Are You Awkward?

From the heart of Nicki Hausman, Prayer Team Member/Transformed Women's Leadership Team

Have you noticed culture dictates what is acceptable behavior? Regularly peer pressure tries to control what is pleasing and acceptable in interpersonal relationships; regardless if the behavior is morally or ethically correct.

Crazy thing is, Jesus loves awkward!

Luke 7:36-38 (NLT), "36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. 37 When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. 38 Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them."

The Pharisees were absolutely appalled and disgusted. How dare this whorish woman have the nerve to come in uninvited, then against all that is decent -touch Jesus! Why she even was kissing His feet at the dinner table. Picture the gasps and frowns and pure hatred of this outcast woman.

Some kind of special Awkward!

Jesus begins telling a story to illustrate the power of love, repentance and forgiveness to the group. He compares the greatest love and forgiveness is realized by the greatest debt of sin forgiven…the host verbalized understanding.

Jesus provides and illustrates lesson before them: Luke 7:44-50, "44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, 'Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. 47 I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.' 48 Then Jesus said to the woman, 'Your sins are forgiven.'
49 The men at the table said among themselves, 'Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?' 50 And Jesus said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'

Lord,
Before I judge and refuse to help or feel I am superior-remind me that I am forgiven a debt that You paid because I could never repay.
Help me see the person in need at Your feet in need of forgiveness just like me.
Help me not miss the opportunity to be the one that helps lift her/him up.
Let me share the news that Your blood is enough for their debt, too.
Amen.