Mark 14:12 – On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go to prepare the Passover meal for you?”

¹³ So Jesus sent two of them into Jerusalem with these instructions: “As you go into the city, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. ¹⁴ At the house he enters, say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ ¹⁵ He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.” ¹⁶ So the two disciples went into the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.

¹⁷ In the evening Jesus arrived with the twelve disciples. ¹⁸ As they were at the table eating, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, one of you eating with me here will betray me.”

¹⁹ Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one?”

²⁰ He replied, “It is one of you twelve who is eating from this bowl with me. ²¹ For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”

²² As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take it, for this is my body.”

²³ And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. ²⁴ And he said to them, “This is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice for many. ²⁵ I tell you the truth, I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new in the Kingdom of God.”

²⁶ Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives. (NLT)

This familiar passage depicts the story of the Last Supper.  While this passage is usually reserved for Holy Week, it provides us with a powerful lesson on any day.  To understand what this passage can teach us, let us consider two revelations that Jesus shared with his disciples during the Last Supper.

First, in this passage Jesus shared that one of the twelve would betray him.  That revelation ‘greatly distressed’ the disciples, and each asked, “Am I the one?”  If we look at the other Gospel accounts of the Last Supper, we discover the second revelation that Jesus shared that night – he told Peter that he, too, would deny Jesus not once, but three times! (John 13:38, Luke 22:34).

How shocking it must have been for these disciples to know that at least two of them would deny Jesus.  They had known Jesus for several years, and followed him everywhere.  As difficult as Jesus’ revelation must have been that night, how many of us who have known Jesus for years still find that we stumble and deny Jesus?  How many times, by our actions and words (or lack of), have we denied truly knowing Jesus?

While it does sadden us to think that we have denied Jesus, we should celebrate the covenant that Jesus established at this meal.  Because of the Body and Blood of Jesus, we have peace with God.  Paul tells us in Romans 5:1 – “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” Because of Jesus, we do not have to fear God when we stumble, for we have grace!

Today, let us celebrate the peace of God, which certainly exceeds anything we can understand! (Philippians 4:7). 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Psalm 148:1 – Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord from the heavens!
Praise him from the skies!
² Praise him, all his angels!
Praise him, all the armies of heaven!
³ Praise him, sun and moon!
Praise him, all you twinkling stars!
⁴ Praise him, skies above!
Praise him, vapors high above the clouds!
⁵ Let every created thing give praise to the Lord,
for he issued his command, and they came into being.
⁶ He set them in place forever and ever.
His decree will never be revoked.

⁷ Praise the Lord from the earth,
you creatures of the ocean depths,
⁸ fire and hail, snow and clouds,
wind and weather that obey him,
⁹ mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
¹⁰ wild animals and all livestock,
small scurrying animals and birds,
¹¹ kings of the earth and all people,
rulers and judges of the earth,
¹² young men and young women,
old men and children.

¹³ Let them all praise the name of the Lord.
For his name is very great;
his glory towers over the earth and heaven!
¹⁴ He has made his people strong,
honoring his faithful ones—
the people of Israel who are close to him.

Praise the Lord! (NLT)

I can remember when I was a teenager my mother would sometimes say to me, “You better change your attitude, mister!”  She was right, of course.  I, like many teenagers, often had the wrong attitude.  Sometimes I had a rebellious attitude.  An attitude of rebellion is not unique to the young.  We often live out our rebellion in various ways.  After all, we are sinners living in a fallen world.

I believe that this psalm helps us maintain our focus, avoiding living a life of rebellion.  This psalm is one of the ‘hallelujah’ psalms.  Hallelujah means ‘praise the Lord’, and that phrase is repeated over and over again throughout this psalm.  What does ‘hallelujah’ and the having the right attitude have in common?  Praising God keeps us focused on the things of God, and focusing in the things of God helps us to continue to praise God.

There are plenty of things that would take our focus away from God.  Sometimes we can even involve ourselves in countless good things, yet still lose focus as to why we are doing what we do.  Throughout each day we must look for hallelujah moments.  We must be aware of the many opportunities we have each day to Praise the Lord!  Maybe it’s a beautiful flower garden.  Maybe it’s a kind gesture from a stranger.  I believe that we can find hallelujah moments most everywhere, we just need to stay aware.

Today, let us stay alert to the host of hallelujah moments that come our way.  Let us Praise the Lord throughout the day.  Let us stay focused, and we will in all times have the right attitude. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

1 Corinthians 14:1 – Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy. ² For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. ³ But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. ⁴ A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.

⁵ I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you could all prophesy. For prophecy is greater than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be strengthened.

⁶ Dear brothers and sisters, if I should come to you speaking in an unknown language, how would that help you? But if I bring you a revelation or some special knowledge or prophecy or teaching, that will be helpful. ⁷ Even lifeless instruments like the flute or the harp must play the notes clearly, or no one will recognize the melody. ⁸ And if the bugler doesn’t sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle?

⁹ It’s the same for you. If you speak to people in words they don’t understand, how will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into empty space.   ¹⁰ There are many different languages in the world, and every language has meaning. ¹¹ But if I don’t understand a language, I will be a foreigner to someone who speaks it, and the one who speaks it will be a foreigner to me. ¹² And the same is true for you. Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church. (NLT)

In this passage, Paul continues addressing a subject that began in chapter 12 – the subject of speaking in tongues.  Most of the Christians in Corinth had been members of various pagan religions before converting.  Pagan worship was characterized by words and sounds uttered without meaning.  The pagan worshippers would call this a state of ecstasy.  Many of these pagan converts were claiming that such a state of ecstasy was required for Christian worship.  Paul never claimed that speaking in tongues was not of the Holy Spirit (he even claimed to speak in tongues himself), but he did state that if one was gifted by the Holy Spirit to speak in tongues, then the gift would be used to build the church.  If there was no one to interpret, then speaking in tongues would be useless (verse 11).

It may be interesting to note that the word we translate as ‘tongues’ is the Greek word for language, or perhaps more specifically, dialect.  The KJV often adds the word ‘unknown’, but this was not in the Greek.  We should also note that the word we translate as ‘prophecy’ literally meant ‘to preach’.

For me, the most important part of this passage is found in verse twelve: “Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church.”  With this verse in mind, let me share that my favorite Spiritual Gift is the gift of helping others.  Yes, it’s a Spiritual Gift! Paul mentions this one in 1 Corinthians 12:28.  Some of the most wonderful church people that I know are not necessarily those that we would call great leaders.  They are the ones who seem to always show up and pitch in with whatever needs to be done.

Whether we know it or not, we have all received a Spiritual Gift: “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other” (1 Corinthians 12:7).  If you do not know what your gift is, please spend time in prayer as you discern your gift.  Just as there are tools to help companies discern personality types, there are tools to help you discern your spiritual gifts.   

Today, let us discern and celebrate our Spiritual Gifts, remembering that all gifts are given by the Holy Spirit to strengthen the Church. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

1 Corinthians 13:1 – If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. ³ If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

⁸ Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! ⁹ Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! ¹⁰ But when full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless.

¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. ¹² Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

¹³ Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. (NLT)

This chapter is probably the most familiar of all Pauline passages.  It is certainly the high point of Paul’s description of the Christian life.  There is a major difference between the King James Version and more modern translations.  The KJV uses the word charity, while other translations use the word love.  The word used in this passage is agape, and it was often used to mean unmerited love.  Most modern commentators call it unconditional love.  Perhaps, in 1611, when the KJV was written, the word charity carried more weight, but today we can best understand this passage when we use the word love.  

This unconditional love is certainly the type of love that God offers to us.  We do not earn God’s love, it is given freely and without conditions.  As Christians – imitators of Christ – we must seek to change our very nature so that we can extend this unconditional love to others.  This is possible through the presence of the Holy Spirit.  We are not to love others because they make us feel a certain way, we are to love without conditions.

Let me share something that I often share with my church.  To measure how we are doing in our Christian walk, replace the word love in verses four through seven with your name.  Read it aloud to yourself.  When we go through this little exercise, these verses become a bit more challenging, don’t they?  These verses certainly describe Christ, and as Christ followers we must change what we can about ourselves so that these verses begin to describe us.

Today, let us love others without any conditions.  Let us love like God loves us. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

1 Corinthians 12:27 – All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. ²⁸ Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:

first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who have the gift of leadership,
those who speak in unknown languages.

²⁹ Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? ³⁰ Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! ³¹ So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.

But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.

Chapter 13:1 – If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. ³ If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. (NLT)

When we read the Bible, chapter divisions can get in the way of properly understanding a passage.  Today’s passage is an excellent example.  If we treat chapter 13 as separate material, we miss the fullness of chapter 13.

Remember, the problem in the church in Corinth was divisions.  One of the largest divisions was spiritual gifts.  Those who were speaking in tongues were claiming that those who did not were not as spiritual as they.  In the closing verses of chapter 12, Paul gives a list of spiritual gifts (please note that this is not an exhaustive list of spiritual gifts).  Paul repeats the question with each gift – do we all possess this gift?  This was a rhetorical question. The answer was supposed to be obvious.  We do not all possess the same gifts.  So, this in itself should have addressed the issue of whether or not speaking in tongues was a requirement for being a spiritual person.  Sadly, this issue remains two thousand years later!

We must keep in mind that chapter 13 – the celebrated ‘love chapter’ – is in direct

response to those who claimed that they were superior because they spoke in tongues.  Look at verse 1: “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” When Paul mentioned speaking the language of angels, he was referring to tongues.  If one could speak in tongues, but did not have love, they were just a clanging cymbal.  A clanging cymbal was what used to awaken the pagan gods as one entered into a pagan temple.  The Corinthians were well aware of this practice.  Paul is saying that that if they did not have love – and dividing themselves was not love – then they were as useless as a cymbal that was trying to awaken a non-existent god!  Powerful words!

Today, no matter what our gift, let us seek what is best of all – love.  In all our conversations, all our responses, all our thoughts, and all our actions, let us seek love. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

1 Corinthians 12:12 – The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. ¹³ Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

¹⁴ Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. ¹⁵ If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

¹⁸ But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. ¹⁹ How strange a body would be if it had only one part! ²⁰ Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. ²¹ The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

²² In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. ²³ And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, ²⁴ while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. ²⁵ This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. (NLT)

Today we have one of my favorite passages in the New Testament – the Body of Christ.  What a wonderful analogy for the Church.  Paul gives a list of body parts, telling the divided Corinthian church that just as they need every part of their bodies to be whole and complete, they need one another for the Church – the Body of Christ at work in the world – to be complete.  Just as we cannot divide our bodies and continue to function, the Church cannot be divided and function.

Think of your own church and all of its many functions: children’s ministries; youth ministries; teaching ministries; mission ministries; outreach ministries; and many more.  Just as one part of our body is really nothing in and of itself, the Church cannot function with just one ministry.

I use Church with a big ‘C’ because the Church – the Body of Christ – is really more than any one local church.  A local church may have great local missions, while another church has great foreign missions.  Another may have great youth ministry.  Paul was writing to one local church, but in reality all local churches are connected through the mystical union of the Holy Spirit.  Can one local church be all things to all people?  I am proud of the work that my own church takes part in, but there are people we cannot reach with what we do.  Another church across town may reach a demographic that my church could never reach.  These churches are all part of the Body.  The Body is not one ministry.  The Body is not one church.  To use a phrase in a different context, for Christ’s sake we must work together! 

For too long, Christians have divided themselves for a multitude of reasons.  Just as there are different gifts within a local church, there are different gifts in different churches.  

Today, thank God for your local church, but let us also thank God for the Church.   As you drive past various churches, offer a prayer for the work of that church.  Celebrate the people that are reached with the message of God’s grace in various churches.  We need one another.  Let us not be divided, but united through the Holy Spirit. 

Posted by Ramón Torres 

1 Corinthians 12:1 – Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this. ² You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. ³ So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴ There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. ⁶ God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

⁷ A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. ⁸ To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. ⁹ The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. ¹⁰ He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. ¹¹ It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. (NLT)

As we look at this passage, we must recall that the major problem that the Church in Corinth was facing was divisions amongst the members.  They had divided because of education, economic status, and because of thw Christian leaders whom they followed.  As we discover here in chapter twelve, they were also dividing because of spiritual gifts.  The section that is begun here continues through Chapter fourteen.

Verses one through three seem strange to our modern ears.  What was going on in those worship services?  They were quite different from what we are familiar with, to be sure!  Most of the Corinthian Christians had been pagans before converting, and in the pagan rituals many worshippers would be moved into a state of spiritual ecstasy.  This is what Paul is referring to in verse two when he says that they were ‘swept along’ in their worship.  Who would have been saying that ‘Jesus be cursed?’  We really cannot say, but Paul makes it clear that such speech is not from God, and it was certainly not the Spirit of God that put those words in anyone’s mouth.

I find it interesting that in verses four through six, Paul uses the words Spirit, Lord, and God interchangeably.  While we do not find the word ‘Trinity’ in the New Testament, we can clearly see the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.  God the Spirit is the source of spiritual gifts.  With these spiritual gifts we serve Jesus, our Lord.  God works differently in each of us, but it is the same God, even though we are different.

We should note that the list of spiritual gifts mentioned in this passage is not an exhaustive list.  There are other passages that give us other gifts.  The gifts that Paul mentions in these verses were the gifts that the Christians in Corinth were using to divide themselves.  Paul will go into further detail later in this chapter about the purpose of spiritual gifts, but for today suffice it to say that since it is the same God who gives different people differing gifts, then God does not want these differing gifts to divide God’s people.

In our own churches we all have people with differing gifts and interests.  Some are gifted to work with the homeless, while others are gifted to work with foreign mission projects.  Some are gifted to work with children, while others with music.  Sadly, even within what appears to be healthy churches there are divisions amongst Christians because of their differing interests.

Today, let us recognize that we are all part of one Body – the Church.  Let us celebrate our differing gifts and interests, which are given to us so that we may work together for the good of the Church.  

Posted by Ramón Torres

Matthew 9:1 – Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. ² Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.”

³ But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?”

⁴ Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? ⁵ Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? ⁶ So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

⁷ And the man jumped up and went home! ⁸ Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for sending a man with such great authority. (NLT) 

Many years ago there was a Mel Brooks comedy by the name of High Anxiety.  My sister and I would often quote a line from that movie in a joking way.  We would say, “There are a lot of sick people in the world.  Sick, sick people.”  Indeed, there are a lot of sick people in the world, in fact, we’re all sick!  We all suffer from a sickness in our souls called sin.

While on this earth, Jesus cared for people in many ways.  He taught about God and grace, he fed multitudes, and he healed.  Ultimately, Jesus came to heal, but it wasn’t physical healing that was his top priority, it was the healing we all need from sin sickness.  The ancient Jews were well aware that sin prevented them from enjoying a close relationship with God, therefore when Jesus encountered this suffering man, he granted him what his soul needed most, forgiveness.  The religious teachers did not believe that Jesus was of God, and they accused him of blasphemy.  Knowing their thoughts, Jesus basically says, “All right, if that’s not what you want I’ll go ahead and cure his physical infirmities.”

In verse nine the people praise God for Jesus, but I’m not sure as to exactly why they were praising God.  Were they praising God for the healing of physical infirmity, or for the forgiveness of sins?  I do believe that miraculous healings occur, and have witnessed it myself, but I think this text begs us to question ourselves: Are we be more willing to praise God for physical healing than we are the forgiveness of our sins?  Everyone who was healed of physical infirmities in the Bible has long since died of other causes.  Likewise, all who are healed physically in our time will also one day die a physical death.  There is a healing, however, that enables us to live eternally with God.  This is why we worship.  This is why we praise God. 

Today, let us take some time to praise God for the miraculous gift of the healing of our souls.  That’s not just Good Stuff, that’s God Stuff!

Posted by Ramón Torres

Matthew 8:28 – When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. ²⁹ “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”

³⁰ Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. ³¹ The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

³² He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. ³³ Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. ³⁴ Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region. (NIV)

While the gospel writer doesn’t mention it, I’m sure it must have been a dark and stormy night, or at least a heavy fog laid over the graveyard! We have some real drama in this passage, so let’s dive into it.  We have demon possessed men coming out from the tombs.  This sets up a battle between evil and good.  Jews would never hang around a graveyard.  The dead, and the graves that held them, were unclean.  Right from the start we have some unclean and possessed people confronting Jesus.

Next, there was a large herd of pigs – more uncleanliness for the Jews.  The demons immediately recognize the power of Jesus.  They recognize his ultimate authority.  Knowing that they stand no chance against the power of God, they ask Jesus to send them into the herd of pigs, which Jesus does.  The pigs then run off a cliff and drown in the water.  Everything that was evil in this passage is destroyed by just a word from Jesus. 

This story tells us two important things.  First, we learn that no one needs to remain under the power of evil.  With just a word, Jesus can send anything and everything that is evil running!  We live our lives battling sin, and the power to overcome is not within us.  Jesus, however, has that power, and Jesus is quick to share that power with us.  We need only seek Jesus.   

Secondly, let us note that the entire town went out to meet Jesus, pleading with him to leave.  Yes, their livelihood was destroyed, but that is not the point for us.  The point for us is that there will be opposition to the things of God.  If we think that we can live for Jesus without opposition, we are mistaken!  We will be opposed by evil when we stand for Jesus.  We must be always ready to call on Jesus to help us in our weakness.

Today, let us seek from Jesus the power to overcome sin.  Then, let us seek even more of Jesus when evil stands in our way. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Luke 7:36 – One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. ³⁷ When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. ³⁸ Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting 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 what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”

⁴⁰ Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.” “Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.   ⁴¹ Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. ⁴² But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”   ⁴³ Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”

“That’s right,” Jesus said. ⁴⁴ Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.

⁴⁷ “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” ⁴⁸ Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”   ⁴⁹ The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?”  ⁵⁰ And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (NLT)

Scandalous behavior!  Yes, that’s what we have in this passage, downright scandalous behavior – at least in the eyes of one of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day.  While there have been many theories, we really don’t know who this woman was, or even what her sins were.  I’m glad we don’t, for then we would be tempted to act scandalously ourselves and judge her.  As the story reads, all we know is that she was immoral.  In the context of that day, this could have referred to a host of sins. 

What we do know is that she came to wash and anoint the feet of Jesus.  This seems strange to our modern sensibilities, but in ancient times it was common for a slave to wash the feet of a traveler when they entered into a home.  This woman offered to Jesus the most menial of duties, and she offered freely.  Simon, the religious leader, took exception to her actions and spoke to Jesus about her behavior.  The answer Jesus gives challenges me:  “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”

This begs the question – just how much have we been forgiven?  The answer, of course, is much!  We have been offered forgiveness for all the sins we have ever committed, and for all the sins we will ever commit.  Should we not show much love to Jesus for our forgiveness?  How do we show our love for Jesus?  Jesus teaches us in Matthew 25:40 that when we show our love to anyone, we show love to Jesus – “I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!”

Today, let us show our love for Jesus by showing our love to all!

Posted by Ramón Torres