A sinful woman in the town learned that Jesus was at the Pharisees’ home(Luke 7:36-50). She went to see Jesus at the Pharisee’s home. A sinner who persists or continues in sin tries to hide from God. But in this context, we see a sinful woman who comes to see God. This indicates that the sinful woman is not engaging or continuing in sin. The sin no longer has control or power over the sinner. So, the woman is a sinner who has repented. Before coming to Jesus, she might have repented of all her past sins. She may have experienced genuine repentance.
Repentance – is not only repenting of ours sins but after repentance we need to come and see Jesus. True repentance embarks a journey to seek the face of Jesus.
The sinful woman started this journey. She wanted to see Jesus. When she found out that Jesus was at the Pharisees house, she bought an alabaster jar of fragrant oil and went to the Pharisees’ home.
After genuine repentance, there will be stronger yearning to see Jesus. The sinful women left her home, disregarded all the rules, and went without permission to a Pharisee’s home to see Jesus. A woman with no social standing visited Pharisees’ home. The love and desire to see Jesus made her forget the past life and wanted to see a future with Jesus (in God’s plans).
The Bible refers to her as a sinful woman. Although we are unsure of the woman’s sinful life, we do know that she broke either the law of God or the law of the land. Jesus did not stop her from washing or kissing His feet. Jesus did not tell her to stop sinning or mention anything about sin. She might have found repentance before coming to see Jesus at the Pharisee’s house.
The sinful woman put herself in a place of shame at the Pharisees’ home. When the woman was wiping Jesus’ feet, the pharisees reminded Jesus of her sinful life.
The woman displayed repentance by works or actions rather than only by words.
We claim to repent, but then we return to our old ways or sins. This woman made a decision to repent, put her past behind her, and went to see Jesus. Even though she might be accused by society despite she went to see Jesus.
Today when you repent, is there a growing desire to see Jesus?
When you repent of your sins, if there is no desire see to Jesus, you might fall back into the same sins. Be careful.
When the woman went to see and meet Jesus, she got an answer for her sins and repentance from Jesus – “Your sins are forgiven”.
Like this woman, after you repent, go to Jesus today and get a confirmation of repentance for your sins from him.
Repentance is not only acknowledging your sins before God and turning away from them but also turning or leaning towards Jesus. By repenting our sins, Jesus will set us free those sins. After you repent, a void or vacuum will be left in your heart. Sins no longer have the space in your heart that they once had. Since your heart is empty now, Holy Spirit fills your empty heart with a yearning to see and love Jesus. We must accept the invitation of the Holy Spirit to seek Jesus. Seeking Jesus is an unending journey. When we seek Jesus, we discover His numerous facets, including his knowledge, love, and kindness. On our quest to see Jesus, we must fill the void in our hearts with the love, wisdom, and mercies of Jesus we have encountered along the way. We need to fill our heart vacuum with the love, knowledge, and mercies of Jesus found along the journey to seek Jesus.
The sinful woman set out on this quest to see Jesus, and she discovered many natures and attributes of Jesus along the way. All these natures and attributes of Jesus occupied her heart, and she became the lover of Jesus.
Today is your desire to be a lover of Jesus?
True repentance creates a profound need to see Jesus, points you in the direction of seeking Jesus, and makes you to overcome all social and societal hurdles until we finally see Jesus. True repentance sets you in the journey to see and love Jesus.
