now, she don’t stop there:

Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.”

Yo, dis lady humbled herself B 4 Jesus ‘bout az low az any peep could humble theyselvez back in her day. First, she wet his feet wit her tears, an’ tha sense o tha text seems to be dat she did it intentionally. She did it, cuz she was gonna wash Jesus’ feet.

Now, in Jesus’ day, slaves or lowly servants washed they master’s feet when they came home afta a hard day at tha forum, market place or synagogue, cuz mos well-to-do katz wore sandals. Dat meant that at tha end of a buzy day, a katz feet got mighty dusty an’ dirty, fa real. So, U can imagine dat washin’ even a noble’s feet wuzn’t high on any slave’z agenda!

So, by washin’ Jesus feet, dis lady chose to take on a task reserved for the lowliest of servants. But, dat not all. She placed herself below even the lowest slave by washin’ Jesus’ feet with her tearz--tears of shame, tears of sorrow for her sin, tears of repentance (repentance bein’ a decisive change of mind dat leadz to decisive change of behavior)—an’ then she wiped Jesus dusty dirty feet wit her…hair.

But it don’t stop even therre.

Next, tha lady kisses Jesus’ feet. Now U an’ I know dat washin’ even Jesus’ feet wit tears an’ dryin’ ‘em wit her hair, ain’t nothin’ like a servant bringin’ a big bowl of warm water an ‘plenty of towels, etc. Her tear-based/hair wiping foot cleanin’ “system” wuz prolly mo symbolic than actually effective. Yet, she lowers herself still further, an’ kisses Jesus’ feet, in guileless, abject humility. God got her wide open ‘bout her life, an’ she knowz it an’ ill feels it.

But, dat still ain’t all.

In an act of selfless adoration an’ respect, this spiritually bankrupt lady anoints Jesus’ feet wit an alabaster jar full of perfume. Yo, an’ it prolly wuzn’t any cheap junk, either, but a real “designer fragarance” that may have cost a year’s wages in those days!* So, in a Real way, she wuz givin’ it ALL up to God—her cheddar, her tears, her pride, an’ her broken, sin-bankrupt heart.

Now, ain’t it interestin’, Real interestin’ dat Jesus allowed, permitted dis “ho” minister to Him. Yo, even if she didn’t quite grasp dat Jesus wuz God-in-tha-Flesh, the fact remainz dat she wuz allowed to intimately, reverently, repentantly touched and engaged wit God—to interact wit God Himself--witout getting smoked by His Holiness.

One reason may be dat clothed in human flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ, God—even an infinitely Holy God—could contact an’ interact wit sinful humanity witout them getting’ incinerated by His Awesome Holiness.

But, a more meaningful reason—meaningful to me, anyway—may be that this lady came to God wit nothing in her hand to justify who she was an’ how she had lived. She came to God, broken, sorrowful, humble, an’ open to change. An’ Jesus Christ, God the Son Himself, spitz:

“I have not called the “righteous” but sinners to repentance.”

Unlike the katz who thought theyselvez “righteous”—tha Phariseez dat Jesus wuz chillin’wit-- who also felt this lady wuz madd repulsive, Jesus accepts this lady an’ allows her to touch an’ serve him in a humbling, but poignantly Real manner. She came to Him, cuz she knew He would in no way cast her out.

Likewize, fam, if we come to Jesus, humbly an’ contrite like dis lady did, seeking the Forgiveness dat only God can grant, Jesus will accept and forgive us too—jus like He did this lady--no matter how black our life has been. Instead of a year’s wages in perfume, we can have an enjoy complete forgiveness of ALL our sins free of charge, cuz Jesus paid the price of ALL our sins with His sacrificial death-in-our-place on the cross.

Yo, confess y’allz sins an’ claim your share in Jesus’ Awesome Sacrifice. Rely on Him to get U to Heaven safely. He’s waiting for you…

Yo, I’m out. Episode V next week.

Paz.

~1~

sun
John 3:30

*Bock, Darrell L., 1994, Luke, The Intervarsity Press New Testament Commentary Series.

Whoever.

Yo, I’m out. Episode IV next week.

Paz.

~1~

sun
John 3:30