Grace: God's Riches At Christ's Expense

Imagine standing in a room with Jesus at the home of a Pharisee named Simon. The atmosphere is full of anticipation and expectancy as everyone waits to see what Jesus will do as an unnamed woman enters the scene. The woman stained by sin sacrifices something of cost at Jesus' feet to praise and honor the promised Messiah. A Pharisee full of judgment makes assumptions against this woman, not knowing what will come next.

Instead of the punishment and criticism, Simon expects Jesus to give to the woman, Jesus challenges Simons's understanding of forgiveness. Jesus reminds Simon that the Good News of his sacrifice on the cross doesn't draw lines between God and his people but brings everyone closer to the table. Being completely forgiven, the woman now becomes a symbol of the mark of grace: grateful love. This woman knew the freedom she desired couldn't come from anything but the freedom offered by Jesus and his promise.

Simon neglected his role as the host. The woman shows up with grateful love and uses that love to offer deep hospitality to Jesus. Hospitality is not a task to do but the presence we bring to others. The table no longer became a place for a meal to be shared but a space where the woman worshipped Jesus. Simon's judgment clouded his vision of what a time with Jesus could look like where worship cleared the unnamed woman's vision.

Dive Deeper

How do we learn from this story? Jesus calls you to become a receiver of grace and a giver of grace. Jesus invites you to love others, being marked by gratitude and kindness that covers a multitude of sins. How might you shift your table from a place to eat into a place of worship?