Broken

She has come with a heavy heart. Holding an alabaster box with a precious perfume in her hands, she walked into the room where men of high statuses were having a meal together. With each step she took, her head lowered down with shame. Judging eyes were gazing at her as she stooped down at the feet of the man to whom she was ready to denude herself of all her guilt and immoralities. 

In her contrition, she washed the man’s feet with her own tears. Crushed by humiliation and disgrace, she wiped his feet with her own hair. Her lips used for seduction and deceit lavished his feet with kisses. Her hands that wrought abomination anointed his feet with precious perfume.  

It was her open display of total repentance. She was unequivocally surrendering all her sins to Jesus. 

Labeled as a sinner all over her entire body, this woman recognized the saving grace in Jesus Christ alone. She wanted that salvation in her life. She had to go and see the Lord Jesus. Aware of being subjected to the criticisms of censorious, self-righteous men, it didn’t stop her to find her way at Jesus' feet. 

When was the last time we look at our sinful condition?

It’s very easy to adapt comfortably to a godless lifestyle. Instead of dealing with sin, many Christians corrupted their lives and lost consciousness of the high price Jesus had to pay for our sins on Calvary. But this woman wept when she saw her sinful condition before the Lord. 

Would you come to the Lord anguished because of the iniquities in your heart?

How many of us are like the Pharisees in that room, who will only see the faults of others and hypocritically claim themselves to be outwardly righteous. Appearing higher and nobler than her, none of them who were eating with Jesus acknowledged the transgressions on them. They were so bothered by the unworthiness of the woman's presence, and yet in their heart, there was no repentance at all. 

Though abhorred, this woman had her focus only on Jesus. There was a conviction in her heart that in Jesus, there's forgiveness. There is that hope of the renewal of heart. Only through the power of Jesus Christ to forgive sin can she have the freedom from the bondage of sins.  

King David also well understood that God forgives sinners with a broken spirit. In his prayer of confession to God, King David poured out his heart admitting his blood-guiltiness:

           For thou desirest not sacrifice;

           else would I give it:

          Thou delightest not in burnt offering.

         The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:

         a broken and a contrite heart,

        O God, thou wilt not despise. (qtd. in Psalm 51:16&17) 

Only those who repent will experience the infinite mercy of God’s forgiveness. Only those who are broken in spirit will understand how immeasurable the love of God is, that it can blot out all transgressions. Only those who are forgiven can have the joy of Christ's salvation. 

This woman with an alabaster box laid down her all at Jesus’ feet and was set free from the guilt of her sins. With a broken heart, Jesus has made her whole.  

What about our hearts right now? 

Reference

-Luke 7:36-50