Grace is the undeserved kindness of the Lord bestowed upon sinners that beautifully and miraculously turns us into saints without any work on our part save the faith to believe.
A Sinful Woman Forgiven
One of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.” “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” Luke 7:36-50
Grace makes religious people feel uncomfortable.
Because they think they must work for salvation and the blessings of the Lord and that sinners have not right to Him, (they forget that he came to seek and save the lost) religious people turn their noses at people like this woman who was smitten by grace and followed the Lord right into their doors in spite of what they thought of her. When the Pharisees saw her extravagant worship they were repulsed because of the type of woman she was. They thought she was not worthy to come near to the Lord.
Smitten by Grace
Beloved, if you’ve ever been forgiven much you should be able to identify with the sinful woman.
This sinful woman was drawn to the Lord because of the grace she had seen Him bestow on others, her spirit bearing witness that He was the Messiah, the Forgiver of sins. Her heart cried without words to be forgiven, loved, accepted and made beautiful again, and His grace answered even before He went to the cross with a resounding yes!
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