Tears

When was the last time you shed tears in the “name” of Jesus Christ? What I mean is on behalf of Christ and His sufferings, have you cried?

When was the last time that reading any of the 4 Gospels did you weep?

Perhaps you have shed tears at church during a particular touching song or testimony………

But when was the last time you cried at His feet? When was the last time you looked into His face and was broken over your sin?

I was reading this story recently and was really captured in a moment of challenge by this woman’s repentant heart. And I asked…………..
When was the last time I shed tears like this woman?

Read it and weep!

Luke 7:36-50 Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is-- that she is a sinner." Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said. "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?" Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said. Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-- for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

What kind of woman are you? One who has it all together and doesn’t have a need for tears? Or one who is a mess and need Jesus to pick up all the pieces and carry them in a basket!!?? A real “basket case”!

I am not trying to sound like an easy believeism here, however, this story depicts one not becoming “clean” before coming to Christ, but one who knew that only coming to Christ would make her clean!!

I have cried a lot in my lifetime. Yet to think of washing the Lord’s feet with my tears………would I have enough?................

She came completely “empty handed”. It does not record that she brought anything to Jesus, but a broken heart & some perfume. But she knew that she was at the feet of the Holy Son of God. As she came into the Presence of The Almighty she bowed her will, her life, her everything at the Savior’s feet. That is how we are to come……………..

Nothing in our “hands”—our lives……..not church attendance, teaching Sunday School, Pastoring, leading, singing in the choir, social work, giving money to the church or poor, driving a church bus, our own goodness etc, etc, etc, whatever is your “righteousness”-- will never impress God……….

He wants a broken and contrite heart…………..how is yours?
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:17