WHO was it? “A woman in the city,” a sinner of unenviable notoriety, her offences many (Luke 7:36-5036And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. 37And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38And 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. 39Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. 40And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? 50And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. (Luke 7:36‑50)).
Her name is not mentioned, nor, for our profit, was it necessary. Strange to say, our comfort is, bound up with her character, not with her name. And so with the repentant robber at Calvary. His name would have been no gain to us. Enough for us that our adorable Saviour was ready to make immediate use of his sinful history a history crowned by insults thrown at Himself—and display before our wondering eyes, on that dark background, the glories of His matchless grace. Only think! He would not only take a, “dying thief” to Paradise graciously, but at His own personal cost, through suffering, and blood shedding, and death, He would do it righteously.
Who shall count the thousands who have been made to taste, for the first time, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, as expressed in that well-known verse—
“The dying thief rejoiced to see
That Saviour in his day;
And by that blood, though vile as he,
My sins are washed away.”
The charm of the story is in the man’s character, not his name.
And so with the record of this woman in Simon’s house. Like a stream of heavenly comfort, the mention of the Saviour’s grace to one of such a character has been flowing on and on for centuries past; and, blessed be God, to this day, for the healing of wounded consciences and broken hearts, it flows as freely and blesses as richly as ever.
That such a shame-branded sinner might fearlessly come to Jesus, and the vilest of the vile find a welcome at His feet, was the great truth that came into prominence that day in the Pharisee’s house, and this in the presence of men who were so far deluded as to think that any child of Adam could stand before God on the ground of his own merit. But though Satan might induce one of them to cast contempt upon such grace, that grace would prove itself only the more determined to magnify itself. It would even include, in the undeserved blessing, the Pharisee himself when he came to the sense of needing it; when he could honestly confess himself to be no better than the woman he despised, a moral bankrupt, with “nothing to pay.”
As for the woman herself, she was not there to speak of herself or for herself. She gave no public address, and, as far as the record goes, not one single word did she utter. Her silent tears spoke for her. But they spake of Him at Whose feet she was shedding them, and oh, how eloquently! Nor was, her testimony confined, to Simon’s house. As long as there is a repentant sinner to listen, an offender that needs forgiveness, she will continue to speak. How little she thought of this! But Jesus knew how far-reaching her silent witness would be.
Has the reader any ear for such a story of grace? The feet of the. Same blessed Saviour may still be reached not now in the presence of disdainful Pharisees, but where there is joy, joy, joy—“joy over one sinner that repenteth.”
Have you already come to Him? Then, remember, it is now your privilege to be a witness for Him and to show in your daily life, even if you could never utter a word, what great things the Lord hath done for you, in His deep compassion toward you. Let me close with a little figure:—
The dewdrop that shines in the sunlight’s gleam
Had once its part in you muddy stream;
But the power that made it an orb of light
Designed it a place in the rainbow bright,
That other black drops in the world below
Might see what the Sun for them could do.
A loathsome drop in a pool of sin
Was I, when God’s mighty love shone in;
It drew me away from my sinful plight
To shine for Him here like the dewdrop bright.
And this His great end, that a creature like me
Should show forth His praise for Eternity.
GEO. C.