Then one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. When a sinful woman from that town learned that Jesus was dining there, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair. Then she kissed His feet and anointed them with the perfume. vs36-38

Love caused her to do everything! She was forgiven of much, so she loved much.

The danger is we have a religion of doing! We show up in church, give an offering, and learn the songs... but we don’t have a heart like this woman! We’ve never obtained mercy, and we are not astonished at grace. This indifference to the gospel is nothing more than dead, fake religion. It is not what this woman had.

She was thrilled to be with Christ, humbled by His mercy, and the thought of salvation caused her to go to great lengths, even though her love was despised by others. She didn’t care how it looked or her past! She had love that must vent itself!

“Then Mary,’ Another woman Jesus helped by raising her brother Lazarus from the dead, ‘took about a pint of expensive perfume, made of pure nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” [John 12:3]

Secondly, the sinfulness of the sinner does not hinder us from serving; it forms the reason that we love so much [Luke 7:39]!

When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who this is and what kind of woman is touching Him—for she is a sinner!”

We were dead in trespasses and in sins, lost, with no way to recover ourselves! We lived for the world, hated godliness, and had contempt for God. We sought to please ourselves, even after learning the gospel, and we lived as if salvation was nothing. We were ignorant, blind, and lost, but He saved us - choosing us, not someone else, and choosing us to be with Him in pleasure since He died for our sins.

But David said to Michal, “I was dancing before the LORD, who chose me over your father and all his house when He appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel. I will celebrate before the LORD, [2 Sam 6:21]

Our salvation wasn’t cooperation; it was God.

Sovereign mercy and goodness brought love into our heart, and we experienced FREEDOM FROM SIN!

Finally, the problem with our loving little is we don’t recognize how great salvation is [Luke 7:40-47]!

And turning to the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give Me water for My feet, but she wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not greet Me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing My feet since I arrived. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she has anointed My feet with perfume. Therefore I tell you, because her many sins have been forgiven, she has loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

We take it for granted! We think salvation is a light thing, and the opinions of men are heavy. We think mercy is small but money is big! We think little of our Savior!

Oh, it ought to break out heart to be so foolish and inconsiderate of the gospel - to count Christ’s blood insignificant, grace as expected, mercy as inconvenient, and newness of life as optional!

We don’t really value these gifts, or we’d be like this woman, pouring our love out lavishly on Christ! We’d be happy and filled with love. We’d have power over sin.

Let us correct this by going to the Fountain daily, asking Him to renew our strength and move us by His mercies. Let’s be like Israel, getting fresh manna.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions. [Ex 16:4]