Her Tears, Her Hair, Her Kiss
“….. And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.”
Luke 7:38
When we i refer to the story in Luke 7:38, our focus is usually drawn to the alabaster box and the oil therein. However, today (Because we do things differently), we will briefly draw our attention to a few other key factors.
Most people aren’t sure WHO this “nameless” woman (Mary) was in the story – however, we all know WHAT she did. This brings us to our first point. Strive to be motivated from a pure heart of submission and gratitude. Then your WORKS will make a perpetual impact for generations to come. “Who” you are may be forgotten – but “What” you do will leave an indelible imprint in the sands of time.
Her Tears –When we seek to understand the shedding of tears, we could embark upon an in-depth study. However, tears are often synonymous with brokenness and/or extreme gratefulness. Such was the state of the woman in our story.
Her Hair - In Biblical days, the women of this culture took great pride in their hair and would often create and arrange it into various styles. They exhibited a great deal of maintenance into it and definitely regarded it as their glory.
Now let’s think about “The Kiss”. Her kiss. Her final expression of submission, compassion, adoration, gratitude and closure.
The washing of Jesus’ feet, although symbolic in nature; examples to us an array of expressions which can greatly enhance our relationship with the Lord. The three main examples for today are:
1. We must approach the Lord in a state of brokenness, submission and repentance.
2. Nothing that belongs to me, nothing that I possess, should I withhold from the Lord. Whatever I take pride in, whatever I glory in, should willingly be used for Him.
3. My mouth must remain at the feet of Jesus. Whatever I kiss (place my stamp of approval on) must come into an alignment with the walk of Christ. My kiss must not be one of betrayal….but a signal or an expression which has been motivated by an inward conviction and now resonate from a heart of submission.
Therefore, because of my internal brokenness, and because I’ve surrendered my dearest possession to the Lord, He will receive what I affirm with my mouth.
The tears, the hair, the kiss. God is requiring that we are broken to the extent that we produce tears; That we will withhold nothing that we deem precious from Him and that we will only apply the symbol of extreme love, humility and gratitude from a heart of a servant.
So…. when I humbly bow; when I’ve kissed the feet of Jesus, I am now positioned to be totally used of Him to make that endtime, undeniable, unforgettable impact….. The type of impact that will cause an elevation in the level of my faith and produce the miracles, signs and wonders which will get the attention of the saved, unsaved and the unchurched!
(On another note: We always remember that Jesus washed the feet of His disciples – but we must also remember that He permitted His feet to be washed as well!)
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