“If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out?”
Luke 11:18-19 (NIV)
Jesus had driven a demon that could not speak out of a man. The man, now free, began to speak and the crowd was amazed, but not everyone. Some accused Jesus of driving out demons by the power of a more powerful demon identified as Beelzebub, the prince of demons. Still others demanded a sign from heaven. In my opinion Heaven and Hell don’t usually mix well.
Jesus, as usual, calls them out on their lack of understanding. First He tells them, “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall” (Luke 11:17). Then here comes His questions. The first question is how can Satan’s kingdom stand if Satan is divided against himself? Satan, you would assume, would be piling on the demons rather than driving them out. Then Jesus asks the bigger question (in my opinion). Jesus looks the skeptics and accusers straight in the eyes and asks, “If I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out?” The response? Crickets.
I remember a time when I was young. I overheard some grown-ups talking about how there was a possibility that the United States could fall, without a shot fired or a war being fought. Those grown-ups said our nation could fall because of division from within. From the people being divided rather than unified, and that the division would lead to people not holding the government accountable for its actions.
Jesus prayed that His people would be one. That their unity and how they lived because of Jesus, would point others to the grace of God. In fact, in John we read: “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:22-23). Satan’s kingdom is falling and the Kingdom of God is advancing, growing quickly in some parts of our world and slowly in other parts, but growing and drawing closer every day
God’s kingdom is a kingdom founded on love, mercy and grace. It is a kingdom built on unity with the King and the people of the kingdom. It is a Kingdom where God’s justice and peace take precedence. Remember Jesus came to set the captives free, to bring healing to those who needed healing, to make sure those on the fringes were cared for, and to ultimately make everything new.
Can the division we see in our nation bring about the fall of the nation? Perhaps. I am certain, however, that the arrival of The Kingdom in all its glorious perfection will bring about the fall of every earthly kingdom.
The question is, will we allow ourselves to be caught in the trap of division or will we stand on the rock who is Jesus and the unity He brings. I want to encourage you to stand strong in the faith, to be an obedient citizen of the Kingdom that is both here now and still coming, to love God and love others. Find common ground with those around you and remember we are all made in His image.
Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – will you work toward unity?
Monday, August 31, 2026
Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Like A Good Neighbor - Part Two
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
Luke 10:36 (NIV)
Previously, on Something Special For You – Questions Jesus Asked. An expert in the law asked a question to test Jesus. Jesus responded with a question of His own, which the guys gets right. But, he couldn’t just leave it at that. I closed with the thought that Jesus doesn’t mind our questions if we come to Him with sincere heart, truly wanting His answer, will result in us being lifted up, encouraged and ready (sort of) for whatever comes next. Which brings this expert in the law’s next question and Jesus’ story response.
The expert in the law, scripture says, “wanted to justify himself, so he asks a follow up question. I don’t know what he was expecting, but he gets a story with a twist. Jesus starts: A man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho (a good days walk), along the way the man was attacked by robbers – he was stripped of his clothes, beaten and left for dead. Lucky for the man it seems like it may have been a busy route between the two cities. First, a priest going that way see’s the man lying in a heap on the grounds. The priest crosses the road and keeps going. Next, a Levite approached the scene of the crime, he too crosses the road and keeps going when he sees the beaten man. Then a Samaritan, comes upon the man. He goes to the man provides some first aid, puts him on his donkey and takes him with him. When they arrive at a place of lodging, he takes care of the man overnight. When he needs to continue his journey he asks the inn keeper to take care of the man, give him some money for that assistance and tells when I stop in on the way home, if you need more money for taking care of the man, I’ll pay you – The End. Then Jesus asks the expert in the law a final question, so of the three men who saw the man, half dead on the ground, who do you think was a neighbor to the injured man? To which our expert can only answer, “The one who had mercy on him” (Luke 10:37a). Which of course is the correct answer, so Jesus tell him again, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37b).
Jesus, makes just a random guy the focus of the story. But then he clearly identifies, the three men who find the man along the road – a priest, a Levite and a Samaritan. The first two guys, among the religious elite. Neither of these guys help they cross the road and keep going. Were they afraid the robbers may still be around? Did they not want to risk becoming ceremonially unclean? But then Jesus makes a Samaritan the hero of the story. I can imagine the look on the Law guys face when Jesus asks the last question. I wonder if he went away and did as Jesus told him or if he went away mad and embarrassed.
I suspect almost everyone reading this knows the story of the Good Samaritan. Jesus doesn’t Identify the man who was beaten, I think because it doesn’t matter, we aren’t just to be neighbors to certain people but to everyone we come in contact with. I do often wonder, if the man had been a priest or a Levite, would the priest and Levite still have crossed the road and left him or would they have helped because he was one of their own.
What about you, if you were attacked in the night and someone different from you offered help, would you send them away and lie there wounded and bleeding until someone like you turned up to help. Or what if you came upon someone the street in of help – would you sacrifice your time to help, would you pay for lodging for someone in need, what about paying a medical bill for a stranger? Jesus makes it clear everyone is meant to be a neighbor. Those who are broken, those who are different, those who need Jesus, those who look at the world differently than we do. So we should good neighbors, that look like Jesus.
Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – who will you be a neighbor to, who will you look like Jesus to?
Luke 10:36 (NIV)
Previously, on Something Special For You – Questions Jesus Asked. An expert in the law asked a question to test Jesus. Jesus responded with a question of His own, which the guys gets right. But, he couldn’t just leave it at that. I closed with the thought that Jesus doesn’t mind our questions if we come to Him with sincere heart, truly wanting His answer, will result in us being lifted up, encouraged and ready (sort of) for whatever comes next. Which brings this expert in the law’s next question and Jesus’ story response.
The expert in the law, scripture says, “wanted to justify himself, so he asks a follow up question. I don’t know what he was expecting, but he gets a story with a twist. Jesus starts: A man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho (a good days walk), along the way the man was attacked by robbers – he was stripped of his clothes, beaten and left for dead. Lucky for the man it seems like it may have been a busy route between the two cities. First, a priest going that way see’s the man lying in a heap on the grounds. The priest crosses the road and keeps going. Next, a Levite approached the scene of the crime, he too crosses the road and keeps going when he sees the beaten man. Then a Samaritan, comes upon the man. He goes to the man provides some first aid, puts him on his donkey and takes him with him. When they arrive at a place of lodging, he takes care of the man overnight. When he needs to continue his journey he asks the inn keeper to take care of the man, give him some money for that assistance and tells when I stop in on the way home, if you need more money for taking care of the man, I’ll pay you – The End. Then Jesus asks the expert in the law a final question, so of the three men who saw the man, half dead on the ground, who do you think was a neighbor to the injured man? To which our expert can only answer, “The one who had mercy on him” (Luke 10:37a). Which of course is the correct answer, so Jesus tell him again, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37b).
Jesus, makes just a random guy the focus of the story. But then he clearly identifies, the three men who find the man along the road – a priest, a Levite and a Samaritan. The first two guys, among the religious elite. Neither of these guys help they cross the road and keep going. Were they afraid the robbers may still be around? Did they not want to risk becoming ceremonially unclean? But then Jesus makes a Samaritan the hero of the story. I can imagine the look on the Law guys face when Jesus asks the last question. I wonder if he went away and did as Jesus told him or if he went away mad and embarrassed.
I suspect almost everyone reading this knows the story of the Good Samaritan. Jesus doesn’t Identify the man who was beaten, I think because it doesn’t matter, we aren’t just to be neighbors to certain people but to everyone we come in contact with. I do often wonder, if the man had been a priest or a Levite, would the priest and Levite still have crossed the road and left him or would they have helped because he was one of their own.
What about you, if you were attacked in the night and someone different from you offered help, would you send them away and lie there wounded and bleeding until someone like you turned up to help. Or what if you came upon someone the street in of help – would you sacrifice your time to help, would you pay for lodging for someone in need, what about paying a medical bill for a stranger? Jesus makes it clear everyone is meant to be a neighbor. Those who are broken, those who are different, those who need Jesus, those who look at the world differently than we do. So we should good neighbors, that look like Jesus.
Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – who will you be a neighbor to, who will you look like Jesus to?
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Like A Good Neighbor - Part One
“What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”
Luke 10:26 (NIV)
Yes, the State Farm insurance jingle is running around my head – you all know the one “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” The other thought running through my mind is “here we go again.” But nonetheless here we are, an “expert” in the law stands up to test Jesus, again with a question. You would think these guys would figure out that it's not a good idea to ask Jesus a question without a pure motive, cause it ain’t gonna end well otherwise.
As we have seen, Jesus rarely answers a question directly. He does however, quite often respond with a question or two of His own. Sometimes Jesus responds with a story. Either way if their motives weren’t on the up and up, they were going to be walking away mad or embarrassed and quite possibly both. That’s the situation we find ourselves in this two-part mini-series within the series. This week Jesus answers a question with a question and next week, Jesus answers a follow up question with a story.
So, this guy identified as an expert in the law tries to test Jesus with a question. He asks Jesus, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life (Luke 10:25)? To which Jesus responds with this week’s questions. Basically, Jesus is like, “Hmm I don’t know, what does the law say? How do you read the law on that matter? The gentleman answers correctly, when he responds “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). Jesus commends him, saying “You have answered correctly, do this and you will live” (Luke 10:28). You would think that this guy would quit while he was ahead, but no, the test continues. We’ll leave that for next week.
I don’t want you to misunderstand, Jesus doesn’t mind when we ask him questions, if they come from the place of a sincere heart and mind, looking for His answer – not the answer we want and that can be hard, because life can be hard to understand. We like it when all the pieces fit together the way we want them too. Sometimes we ask for direction and he tells us to wait. Sometimes we ask why and He tells us it’s to help us trust Him more. Sometimes we ask a question and He is silent, but then someone turns up or something happens and we have our answer. So ask away, not looking to test Him or to get Him to agree with what you think the answer should be. Ask because you want to know Him better, you want to look more like Him, you want to be a good neighbor. Those questions will get His answer in His timing and by His method and you will walk away lifted up, encouraged and ready (sort of) for whatever comes next.
Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – ask questions that will make you a good neighbor.
Luke 10:26 (NIV)
Yes, the State Farm insurance jingle is running around my head – you all know the one “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” The other thought running through my mind is “here we go again.” But nonetheless here we are, an “expert” in the law stands up to test Jesus, again with a question. You would think these guys would figure out that it's not a good idea to ask Jesus a question without a pure motive, cause it ain’t gonna end well otherwise.
As we have seen, Jesus rarely answers a question directly. He does however, quite often respond with a question or two of His own. Sometimes Jesus responds with a story. Either way if their motives weren’t on the up and up, they were going to be walking away mad or embarrassed and quite possibly both. That’s the situation we find ourselves in this two-part mini-series within the series. This week Jesus answers a question with a question and next week, Jesus answers a follow up question with a story.
So, this guy identified as an expert in the law tries to test Jesus with a question. He asks Jesus, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life (Luke 10:25)? To which Jesus responds with this week’s questions. Basically, Jesus is like, “Hmm I don’t know, what does the law say? How do you read the law on that matter? The gentleman answers correctly, when he responds “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). Jesus commends him, saying “You have answered correctly, do this and you will live” (Luke 10:28). You would think that this guy would quit while he was ahead, but no, the test continues. We’ll leave that for next week.
I don’t want you to misunderstand, Jesus doesn’t mind when we ask him questions, if they come from the place of a sincere heart and mind, looking for His answer – not the answer we want and that can be hard, because life can be hard to understand. We like it when all the pieces fit together the way we want them too. Sometimes we ask for direction and he tells us to wait. Sometimes we ask why and He tells us it’s to help us trust Him more. Sometimes we ask a question and He is silent, but then someone turns up or something happens and we have our answer. So ask away, not looking to test Him or to get Him to agree with what you think the answer should be. Ask because you want to know Him better, you want to look more like Him, you want to be a good neighbor. Those questions will get His answer in His timing and by His method and you will walk away lifted up, encouraged and ready (sort of) for whatever comes next.
Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – ask questions that will make you a good neighbor.
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Desperate Outcast Meets Barrier Breaker
“Who touched me?”
Luke 6:46 (NIV)
Sometimes, finding a fresh perspective on a well passage of scripture can be difficult because we see things based on the most common or easiest to see themes. After looking at the events that were taking place when the question of the week was asked, I found a perspective that I haven’t heard taught every often, so let’s get into it.
Jesus and the guys had returned from the region of the Gerasenes – you know the place where the Legion of demons were sent into a herd of pigs. They are met by a crowd who have been waiting for his return. In the midst of this crowd a synagogue leader by the name of Jairus arrives, falling at Jesus’ feet pleading for Jesus to come and heal his twelve-year-old daughter. As Jesus and the guys headed that way, the crowd was pressing in on Jesus (the NIV says the crowd was almost crushing him - Luke 8:42). Into this crushing wave of people, enters a woman. A woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. A woman who would be considered unclean. A woman who would have been cut off from worship and community. A woman who had mustered enough courage to enter the crowd in the hopes of just touching the edge of His cloak. A woman who didn’t want to make a scene or to cause Jesus to become unclean.
A woman who finds success in her mission. Oh the questions! Had she been an outcast for so long that nobody knew her? How did she manage to get through the crowd without touching anyone else? Did she have some divine help in getting to Jesus? Did no one see her touch Jesus?
Jesus felt the healing power go out, so he knew it wasn’t just an ordinary jostling of the crowd. His guys are like are you kidding us, look at all these people touching you as we go. Everyone around Him denied having touched him, at least on purpose. Yet Jesus is looking for the one who did. When I imagine what this scene, at this moment, looks like – I see the crowd part and Jesus sees and the woman sees Jesus and falls at his feet. This woman pours out the truth of the matter. He calls her daughter. The barrier that had kept her from community had been broken by Jesus.
I know some of you are thinking, but this whole story is about faith and healing. You are not wrong in that. Jairus, a respected man, believed that even with the coming of the worst news, that there was still hope. Yes, the woman’s faith helped give her the courage to seek the Master for healing. Yes, both Jairus and the woman got what they had come for. But, the woman got more – the woman got welcomed back into the community after twelve years of being an outcast.
All of us are or have been outcasts in some way at some time. When we decided to follow Jesus with all our heart, soul, mind and strength we stopped being outcasts and became members of the divine Kingdom, daughters and sons of the King. Maybe you felt like an outcast in other ways – the last picked for a recess game of kickball. Maybe you ate lunch alone, until someone decided to take a chance and sit next to you. Jesus was often criticized for hanging out with tax collectors and sinners, they were outcasts. His disciples would never have been picked by the other Rabbis, Jesus ’disciples might have been considered outcasts as well. The reality was that a lot of the religious leaders were outcasts too.
The question for us and the encouragement as well is; how do we treat those who are considered outcasts today? I want to encourage you not to look the other way, to risk sitting down with someone who is struggling in life and listen to their story with the respect due every image bearer. Point them to Jesus, welcome them into the community. We’ll all be better for it and the Kingdom, well the Kingdom will be filled with all the people who are meant to be there and the party is going to be AMAZING.
Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – Jesus is the One who breaks down the barriers to abundant life and He does so in all sorts of ways.
Luke 6:46 (NIV)
Sometimes, finding a fresh perspective on a well passage of scripture can be difficult because we see things based on the most common or easiest to see themes. After looking at the events that were taking place when the question of the week was asked, I found a perspective that I haven’t heard taught every often, so let’s get into it.
Jesus and the guys had returned from the region of the Gerasenes – you know the place where the Legion of demons were sent into a herd of pigs. They are met by a crowd who have been waiting for his return. In the midst of this crowd a synagogue leader by the name of Jairus arrives, falling at Jesus’ feet pleading for Jesus to come and heal his twelve-year-old daughter. As Jesus and the guys headed that way, the crowd was pressing in on Jesus (the NIV says the crowd was almost crushing him - Luke 8:42). Into this crushing wave of people, enters a woman. A woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. A woman who would be considered unclean. A woman who would have been cut off from worship and community. A woman who had mustered enough courage to enter the crowd in the hopes of just touching the edge of His cloak. A woman who didn’t want to make a scene or to cause Jesus to become unclean.
A woman who finds success in her mission. Oh the questions! Had she been an outcast for so long that nobody knew her? How did she manage to get through the crowd without touching anyone else? Did she have some divine help in getting to Jesus? Did no one see her touch Jesus?
Jesus felt the healing power go out, so he knew it wasn’t just an ordinary jostling of the crowd. His guys are like are you kidding us, look at all these people touching you as we go. Everyone around Him denied having touched him, at least on purpose. Yet Jesus is looking for the one who did. When I imagine what this scene, at this moment, looks like – I see the crowd part and Jesus sees and the woman sees Jesus and falls at his feet. This woman pours out the truth of the matter. He calls her daughter. The barrier that had kept her from community had been broken by Jesus.
I know some of you are thinking, but this whole story is about faith and healing. You are not wrong in that. Jairus, a respected man, believed that even with the coming of the worst news, that there was still hope. Yes, the woman’s faith helped give her the courage to seek the Master for healing. Yes, both Jairus and the woman got what they had come for. But, the woman got more – the woman got welcomed back into the community after twelve years of being an outcast.
All of us are or have been outcasts in some way at some time. When we decided to follow Jesus with all our heart, soul, mind and strength we stopped being outcasts and became members of the divine Kingdom, daughters and sons of the King. Maybe you felt like an outcast in other ways – the last picked for a recess game of kickball. Maybe you ate lunch alone, until someone decided to take a chance and sit next to you. Jesus was often criticized for hanging out with tax collectors and sinners, they were outcasts. His disciples would never have been picked by the other Rabbis, Jesus ’disciples might have been considered outcasts as well. The reality was that a lot of the religious leaders were outcasts too.
The question for us and the encouragement as well is; how do we treat those who are considered outcasts today? I want to encourage you not to look the other way, to risk sitting down with someone who is struggling in life and listen to their story with the respect due every image bearer. Point them to Jesus, welcome them into the community. We’ll all be better for it and the Kingdom, well the Kingdom will be filled with all the people who are meant to be there and the party is going to be AMAZING.
Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – Jesus is the One who breaks down the barriers to abundant life and He does so in all sorts of ways.
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Jesus Notices and Knows
“Now which of them will love him more? …Do you see this woman?”
Luke 7:42 & 44 (NIV)
Jesus is invited to dinner at Simon the Pharisee’s house. Jesus and Simon have an interesting interaction over this meal. We don’t know how many people were actually present at this dinner. Simon’s servants – probably. Simon's friends and family – possibly. There for sure was someone else there, someone’s whose life was changed. The whole scene plays out over 14 verses. It includes a story with a question and a question with a rebuke. Let’s get into it.
I wonder what Jesus thought about this invitation, He knew that generally speaking the Pharisees weren’t really fans. Did He think it might be a trap, a confrontational conversation? Maybe this Pharisee like Nicodemus was interested in the truth and knowing Jesus better. Simon and Jesus were reclining at the table, when we meet the third person present. A woman with a bad reputation had heard Jesus was there and turns up with an alabaster jar of perfume. It says she was standing at Jesus’ feet. Standing there she is overwhelmed with emotion and starts to weep so that tears begin to fall on Jesus’ feet. At some point she must have knelt because she dries Jesus’ feet with her hair, she kisses them and pours perfume on them. Simon witnessing all of this begins to think 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” (Luke 7:39). Jesus had noticed and knows both who is at His feet and what Simon is thinking – so He tells Simon a story with a question.
Here’s the Reader’s Digest contemporary version of the story. Two guys owe the bank money. One owes around $75,000 in modern wages and the other around $7,500 neither can pay it back. The loan manager shows grace to both men by cancelling the debt. Here comes Jesus’ question. Simon, tell me which of the two will love the loan manager more? Simon has the right answer – “…the one who had the bigger debt cancelled” (Luke 7:43). Jesus acknowledges Simon’s good answer but then… Jesus asks another question. “Simon, do you see this woman” (Luke 7:44)? Of course, Simon had seen her, he’s been having unkind thoughts about her. Jesus continues by critiquing Simon’s hospitality. No water for my feet, no welcome kiss, no oil for my head. Yet this woman – the one you were twigged about being here and causing a “fuss” – she washed my feet with her tears, she kissed my feet, she poured perfume on them. She has gone above and beyond; she has shown extravagant care and love – so her sins have been forgiven. Those who are forgiven much love much and those who have been forgiven little love little.
Simon is rebuked, the other guests are amazed, and the woman goes away changed, by her faith and His grace.
What about us? If Jesus showed up at our house or our church as His early first century self, would he be warmly welcomed? What if he turned up as someone from our modern-day fringe, someone who might be considered an outcast? We who have been forgiven much, should love so much more. We should love and worship Him more. We should love those He would love much more.
I know I’m not perfect, that I definitely have days when I don’t feel like loving others. I also have days when I don’t feel particularly lovable. The good news for me and all of us – Jesus loves us more on our worst days, especially when we know we need His love, His grace, His forgiveness. Jesus notices and He knows everything about us, and HE still loves us, still wants us, still forgives us, still transforms us, still calls us friend and even better brother or sister.
Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – remember He forgives much, so we should love much.
Luke 7:42 & 44 (NIV)
Jesus is invited to dinner at Simon the Pharisee’s house. Jesus and Simon have an interesting interaction over this meal. We don’t know how many people were actually present at this dinner. Simon’s servants – probably. Simon's friends and family – possibly. There for sure was someone else there, someone’s whose life was changed. The whole scene plays out over 14 verses. It includes a story with a question and a question with a rebuke. Let’s get into it.
I wonder what Jesus thought about this invitation, He knew that generally speaking the Pharisees weren’t really fans. Did He think it might be a trap, a confrontational conversation? Maybe this Pharisee like Nicodemus was interested in the truth and knowing Jesus better. Simon and Jesus were reclining at the table, when we meet the third person present. A woman with a bad reputation had heard Jesus was there and turns up with an alabaster jar of perfume. It says she was standing at Jesus’ feet. Standing there she is overwhelmed with emotion and starts to weep so that tears begin to fall on Jesus’ feet. At some point she must have knelt because she dries Jesus’ feet with her hair, she kisses them and pours perfume on them. Simon witnessing all of this begins to think 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” (Luke 7:39). Jesus had noticed and knows both who is at His feet and what Simon is thinking – so He tells Simon a story with a question.
Here’s the Reader’s Digest contemporary version of the story. Two guys owe the bank money. One owes around $75,000 in modern wages and the other around $7,500 neither can pay it back. The loan manager shows grace to both men by cancelling the debt. Here comes Jesus’ question. Simon, tell me which of the two will love the loan manager more? Simon has the right answer – “…the one who had the bigger debt cancelled” (Luke 7:43). Jesus acknowledges Simon’s good answer but then… Jesus asks another question. “Simon, do you see this woman” (Luke 7:44)? Of course, Simon had seen her, he’s been having unkind thoughts about her. Jesus continues by critiquing Simon’s hospitality. No water for my feet, no welcome kiss, no oil for my head. Yet this woman – the one you were twigged about being here and causing a “fuss” – she washed my feet with her tears, she kissed my feet, she poured perfume on them. She has gone above and beyond; she has shown extravagant care and love – so her sins have been forgiven. Those who are forgiven much love much and those who have been forgiven little love little.
Simon is rebuked, the other guests are amazed, and the woman goes away changed, by her faith and His grace.
What about us? If Jesus showed up at our house or our church as His early first century self, would he be warmly welcomed? What if he turned up as someone from our modern-day fringe, someone who might be considered an outcast? We who have been forgiven much, should love so much more. We should love and worship Him more. We should love those He would love much more.
I know I’m not perfect, that I definitely have days when I don’t feel like loving others. I also have days when I don’t feel particularly lovable. The good news for me and all of us – Jesus loves us more on our worst days, especially when we know we need His love, His grace, His forgiveness. Jesus notices and He knows everything about us, and HE still loves us, still wants us, still forgives us, still transforms us, still calls us friend and even better brother or sister.
Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – remember He forgives much, so we should love much.
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