Jesus’ Encounter with a Sinful Woman
August 2025 Written by Amy Davies
Welcome back to Flourish. Today we will begin exploring our key verse, Colossians 2:6-7, with a delve into Luke 7:36-50. The Colossians verse is so rich, it’s worth taking it apart to study piece by piece, which we will do over the course of the year.
Receiving Jesus Christ as Lord
Colossians 2:6-7 begins with a key statement:
This got me asking myself the question, what does it really mean to receive Jesus Christ as Lord?
The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word receive as ‘to get or accept’. Google tells me that in the Bible the word Lord has several different meanings including master and one with power and authority, as in the case of Jesus being made Lord by God.
So in essence, we can ask ourselves the question, have we accepted Jesus as one with authority over our lives? Do we accept His power - to heal, to love unconditionally, to forgive? Have we made Him the master of every aspect of our life, both public and private?
So often we can take for granted what we know about Jesus. Christmas and Easter come round each year and we hear the familiar stories that may re-ignite our passion for a while, but how many of us are truly living under His power and authority on a daily basis? Maybe it’s just me, but I know all too well how easy it is to become distracted, to strive in my own strength, trying to work out all the answers, so aware of my failures that I struggle to forgive myself as each day’s mistakes mount up around me - forgetting the One who is Lord over it all, who knows the beginning from the end, who has all power and authority over every aspect of my life.
I’m frequently caught in the tension of knowing what I want to believe and envisioning the life of abundance that goes with it, but falling short and living by the world’s standards, caught up in the chaos and pace of life that blurs my vision. “If I could just do this….. If I could only do that….. then I’d be good enough.” It’s so easy sometimes to make life so incredibly complicated!
I wonder how many of us fully receive God’s promise of salvation as the simple truth of what it is - a precious gift, put so simply in Romans 3:24:
Intimately Receiving
In considering what it is to truly receive Jesus’ gift of love and forgiveness, I’m reminded of the beautiful encounter of a sinful woman who anointed Jesus’ feet, found in Luke 7:36-50. This woman came to an open house, customary in those days at a home where a Rabbi was dining after the Sabbath service. Whilst Jesus was reclining at the table, she stood behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears wet his feet and she wiped them with her hair, kissing them and pouring perfume on them.
When I came to study this last Summer, I was struck by this woman’s courage; whilst it was an open house, her behaviour would have caused quite a scene and would have been frowned upon for a number of reasons:
- She didn’t just enter the house quietly and sit to listen - she made a public spectacle of herself by personally intruding on the party, getting up close and personal with the invited Rabbi.
- She would have created a significant smell which would not have gone unnoticed - pouring the contents of an alabaster jar on Jesus’ feet. This was pure nard, a very expensive perfume, which would have raised opinions amongst the guests.
- She wet his feet with her tears, the Bible uses the phrase ‘weeping’ which to me suggests a strong sense of emotion that may well not have been silent. The word also means ‘to shower’ so her tears would have come thick and fast.
- Without a towel, she wiped her tears from his feet with her hair. In those days, a woman’s hair represented their dignity, and for a Jewish woman to let down her hair, it would be deemed indecent.
- She also kissed his feet, an act of intimacy.
No wonder the people were outraged - but Jesus accepted her gift of love outpouring.
There is such significance in the woman’s act that it’s worth exploring in more depth…
This woman was clearly well aware of her sin. She had likely heard of Jesus or even listened to him teach before. So relatable; we all sin and fall short of the glory of God, and however hard we may sometimes try to bury our head in the sand, we cannot out-run the reality of our sinful nature, our mistakes and regrets and that tendency to do what we know we shouldn’t or to speak death rather than life to those around us. Some of us may know the name of Jesus and be so familiar with His teachings, for others you may be just beginning your Christian walk. No matter where we are in our journey, there is much to learn from this woman’s story.
She Came…
The most striking part for me is the reason behind this woman’s extravagant outpouring of emotion - because she knew she had received the forgiveness of Jesus and understood the depth of His love for her in doing so.
There is some significant life application here -
She came knowing - she knew where to find Jesus.
She came with intention - bringing the perfume as an offering.
She came seeking - her Lord and Saviour.
She came determined - no judgment or societal rejection was going to stop her.
She came willing - to take a risk.
She came ready to sacrifice - she broke open the perfume to anoint Jesus, sacrificing an item of great worth. Just like the parable of the pearl in the field, she was willing to give up everything for Jesus. She recognised His value. Interestingly, this perfume was one of the most expensive of the time and comes from the spikenard plant, the aroma comes from its roots - just as we need strong roots, a solid foundation built on God’s word.
She came focused - on Christ alone. She was not put off by those around her who would have been outraged at her actions. She forgot everything else as she worshiped in His presence.
She came near - standing at his feet, humbly washing them with her tears, giving herself to him in complete vulnerability.
She came weeping - tears can be an act of repentance, worship, praise, thanksgiving, and bring healing - we ought to allow ourselves to feel.
She came devoted - no concern for what anyone else thought, she was willing to look a fool, just like King David dancing in the street, if it meant worshiping her Lord.
This woman had the privilege of being able to come face to face with Jesus Christ, she was able to physically touch the Lord of her life. She could see Him and know His goodness and mercy first hand.
We may not have Jesus physically before us, but we have Him closer - He is within us.
In the words of Paul in Galatians 2:20
Active Acceptance
So how do we come? How do we truly receive Jesus Christ as Lord?
We revisit the cross. We bow down at His feet. We willingly pour out our hearts and minds to Him - we unashamedly allow Him into every dark place we’ve ever tried to hide - no holding back. We wash His feet with our tears and surrender our all to Him. We accept His sacrifice for what it is - that precious gift. We lay down our need to pay for our sins. We let go of our critical self. We choose to forgive ourselves as we reach out to the one who forgave us for our sins of yesterday, today and tomorrow. Why would we do it alone when we have One who seeks to walk with us through every high and low?
We come focused - eyes fixed on the only One who can save us. We come willing and ready to sacrifice our own desires and take up the cross He gives us. We come near - seeking Him above all else. We come with intention - determined to know the One who gave it all for us.
We come knowing - knowing there is an enemy who longs to condemn us, that little voice that tells you you’re just not good enough, that this incredible promise doesn’t apply to you, knowing it won’t be easy as the enemy comes to ‘steal, kill and destroy’ but knowing Jesus Christ lives inside us and His love never fails.
And as we truly come close, I believe, just like this woman, we will finally begin to understand the depth of His love, and the power and authority of His forgiveness. And as we receive this for ourselves, we will respond with love.
But how can we come to one we cannot see?
Quite simply, we come and we receive in faith.
So if you are willing, join me in this journey, let’s seek to spend time in His presence - find what works for you, perhaps a walk in nature helps you feel connected to the One who made it all, or maybe you get lost in musical worship, perhaps quiet times of prayer or studying the Bible. Whether it’s in the car on your way to work, talking with God as you walk through your day or committing to regular church meetings - connection is key in truly receiving Jesus Christ as Lord.
