Subscription Lists
The Way
by Kevin Pauley
Then one of the Pharisees invited Him to eat with him. He entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. And a woman in the town who was a sinner found out that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house. She brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil and stood behind Him at His feet, weeping, and began to wash His feet with her tears. She wiped His feet with the hair of her head, kissing them and anointing them with the fragrant oil. When the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching Him--she's a sinner!" - Luke 7:36-39 HCSB
Some of us see only what is right in front of us. Most don’t even see that. Humans tend to stagger through life, bouncing from circumstance to circumstance, stubbing our toes on the snags life periodically offers. Every once in a while we get a glimpse of the possibilities that lie at hand, but only shake our head in wondering disbelief.
This Pharisee thought he knew this woman. After all, she was from his home town. He had heard all the gossip at the local barber shop. In fact, he probably had started hearing things about her in the Jewish equivalent of the high school locker room. “She’s easy!” they’d gloat behind her back. “She’ll do anything!” Some wannabe Casanova might have lied about her and the rumors started to spread. Soon, she had an inescapable reputation that she finally resigned herself to live down to.
The difference between our Master and this Pharisee was that the Pharisee only knew what the woman had been. The Messiah knew what the woman might become. He had the eyes of hope. Being love personified, He patiently, kindly believed and hoped[1] that she would rise above her circumstances to fully realize her chance to become a child of God.
The Master did more than hope. He saw the first stirrings of righteousness in her repentant tears. The Pharisee saw nothing but lurid sensuality and loss of control. That’s the interesting thing about human perception. We not only read the signs, we read into them. Our understanding of others may tell as much about ourselves as it reveals about them. This Pharisee’s inability to see repentance tells us more about his heart than he would have wanted.
Our Master came across a lump of clay and saw a human named Adam. He encountered a man hiding behind sheep in the desert and saw a great leader capable of liberating a nation. He found a fanatical mass murderer and envisioned an apostle.
As Yahweh’s disciples, we are going to have to develop this hopeful vision. We need to learn to see others, not as they have been, but as they might some day be.
Kevin Pauley is a pastor and writer. He lives in Illinois with his wife, Lynn, their five children and two dogs. His internet address is Berea.
Receive the newest devotional each week in your inbox by joining the "The Way" subscription list. Enter your email address below, click "Go!" and we will send you a confirmation email. Follow the instructions in the email to confirm your addition to this list.