Lavished Love

             In Ephesians 1: 8, the Apostle, Paul, reminds us of God’s grace “that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding” (NIV84).  Don’t you just love that word, “lavished”?  According to Dictionary.com, it is synonymous with “unrestrained, extravagant, unsparing, liberal, bountiful, and generous,” among others. 

            Think about that!  The Creator of the Universe loves us so much that He has given us His “unrestrained, extravagant, unsparing, liberal, bountiful, and generous” grace.  When you combine that with our generally accepted meaning of grace, “unmerited favor,” you get a glimpse of the Father’s love.  It is a love that is almost beyond our human comprehension.

            I say “almost” because I believe that the Woman we meet in Luke 7 came closer than most in her understanding of God’s love.  Her actions show that she grasped “how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Ephesians 3: 18b NIV84). 

            She lived in a culture that considered hospitality a noble attribute.  Unlike us, they also didn’t seem to value their privacy.  They would often entertain guests at their table, while the beggars and society “rejects” were allowed to hover nearby, waiting for any scraps that might remain when the meal was finished. 

            As the story begins in Luke 7:  36 – 50, one of the Pharisees, Simon, invited Jesus to have dinner in his home.  While Simon was most likely well-acquainted with the proper etiquette of his culture, he chose to overlook the requirements of a good host.  There was no servant to greet Jesus by washing His feet, and Simon was not about to humiliate himself that way.  He didn’t offer olive oil for his guest’s hands or provide the oils for Jesus’ head—all traditional gestures for an honored guest. 

            There was a Woman there among the outcasts.  Like the other society misfits, she had gathered at the wall behind Jesus, just waiting for the meal to end.  The Scripture refers to her as “a woman who had lived a sinful life” (Luke 7: 37 NIV84).  She may have been a prostitute or one possessed by evil spirits.  We don’t know her back story, except that her position in the room marked her as an outcast.

            Unlike Simon, she knew that she was in the presence of an honored guest.  Maybe she had seen Jesus perform miracles.  Perhaps, she had even followed Him, seeking relief from the pain and misery of her life.  Her actions tell us that she had seen Jesus’ love and compassion, marking Him as someone worthy of praise and honor.

            As she stood at His feet, she began to wet them with her tears.  Then, letting her hair down, a shameful act, she took an alabaster jar of perfume and poured it on His head.  She showed the hospitality and honor that the host had denied Jesus.  When Simon raised objections, to himself, Jesus confronted him with a story of two men who owed money.  One owed $500 and the other, $50, but neither had the money to repay, so the Lender forgave both debts.  Jesus then asked His host, “Now, which of them will love him more?”

Simon had been caught.  The Woman’s actions revealed her love and gratitude for Jesus.  Simon’s actions showed how little he valued his guest.  Jesus saw repentance and faith in the Woman.  He had only disdain for Simon. 

Some 2000 years later, we still commend the actions of this Woman, for they reveal her motive.  She completely understood the forgiveness that Christ offered, and she was not ashamed to show her gratitude to Him.  She did her best to “lavish” on Christ an attitude of thankfulness that would rival, as much as a human can, the love and compassion that Christ had shown her.

We are so blessed to know that God has freely “lavished” His love and grace on us.  The question is, “How will we ‘lavish’ our gratitude on Him?”

Luke 7: 36 - 50