On one Sabbath day, Jesus went into a synagogue in Nazareth and read a
prophecy in the book of Isaiah concerning His coming to the world to give
hope and salvation from darkness and bondage of sins (Luke 4:17-19). This
is the grace of God for we can all be free from sins and reconciled to the
holy God and even call Him Father when we believe in Jesus Christ, the son
of God, who came to the world to save sinners.
Luke 4:17-19
17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him.
Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
Please note that the good news is preached to the poor as Jesus told us in
the sermon of the mount. The poor does not mean people who live in
materialistic poverty but people who are humble before God because they
realised and confessed their spiritual bankcruptcy and are sorrowful of
their sins and ask God for forgiveness. Jesus says that they will receive
the kingdom of God (Matthew 5:3). Conversely, people who are complacent and
proud and think that they are righteous by their own standard will not be
grateful for the salvation grace of God (Matthew 9:12). When we have Jesus,
we will know the truth for His words are in our heart such that we will not
be enslaved by sins anymore (John 8:32). Jesus came not to recover sight for
a few blind persons physically, but to heal the spiritual blindnesss for all
who trust in Him (John 9:39) such that they see the power of the gospel
which save them from the enslavery and destruction of sins. They will be
very grateful to Jesus' salvation who sacrificed His own body to save us
from the wages of sins. Mary Magdelene who had been possessed by evil
spirits. Out of her great gratitude for Jesus' forgiveness of her sins and
setting her free from the oppression of evil spirits, She broke a jar of
very expensive perfume which could be her most precisous possession and
poured it to Jesus to prepare for His burial (John 12:3; Mark 14:7-9).
Similarly, on a different occasion which happened earlier than Mary's
annointing of Jesus, a woman who was a well-known sinner probably a
prostitue, in her hometown honored Jesus in public by pouring an alabaster
jar of perfume on Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair and tears (Luke
7:36-38). In contrast, Simon the Pharisee who invited Jesus for dinner,
showed not even a common courtesy by offering water for feet washing to his
guest. Rather, he was self-righteous and judged the woman as a sinner (Luke
7:44-47). Simon was blinded by his self-righteousness and could not see the
grace of salvation and therefore could not understand the acts of the sinful
woman who was expressing her great gratitude to Jesus.
When we believe in Jesus, it is natural for us to be grateful to Him also
for we realized that our sins have been forgiven and paid for by Jesus in
full. Therefore, gratitude is a good sign or evidence of faith in Jesus.
Therefore, Jesus explained plainly to Simon the Pharisee the motive of Mary
Magdalene's act of gratitude which was the evidence of her faith (Luke 7:44
-50).
Matthew 5:3
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 9:12
On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who
need a doctor, but the sick.
John 8:32
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you
free."
John 9:39
Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world,
so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."
Luke 7:36-38
36 Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner
with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37
When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus
was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume,
38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his
feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and
poured perfume on them.
Luke 7:39
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this
man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman
she is?that she is a sinner."
Luke 8:2
and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits
and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come
out;
John 12:3
3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured
it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled
with the fragrance of the perfume.
Mark 14:7-9
7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can
help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did
what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my
burial. 9 I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout
the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."
Luke 7:44-50
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon,
"Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any
water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with
her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I
entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my
head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her
many sins have been forgiven?for she loved much. But he who has been
forgiven little loves little." 48 Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 49 The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even
forgives sins?" 50 Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
By the way, as of today, we are still living in the year of the Lord's
favor. We may receive Jesus' salvation and our debts of sins will be
forgiven by God Himself and be reconciled with Him such that we may enter
His kingdom with our faith in Jesus Christ. Note that Jesus stopped after
reading the year of the Lord's favor at the verse in the book of Isaiah. The
later part of the same verse mentions the day of vengeance of God which
will be fulfilled when Jesus came again in judgement of all nations (Isaiah
61:2). Friends, let us take this precious opportunity to receive Jesus as
the Lord and spread out the good news to all who still do not.
Isaiah 61:2
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,