Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
Luke 7:50 (emphasis added)

When the Son of God tells you to go in peace, that’s about as no fear as you can get. It is the Greek word ‘Eirene’ (i-ray’-nay) meaning harmony, concord, security, safety, prosperity, and felicity. It is closely related to the Hebrew word ‘Shalom’ which can be boiled down to wholeness or completeness, nothing missing and nothing broken. If Jesus is telling you this is what you can walk in, then fear will definitely not be beside you. Naturally, we should be interested in how this woman got this blessing of peace. Jesus tells us. Her faith saved her. She got peace by faith in Jesus, in the Lord God Almighty. Seems pretty easy. I mean, how many of us are believers and still have fear in our lives. We disseminate it into many different aspects, but at the core it is thoughts motivated by fear. An acceptance of the curse of the Law. This woman believed. We believe. What is the difference?

This woman. Who was she? Here in Luke 7:36-50, she is unnamed but known in the community. She is known as a sinner. Many people over the years have assumed that it was some kind of sexual sin, perhaps prostitution. If you look at the text, there is no proof or implication of this. Only that she was known to be a sinner, perhaps infamously. There are a LOT of things that could cover – especially in Israel. Jewish life revolved around the Torah and keeping its statutes. Was she rebellious toward her parents? A drunk? A liar? A cheat? Did she kill someone? Was she refusing to conform to the patterns of life by having a terrible home, unruly children, and being disrespectful to her elders or her husband? We don’t know, but any of those could get you a reputation. She might have violated the Sabbath and been cast out of the synagogue. The fear of being cast out was huge. We just don’t know, so don’t make ANY assumptions. She was a sinner. We were too once. We’re on an even footing.

Of course some think she is Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. That is because there is an account in John 12:1-11 that seems to mirror this account in Luke. Jesus is at a dinner. Mary anoints His feet with an expensive ointment. She wipes His feet with her hair. But at this dinner, Lazarus is there and Martha serves. In Luke, Jesus is invited to the home of a pharisee and is not treated well. He isn’t greeted with politeness. He isn’t treated with care. It doesn’t seem the kind of treatment He would receive at a home in which Martha was serving. Personally, I agree with the commentators who believe that it was two separate occasions. One of the big things I hang that on is John 12:10 where it says that the chief priests conspired to kill Lazarus as well as Jesus (the Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection and having a man raised from the dead walking around was hard to dispute). Since Lazarus was at the dinner with Jesus in John and a pharisee at the dinner in Luke, I think it unlikely they are the same event. Not saying they can’t be, but I don’t think so. Also, Mary was hardly a well-known sinner. You think we’d have heard about it before this dinner. Regardless of who she is, it is the behaviour of the woman in Luke that we’re concerned with.

She starts out standing behind Jesus. This isn’t unusual. Spectators often came to these dinners to hear the conversation and teaching of the Rabbis. They weren’t invited to eat, they just stood around watching and listening. It’s how Pharisees got to so many of the places where Jesus was relaxing with His friends. So there she was, hanging out. Jesus was at the table, reclined with His feet behind Him. This was also common. First, they reclined at all their meals as chairs were not in use at mealtimes. Second, putting your feet behind you keeps them well away from the food. It was a culture of walking, not riding or driving. They wore open-toe sandals. The roads were made of dirt. Your feet were often dirty and smelly. If you had a bad host, your feet wouldn’t be washed by a servant when you arrived (as is the case here), so keeping them away from the faces and places of your friends was being polite. As the invited guests sat around the table, they talked. The woman – and the rest of the spectators – listened. We have no idea what was said.

But in verse 38 it says that she began weeping. She was weeping so hard, she wet his feet with her tears. I’ve never tested it, but I imagine you’d need more than a few drops to wet someone’s feet. It also says that she wiped them with the hair of her head – implying drying off of the feet which were now cleaner than when He had arrived at the table. In fact, she kissed them afterwards. Now this isn’t sensual kissing. This is respect. This is honest ‘I am not worthy’ kisses. Kisses were common in the culture. Greetings included kissing. They could also serve as respectful symbols to one of higher status. Disciples and pupils commonly kissed teachers, often on the head but it could be an affectionate mouth smooch – again, non-sexual. But one who wanted to show extreme honour to a teacher kissed his feet. And here this woman is, cleaning Jesus’ feet and then kissing His feet.

Our woman has deep respect for Jesus. She shows Him extreme devotion. She extends to Him courtesy and respect. And then she anoints Him. He rubs the ointment on His feet. Anointing someone was often a sign of hospitality. It could be part of routine grooming. It was often used as medicine, anointing the sick and injured. Bodies were anointed before burial. It had a place in religious rituals. It was not something done lightly. Especially not with expensive stuff. We don’t know how much this oil cost. The stuff Mary used in John was very expensive and it doesn’t mention alabaster jars. This perfume in Luke was in an alabaster jar. Alabaster was a one-time use vessel. It usually contained expensive ointment or perfume. You got at it by breaking the seal at the top. Young girls were given a box of perfume when they reached the marriage age. It was a type of dowry. When she married, she would give it to her husband as a sign of devotion. Since it was a burial anointing oil, it was a way of saying that she was committed to him until death parted them, when the surviving partner would anoint the other.

Whether this woman was married or not, this gift was a significant thing. With all her actions she was declaring her utmost respect for Jesus. And it all started with tears. She was broken before Him. She humbled herself to Him. She didn’t let where she was or who was looking on stop her. She responded to what was in her heart and held nothing back. She gave her whole self. Dedicating to Jesus her life right up until death. Symbolically anointing Him with her burial flask, she is giving her all. It is that broken commitment that Jesus responds to. That heartfelt expression of faith.

This is why she got a blessing and walked out of that room in total peace. This is salvation. Why aren’t we all walking in peace? Why haven’t we all received this blessing from Jesus? Because we are not broken before Him. “Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit” (Psalm 34:18). “For the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, says: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isaiah 57:15). “For you don’t delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it. You have no pleasure in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. O God, you will not despise a broken and contrite heart” (Psalm 51:16-17). “Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble”” (James 4:5-6).

The proud and the haughty don’t get very far in the Kingdom of God. We’re called to be servants. Not to shove forward to the front of the pack, but willing to wait on the Lord and see where He is putting us. Not to be a lover of opinion, but always ready to do what is right quietly with conviction. It is the crucifixion of ourselves daily in all circumstances. It takes practice. It takes guidance from the Holy Spirit. It is the journey of sanctification that we are all on together. Have patience for one another. Don’t judge them for where they are. You may have mastered driving under the speed limit but struggle with cussing. The Lord is gracious and merciful to us (1 John 1:9). But we need to be aware that it is not us doing anything, but Christ in us. Dying to self, we’re resurrected into Jesus. It is Jesus who accomplishes everything, not us. “Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there my servant will also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him” (John 14:24-26).

Lord, may we all be like this woman. Unafraid of what people say about us. Broken before You, may we worship You and give You all we have. Use us and renew us, Lord, through Your Word. We thank you for what You did for us. What You’ve made available to us. Thank you that in You we have everything we could ever need or want. That we can be producers of Your fruit by You, through You, in You, and for You. Amen.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: Numbers 19:15

Have you ever tried to tuck in a child who doesn’t want to be tucked? It’s the dead of winter and they have chosen their thinnest, breeziest, lightest jammies. You’re trying to get a blanket on them so that they won’t feel freezing in the middle of the night and they’re squirming, kicking, and refusing the help. All you want is the best for them. All they want is what they feel in the moment. The Lord tells us we are vessels. He wants to fill us, but we need a secure cover. He doesn’t want just anything dropping in. We need to stay pure on the inside by making sure that we are not diluting the Word of God. That we are taking in clear teaching. That we are meditating on His truth. That we are guarding our eyes, ears, and mouths so that we aren’t being filled with anything that comes along. Let the Spirit fasten you. Batten you down. Secure the lid of your heart so only things of intent get in there. And then make sure you’re feeding on the Word and not the junk that passes by. Don’t keep an open mind, keep a guarded mind. Test everything. Hold fast the good and toss the rest (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Stay pure where it counts.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.