Trust and Love Him Because of Who He IS not What He DOES!! 🥰💛
by Jennifer Greene-Sullivan
In the quiet yet profound moment captured in Luke 7:36-50, a woman whose name we do not know becomes a radiant example of faith, trust, and love. She enters a Pharisee’s home, a place she was not invited, and performs an act so bold, so tender, that it silences judgment and draws the heart of the Savior.
This story has so much to say about having a soft, tender heart and trusting fully in Jesus, even before His ultimate sacrifice on the cross. The woman brought her alabaster jar of perfume, a costly treasure, and poured it out at Jesus’ feet. With her tears, she washed them, drying them with her hair. Her actions reflected more than gratitude; they revealed her complete trust in who Jesus was—not just as a man but as the Son of God, her Redeemer.
The Faith to Love Extravagantly
What stands out in this narrative is the timing. Jesus had not yet gone to the cross. He had not yet defeated death. He had not yet ascended to the right hand of the Father. And still, she trusted Him. Still, she loved Him. Still, she wept at His feet, knowing that in Him was her forgiveness, her redemption, her new beginning.
Her faith in Jesus—not based on what He would do but on who He was—is a lesson in itself. She recognized His divinity, His mercy, and His power to forgive, and she responded with all that she had. Her heart was tender, her actions extravagant, her trust unshakable.
The Love of the Savior before the Cross
Jesus’ response to her act of devotion speaks volumes about the kind of Savior He is. He looked beyond her reputation, beyond the whispers of the Pharisee, beyond the societal norms of the time. He saw her heart. He affirmed her faith and forgave her sins, saying, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:50).
In this moment, we see the fullness of Jesus’ love. Even before He bore the weight of sin on the cross, His love was transformative. His forgiveness was complete. His grace was life-changing. This story reminds us that Jesus’ love and power to redeem were not confined to the cross and resurrection but were always present, always reaching, always healing.
Our Call to Trust and Love
This woman’s story is an invitation for us to trust Jesus with the same tender hearts and unwavering faith. We know the end of the story. We know of His death, His resurrection, and His victory over sin and death. Yet, how often do we hesitate to pour out our love and trust at His feet? How often do we let fear, doubt, or the judgment of others hold us back?
Her example challenges us to respond to Jesus as she did: with abandon, with reverence, and with deep gratitude for who He is. Like her, we are invited to come to Him, not because we have it all figured out, but because we recognize His unmatched love and grace.
Application
Take a moment to reflect on what you can pour out at Jesus’ feet. Is there something you’re holding back—whether it’s your trust, your gratitude, or your faith? Consider how the woman’s bold act of love can inspire you to approach Jesus with vulnerability and surrender. He sees your heart, and He responds with grace and forgiveness.
Luke 7:47
“Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the example of this woman’s extravagant love and faith. Help us to approach You with tender hearts, trusting fully in who You are. Teach us to pour out our love at Your feet, knowing that You see us, forgive us, and redeem us. May we live in gratitude for Your unchanging love and grace, and may our lives reflect the depth of Your forgiveness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclusion
The story of the woman with the alabaster jar is a story of extravagant love and forgiveness, of faith that precedes understanding, and of a Savior whose love knows no bounds. It calls us to approach Jesus with hearts wide open, trusting Him fully, and loving Him deeply.
This woman’s story is an invitation for us to trust Jesus with the same tender hearts and unwavering faith. We know the end of the story. We know of His death, His resurrection, and His victory over sin and death. Yet, how often do we hesitate to pour out our love and trust at His feet? How often do we let fear, doubt, or the judgment of others hold us back?
Her example challenges us to respond to Jesus as she did: with abandon, with reverence, and with deep gratitude for who He is. Like her, we are invited to come to Him, not because we have it all figured out, but because we recognize His unmatched love and grace.
May we, like this woman, fall at His feet with all that we are, trusting not just in what He has done but in who He is: our Savior, our Redeemer, our God.
Scripture for Post
Luke 7:36-50
36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.
37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.
38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.
46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.
47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
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