Luke says that a Pharisee—a man named Simon—invited Jesus to his home and share a meal. Matthew, in his parallel record of this event, tells us that Simon had been stricken with leprosy, but Jesus healed him. And as a gesture of his appreciation, Simon brought Jesus to his home.
During dinner an unnamed woman came to Jesus and anointed Him with an expensive perfume. She placed herself at His feet; she wet His feet with the tears from her eyes; she dried them with the hair on her head; she anointed them with the perfume. It was an act of love and adoration.
But Jesus’ response to her act troubled Simon and the others. Even some of Jesus’ disciples were concerned. John records that Judas Iscariot asked, “Lord, why wasn’t this perfume sold, and the money given to the poor?” But John adds that Judas’ concern wasn’t really for the poor, but was for himself.
This woman was not trying to cause a scene, but she needed something that Jesus alone could give her. She didn’t care what it took; she didn’t care what kind of criticism she exposed herself to, she decided she wanted to get better. And to do that she needed to come to Jesus.
We will not get better until we decide that we’re going to leave everything behind and come to Jesus. Many won’t come to Jesus because they’re too wrapped up in other things—economic things, social things, personal drama, etc. There’s a place in our lives for all of that, but sometimes we must leave all that behind to see Jesus.
To get better, we must be willing to make a change—give up old habits, break away from the old crowd, give up the old lifestyle—and we need to be sure that we’re seeking Jesus. We can know that we have a need, we can be willing to make a change, but nothing is going to happen unless we seek the right One. No matter what else this woman did, the only reason why it turned out right was that she came to the right One.
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