The Invisible People

THE INVISIBLE PEOPLE

Opening Song # 21 Scripture Reading Jh. 14: 1-4

Closing Song # 506

It is told by the Doctor Luke in chapter 7 and verse 36 of His gospel that one of the Pharisees whose name was later known to be Simon, invited Jesus to eat with him.

This may seem a strange occurrence to some, but it occurred at sometime before there was outright hostility to Jesus by this sect. Jesus as his manner was graciously accepted this invitation and so it was that Jesus found himself in the company of the elite of the land eating bread.

It was at this time that a woman is introduced into the scene: Let us go to luke 7: 36 , 37.

[Luke 7:36-37 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.

37. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that [Jesus] sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind [him] weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe [them] with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed [them] with the ointment.

This woman’s only description is that she was a sinner. Whether she was beautiful, tall, short intelligent or stupid was never given. Whether she was married or had children; we cannot tell. She was just a woman. She had come into the house like a phantom and found herself at the feet of Jesus. No one noticed her. No one paid attention to her. She was one of the invisible people until she opened her alabaster flask. Immediately all eyes were fixed on the source of this wonderful scent.

Luke 7: 38

And stood at his feet behind [him] weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe [them] with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed [them] with the ointment.

What Luke failed to do regarding her physical attributes he made up by describing her actions. This woman washed the feet of Jesus with her tears

wiped them with hair,

kissed his feet with her lips

and anointed them with her ointment.

Come on, who would catch any of us kissing someone’s feet. This woman’s devotion was complete.

All the pharisee could see was a sinner but Jesus saw a soul. Her whole existence was defined by the pharisees in one word- “Sinner.”

But Jesus saw a person!

A person who was capable of feeling

A person capable of loving deeply and

A person who appreciated the good that Jesus had done for her.

To the pharisees her opinion and her thoughts was of no consequence but to Jesus they meant everything. He weighed in on it in while rebuking Simon the pharisee: Lk. 7: 44-48

44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

To the pharisee this woman did not matter in the grand scheme of things.

Her existence was not essential.

She was of no consequence.

But to Jesus she was a soul worth saving.

To the pharisee she was invisible but to Jesus she was a person.

How many invisible people do you know?

They are everywhere.

At work;

At church;

In our communities;

In our schools.

The maids in our offices

The janitors in our schools

The poor in our communities

The children and youth in our homes and churches

The quiet person who sits in our pews and says little.

They are there and yet they are not. They could disappear and we would not be aware of their absence. We do not know their names; their addresses; their families. They opinions and thoughts are not sought after or required. They are the invisible people.

Jesus was a master at making invisible people visible.

The woman came to the well in the middle of the day.

She was one of the invisible people.

She wanted to avoid the crowd.

They made her feel so insignificant;

They made her feel so alone and hopeless.