October 18
Ultimately, we don’t heal, transform, or create ourselves. We posture ourselves in ways that allow God to heal, transform, and create us.
--Sue Monk Kidd
Scripture focus: One of the Pharisees asked him over for a meal. He went to the Pharisee's house and sat down at the dinner table. Just then a woman of the village, the town harlot, having learned that Jesus was a guest in the home of the Pharisee, came with a bottle of very expensive perfume and stood at his feet, weeping, raining tears on his feet. Letting down her hair, she dried his feet, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfume. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him." Jesus said to him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."
"Oh? Tell me." "Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty. Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker canceled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?" Simon answered, "I suppose the one who was forgiven the most." "That's right," said Jesus. Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, "Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair. You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn't quit kissing my feet. You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume. Impressive, isn't it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal." Then he spoke to her: "I forgive your sins." That set the dinner guests talking behind his back: "Who does he think he is, forgiving sins!" He ignored them and said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace." Luke 7:36-50 The Message
The story of the Pharisee who invited Jesus to dinner and ended up with a harlot at his house is an interesting study in good and bad posture. Here’s what happened. The Pharisee invites Jesus to dinner, but reveals his pride (remember that pride puts us in opposition to God) and arrogance by failing to show Jesus hospitality. Hosts in Jesus’ day did several things as standard practice: they greeted their guests with a kiss, they washed the dust from their sandaled feet, and they offered either incense or roses as a garland for their head. This guy did none of that.
Sue Monk Kidd reminds us that healing, transforming and creating happen as we properly posture ourselves before God.
Who knows why Simon the Pharisee asked Jesus over for a meal? Did he want to study him, ask him tricky questions, seek to dig up enough dirt on him so that he could accuse him of wrongdoing? Could he have been secretly curious about Jesus, in spite of the fact that most of the Pharisees opposed Jesus and saw him as a threat to their own personal kingdoms?
One thing we do know: Simon devalued Jesus by treating him inhospitably. Simon is poorly positioned to receive the healing, transforming and creating of God. How’s your personal posture?
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