Luke 7:44-48
He turned toward the woman and said
to Simon, “Have you noticed this woman? When I came into your home, you
didn’t give me any water so I could wash my feet. But she has washed my
feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You didn’t greet me
with a kiss, but from the time I came in, she has not stopped kissing my
feet. You didn’t even pour olive oil on my head, but she has poured
expensive perfume on my feet. So I tell you that all her sins are
forgiven, and that is why she has shown great love. But anyone who has
been forgiven for only a little will show only a little love.”
Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This
morning, the mail lady honked her horn...our signal that she has a
package for us. We are blessed to have a mail carrier who will actually
come to our doorstep with packages, rather than leave a notice for us
to drive to the post office and retrieve them. So I opened the door and
watched her pull pretty large box from the back seat of her vehicle.
“I didn’t order anything,” I mused. Then I recognized the handwriting
on the mailing label. This package was from Leslie...the wife of our
nephew, John. It was clothes that our great-niece Kelsey has outgrown,
and Leslie wanted to share them with our little niece, Zola.
I
opened the box of “goodies”...and it was like Christmas in August! Now
here’s the thing...I make most of Zola’s clothes, but occasionally, I
purchase “clearance” items in stores and online. It’s always fun when
the package arrives in the mail and you take out all of the cute clothes
and shoes for the kids. But I have to tell you, that paled in
comparison to a box like this. Why? The clothes are not brand-new.
Some of the colors are not quite as bright as they were when purchased
in the store.
The difference is the love and thought with which
these clothes were shared. These items still have a lot of “life” in
them...and some indeed look almost brand-spanking new. Zola will be
adorable in them...she will love the glittery red “Mary Jane”
shoes...the fleecy flannel pajamas will keep her snug and warm this
winter. And there are even some “Hello Kitty®” items...which are always
a hit! What makes these clothes special is the attitude they
represent...someone saying, “Hey, I have extra and would like to share.
I’m blessed – let me bless you, too!”
This is the difference in
our spiritual lives, as well. We often have the wrong set of priorities
and perspectives. If we view our sins as inconsequential or “small” in
comparison to those of others, we may not be as grateful. We don’t
fully understand a) just how much our sins cost Jesus; and b) the
significance of our outward demonstrations of gratitude to Jesus – by
how we “pay it forward” with acts of mercy and kindness toward others.
When we are truly grateful for Jesus’ redemptive power in our lives, we
“wash His feet” and “anoint them with oil” by demonstrating love, grace,
mercy, forgiveness, and compassion toward others. Even the simplest of
acts...smiling at a disheveled, dirty person on the street, dropping a
note of kindness or concern to someone who is “going through something”,
or sharing a box of hand-me-down clothing becomes a way to say, “Thank
You, Jesus,” for the blessings you have bestowed upon MY life.
I
don’t think we truly understand just how costly our sins were/are. We
want to think that we’re not as bad as “the other guy”...that his/her
sins are so much worse; therefore, he/she “owes” Jesus a bigger debt of
gratitude. That is simply not the case. In Jesus’ eyes, we are all
equal...He paid a tremendous price for ALL of our sins. And in that
regard, we should all be on our knees, washing His feet with our tears
and drying them with our hair.
We can’t physically do this...but
symbolically we can show our gratitude by sharing His love, grace,
mercy, and forgiveness with others. We will each have countless
opportunities to do this – even today. You may not have a box full of
children’s clothes to share with another lucky little girl...but I bet
you have SOMETHING you can give away – even if it is a smile, hug, or a
kind word. Just as there are no small sins...there are no small acts of
thankfulness. Are you paying attention and looking for ways to show
your love and appreciation to Jesus? How will you demonstrate your
gratitude this day?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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