Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Good morning, special ones.
Becki and I did our little dog ball-throwing walk/jog on our place again. Our cat was out as a break from her babies and had already caught a mouse for breakfast. She seems to like to get involved in the activity too.
Jesus didn’t go around making altar calls in the course of His preaching ministry. At least I don’t see evidence of that. However, it would seem that this woman is responding to an altar call made by the internal promptings of the Holy Spirit. We could spend a lot more time discussing that idea. But think about it.
I just received news that the last sandblasted panel is ready for pick up. There’s lots more on the agenda—including having the little boys here again this afternoon.
Have a blessed day..
Love, Dad/Ray.
The Bible constantly reveals the tension and contrast between two basic kinds of people. They are the enlightened and the unenlightened. We could also borrow from Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians and call them the spiritual and the natural. That contrast is shown here as well. The woman is spiritually enlightened in ways we are not clearly told and follows her compelling urge to express her love, gratitude, and surrender by tears and sacrifice. The Pharisee, on the other hand, although he poses as a “spiritual leader,” is really a natural man and “does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1Corinthians 2:14). (See also Romans 8:5-8.) He is, therefore, quite irritated with this whole display of this woman of disrepute coming in and carrying on the way she was. It seemed to him to be not only foolish but wrong. Nor do unregenerate people of today understand or appreciate sincere believers becoming so passionate in their faith and worship that they display emotions and WEEP. They are very inclined to write off all such things as so much hyped-up nonsense. Although hype for hype’s sake becomes that—nonsense—a profound lesson remains in the fact that Jesus approves of the repentant woman and reprimands the self-righteous Pharisee. Please pay attention.
I observe that this woman is giving a kind of practical demonstration of Jesus’ teaching in the previous chapter—6:20-23. Read it again. There is indication there that WEEPING is a very proper and legitimate expression of worship, repentance, and love on the part of the spiritually enlightened. (See also Psalm 126:5-6; Jeremiah 9:1;14:17; 31:15-16; Acts 20:19,31; 2 Corinthians 2:4.)
It is certainly not my intention to be inflicting discomfort, but if my handling of this passage is appropriate, perhaps we would do well to ask ourselves a question like this: “When is the last time I found myself WEEPING in the presence of Jesus?” Think about it.