Do you see this woman

14 January, 2011

Read Luke 7:36-50

Luke 7:44
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? …”

No – Simon sees an invited guest, an unwelcomed intruder to an upper class dinner. He sees the woman’s hair undone in a public place, which in Jesus’ time is an embarrassment. He sees a kind of woman – the kind that is shunned by society, ridiculed by the ‘proper’ people and pointed at by mothers and fathers as the shameless.

Jesus sees a woman, made in the image of God. Jesus sees her tears of repentance. Her hair wiping his feet is an individual’s ultimate brokenness seeking forgiveness. Jesus smells the perfume of a true worshipper who recognises who he really is – the Messiah who has come to pardon her sin. Jesus sees a daughter of the most High who understands the reason for his coming and dying. Jesus sees the woman.

The woman has eyes only on Jesus. She sees the face of the Messiah, the One whom she needs. She hears the voice of a Saviour from whom she can obtain pardon. She gets near. She sees the Saviour’s feet dirtied by the road he has been travelling on; the precious feet of a God who has come down. She sees the compassion and love of a Messiah who sees her for her – a woman, a daughter. Period.

How often do we see people through our self-righteous attitude? How often do we act like God but having only missed the truth – that our God is full of compassion, forgiveness and grace?

How often do we see others as needing forgiveness but miss the fact that we are in need of forgiveness too? We are no 'less sinner'. We are sinners. Period.

How often do we pretend not to see the woman /man in need?

“Do you see this woman?” Jesus still asks His church today.