PURE GRATITUDE

Jesus was the special guest in the Pharisee's home, and merriment was in full gear. Just as everyone was lost in their mirth, then came into their midst a woman of "easy virtue." Gingerly bearing an alabaster box, she made straight to pour same on Jesus' feet. On citing her, silence and the sweet fragrance of the perfume engulfed the room. How did she get in? Who invited her, and what did she want? Not minding their gaze, she continued her mission, poured the entire content of an alabaster box on His feet, and wiped them with her hair. The occupants of the room were alarmed. What an audacious move! If Jesus was indeed a prophet, He should have known she did not qualify to be in their presence. Why would she waste such expensive perfume? A whole year's wage for dirty feet? What is a woman of loose virtue looking for in such an august gathering Pray tell, in their conceit, how would they imagine she had a noble cause and her deed was divinely orchestrated. Jesus was supposed to be a special guest of honour, yet, no one washed His feet before he came into the house. This woman did much more than washing feet; she anointed them. To think she was showing her heartfelt gratitude. Her "thank you" was meeting the Master's need and incurring the wrath of hypocrites. Amazing! Did she envisage the effect her actions would have? We can safely answer, no, she did not. Her life revealed that when our worship is from the heart and in gratitude to God for all He had done, we might just be etching our names and deeds in the tablets of history.Interestingly, the people who queried the woman's actions and Jesus' "no reaction" did so because she, by her action, exposed their hypocrisy. How did they know she was not worthy?