How Do We Approach Jesus?
“Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven loves little.”
In Luke 7:36-50, we encounter two characters: Simon the Pharisee and an unnamed, sinful woman. Both had the same access to Jesus, yet their postures toward him were completely different.
Simon invites Jesus into his home for a meal, but he keeps Jesus at a distance. The text tells us that Simon did not offer Jesus water for his feet, a kiss of greeting, nor oil for his head. On the other hand, the sinful woman enters the house uninvited and surrenders to Jesus everything that she has. She washed Jesus’s feet with her tears, dried them with her hair while kissing them, and anointed them with an expensive ointment. She does not say a word, but through her actions, we see what the love of Jesus means to her.
Simon stands upright and confident in himself. The woman kneels low and surrenders herself to him. Simon wants to protect his reputation, but the woman risks hers. She does not care what others think about her. She only cares about Jesus.
As this was happening, Jesus told a parable of two debtors. One debtor owed little and was forgiven, while the other owed much and was forgiven. Simon was so certain in himself, in his moral standing and reputation, that he did not see his debt and need for forgiveness. The woman understood the weight of her sin and, instead of trusting in herself, chose to trust in her Savior. The biggest contrast between them is the awareness of their need for grace and forgiveness.
How do we approach Jesus? Do we try to guard our hearts and minimize our sins? Or do we run to his feet, being confident that his grace is enough to transform and sustain us? Lent invites us to surrender self-righteousness and practice confession and silence as ways of kneeling before Jesus.
God, destroy my pride and soften my heart. Help me experience the fullness of your grace. Amen.
ROMAN KHRIPUNOV
Master of Divinity Student
Tashkent, Uzbekistan