The Kiss Of A Prostitute Series

From that night on, Lynn was a faithful member of that congregation and he and I would often meet to pray together.

Something in that Revival changed his heart and brought him to his knees. Lynn became a man dedicated to God.

But now, of course Lynn wasn’t always that way. He had been at one time what some would call a worldly wise man. At one time he was a government agent, in Viet Nam - part of a special forces militia who had seen more death than a man should have to.

Even when he returned to the United States, he was a dangerous man with dangerous enemies who had tried to kill him on at least one occasion. BUT he could take care of himself.

However, once he came face to face with Jesus… his whole life changed. It humbled him and changed him.

And today he supports several missions and goes on trips throughout US helping to build church buildings. And he always sends a check to whatever church I’m serving because he remembers that his life changed at the congregation I first served.

And now, here stands this woman behind Jesus.

Something breaks within her and the tears begin to flow.

Her tears literally fall on Jesus’ unwashed feet and leave streaks in the dirt and grime Simon has refused to wash away

In her embarrassment she falls to her knees and begins to wipe his feet with her hair. Then she pours perfume from her jar onto his feet. Its aroma fills the room.

And she kisses his feet.

ILLUS: Now, picture this if you will. In order to kiss the feet of Jesus, she’s got to get down on her knees. She has to humble herself even more than she already has. But she doesn’t care! She may have come into the house as a spectator but she realizes there’s something about Jesus that calls for her to honor Him this way.

IV. Now Simon has been watching this little drama unfold.

And I can see him… smile.

“Gotcha… I’ve gotcha Jesus!

This man claims to be a prophet, but He doesn’t even know who this woman is that’s wiping His feet with her hair. He doesn’t know that the perfume she’s poured on Him is part of what she uses in her foul occupation… I’ve got him.”

All Simon has to do to destroy Jesus… is destroy this woman. To expose her for what she is in front of all of his guests.

You know, self-righteousness is an ugly thing. It puts a nasty “aqua colored” film over a person’s eyes and makes it so they can’t see the inner value in other’s souls. Self-righteousness like Simon’s is the type that scorns tears, laughs at repentance, mocks mercy. His is the attitude of the school yard bully that just knows he’s better than you are and he has every intention of reminding you of that.

And I’ve no doubt that as he is watching this woman kneel at Jesus’ feet he’s thinking of some sharp, ugly comment to make that would embarrass this woman, and Jesus with her.

Jesus can handle insults against his own character.

But He’s not about to put up with an arrogant attack on this woman’s sorrow.

With the precision of a surgeon Jesus proceeds to cut Simon to his heart and reveal the hypocrisy that lay within.