Worship is a Lifestyle
In the gospel of Luke chapter seven, we see a woman whose relationship with Jesus meant more to her than the most precious thing she possessed. She loved and worshiped Jesus extravagantly—she lavished Him with expressions of love and gratitude for who He is and what He did for her.
In contrast to her extravagant worship, Luke also tells of a man who was not only cold and indifferent to Jesus, but he also had no grace for the woman who deeply loved Jesus.
“One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” Luke 7:36-39
As Jesus illustrated in the succeeding parable, the problem with this Pharisee was that in his self-righteousness (which was the result of comparing himself with others), he was blinded to how great a sinner he was and how great his need for forgiveness was.
Consequently, he not only failed to receive the forgiveness found in Jesus, he was also unable to express the kind of worship and love that this woman lavished on Jesus.
Notice the way Jesus describes how the woman expresses her love and gratitude for him:
“Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Luke 7:44-47
In contrast to the self-righteous Pharisee, who did not even do what was customary in ancient Jewish times when they invited someone over for dinner, like provide for one’s feet to be washed, the woman showed extravagant love to Jesus.
Remember that in addition to kissing the feet of Jesus and washing them with her hair and tears, verse 37 explains that she anointed His feet with ointment from an alabaster box. The Greek word translated “alabaster flask” as well as “box,” “jar,” and “vial” in other translations, can also mean “perfume vase.”
“Those who have studied ancient custom tell us prostitutes of that day often wore a vial of perfume hanging by a cord around their necks. [This vial was very costly]. What’s more, in a culture where bathing was infrequent, a pleasant fragrance would have been their stock in trade. A drop or two would be used to entice prospective customers. But the language used in this passage, [which includes the word anointed], indicated she poured out all her perfume. Do you see the significance of what she did? She broke the vial to anoint Jesus with the perfume. She [used up] the tools of her trade. It was her way of saying “I won’t need this anymore. I’m making a clean break with my past.” Then she began to kiss Jesus’ feet. This was not uncommon in ancient times because it was one of the ways a beaten enemy surrendered to the one who had won the battle. It was not only a sign of affection from this woman. It was her way of saying, “I surrender to you Jesus. You have won. I give up. Your grace has conquered [my soul, my affections, my all.]”
What a beautiful picture of adoration and worship! Remember that when she poured out the perfume on Jesus, she was using up the tools of her trade.
That is to say, this wasn’t a momentary emotional response to Jesus, she was surrendering her life to Jesus. Her former life was not just about satisfying her sinful appetites, it was her livelihood, it was how she survived. But although there weren’t many other employment options for a former prostitute, she did not allow worldly security to keep her from yielding to the will of God for her life and no doubt serving His kingdom purpose.
Worship is more than exuberant outward and visible expressions of praise and adoration. True worship is a lifestyle of giving all of yourself to all that God is for you in Christ. (Romans 12:1-3)
The woman in the Pharisee’s house wasn’t just giving lip service to Jesus, she was acknowledging and demonstrating that in Him she found all that her soul longed for. I want to submit to you that what will lead to a life of true contentment and satisfaction is not going all out to please yourself, but going all out to please and serve Jesus who went all out on the cross for you.
As one bible teacher put it: “Underneath all of our physical longings, there's actually a much bigger spiritual longing." Melissa Kruger
Where are you today? Are you more like the woman or the Pharisee? Do we love the Lord and people, especially those in need of much grace, extravagantly? Do we go all out only when it comes to pleasing ourselves or do we go all out for Jesus and His cause?
Are we just looking to Jesus to give us worldly security, a better job, or to help us find a husband or a wife? Or are we finding in Him and in His love, demonstrated on the cross, our ultimate security and satisfaction?
Until you find that Jesus is enough, nothing will be enough. That’s what true love and worship is: living in a way that demonstrates that Jesus is enough, that there’s nothing you will not lay down to honor and serve Him.
Let’s endeavor to see all people not through a self-righteous lens, but from a cross perspective knowing that it’s by the matchless grace of Jesus that we’ve received costly forgiveness and the extravagant gift of eternal life.
Do you love Jesus extravagantly today? Are you unreservedly open to God’s will for you — whatever it may be? Do you trust that in God’s will lies your deepest security and satisfaction, no matter what He wants to do with you? Are you willing to abandon yourself to Him so that He can lead you to a deeply joyful and meaningful life?
Perhaps your honest response is, “I’m not willing to abandon everything to God.” If that is where you are, then be real with God about it. God will always hear the prayer, “Lord, I am unwilling, but make me willing to be willing.”
In His service,
Pastor Marco