Today’s narrative has three main characters in it.
• Jesus who is having dinner at Simon’s house.
• Simon a Pharisee and host of this dinner engagement.
• And an unnamed woman with a less than stellar reputation.

Luke 7:36-50
One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little. And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

A woman who had led a sinful life was present in the home. When she saw Jesus, she began to weep and our text indicates that she wept so profoundly that the tear drops were enough to wet the surface of Jesus’ feet.

The sinful woman gave a precious gift to Jesus with the perfume. It was the best she had; she did not hold anything back.

I am thinking that we each have an alabaster jar? Something like a precious gift that you have that you can give to Jesus, but maybe you’re holding it back

Maybe we are secretly saying that we really do not have anything good to give to Jesus.

• Whatever you do have, give it to Jesus.
• If it is broken, and that is all you have, give it to Jesus.
• If it is marginal, and that is all you have, give it to Jesus.
• If it is ugly, and that is all you have, give it to Jesus.

Jesus takes what we have, works with us, and refines it and makes it beautiful. He is a specialist at taking our brokenness and turning it into something that will glorify him.

Do you see people’s faults or their potential?

What are the expressions of your worship? The expressions of our worship directly reflect the forgiveness that Jesus has given each of us.