The Citizen, 2010-02-25, Page 12By Rev. David WoodHuron Chapel Evangelical Missionary Church“Dearest Jimmy,
“No words could ever express the
great unhappiness I’ve felt since
breaking our engagement. Please say
you’ll take me back. No one could
ever take your place in my heart, so
please forgive me. I love you, I love
you, I love you! Yours forever,
Marie.
“P.S., And congratulations on
winning the state lottery.”
So this is love? I don't think so!
She just wants what she can get and
what he has to offer.
So much for unconditional love. I
don’t think it is really ever seen too
much this side of heaven
Listen to this. “The problem with
Christian culture is we think of love
as a commodity. We use it like
money. If somebody is doing
something for us, offering us
something, be it gifts, time,
popularity, or what have you, we feel
they have value, we feel they are
worth something to us (because we
are getting what we want). But with
love we withheld affirmation from
the people who did not agree with
us, but we lavishly financed the ones
who did.
“Love doesn’t work like money. It
is not a commodity. When we barter
with it, we all lose. When the church
does not love its enemies, it fuels
their rage. It makes them hate us
more.” (Blue Like Jazz, pp.218-219)
What the author was trying to say
. . . rarely do we see it.
Unconditional love is at best
conditional. and we couch the lack
thereof in Christian jargon
But the greatest of these is agape:
unconditional love.
I want to relate to you a real love
story. Picture it: we are in Simon the
Pharisee’s house in Galilee. A really
nice pad. Beautiful setting in the
luscious, green, mountain land of
Galilee – populated with cities
whose names mean “beautiful”, and
“delightful”.
And there is Jesus-reclining at a
feast, sitting among the hooty
tooties, the teachers of the Law,
religious leaders, and perhaps a few
other well-educated, curiosity-
seekers, dressed in their Pharisee
finest — surrounded by elegance,
fine dinnerware, white tablecloths,
cloth napkins folded so they look
like little Levite priests marching
toward the Temple. Two forks, two
spoons, and a butter knife with a
serrated edge, a water glass, a soda
glass, a wine glass and teeny, tiny
coffee cup – and at least two plates
more than you ever need. Why, even
the dirt floor has been swept. Okay,
maybe not quite but you get the
picture
It’s all so proper – respectable.
And then she shows up. I don't
know, maybe the room grows still as
her silhouette darkens the door.
Because you know what? She
doesn’t fit. She doesn’t belong there,and she, oh yeah, she is a person too,she has feelings and she is probablyfeeling way out of her comfort
zone.
Picture her: carefully, cautiously,
one step toward Jesus. Then another.
I don't know, maybe she expects
someone to point a finger at her and
scream, “This is no place for your
kind! Get out!” Or maybe she is just
waiting to be grabbed and thrown
head first out the door but no one
stops her.
But I bet they are thinking it. Tsk,
tsk, tsk!
Her steps quicken as she meets no
resistance. The shame so heavy on
her that her eyes are fixed fast on the
floor. Her long hair hides the flushed
face of humiliation. Or maybe it is
humility because she senses the
worth of the One she is approaching.
Once, maybe twice, her eyes
darted upward-looking for the
teacher from Galilee. She nearly
knocks over a chair or two as she
works her way around the room to
where Jesus is reclining.
This woman knew Jesus only by
reputation — at best, through the
miracles she had witnessed him do
in the lives of others. She comes to
Jesus, not as one who knows him
intimately, but as a stranger who
wants to.
VERSE 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.
Hear the words of this verse.
“She stood behind him.”
Whereas Simon sat at the head of
the table keeping Jesus closest to the
door – she stood behind him – in the
place of the subordinate; in the place
of reverence and respect-standing
behind him weeping. Tears pouring
from her eyes-gasping for breath
between sobs.
Read on: “She began to wet hisfeet with her tears. Then she wipedthem with her hair.”As the tears flow uncontrollably
from her eyes they begin to wet his
feet. Embarrassed, she searches for a
towel or a napkin, but they’re too
pretty to disturb, so she takes the
locks of her hair and begins to dry
his feet mortified that she has
allowed her tears to fall on the feet of
the Master.
But the more she wipes with her
hair, the more tears that fall –
desperately she begins to lap up the
teardrops with kisses as she is
overcome by a rainbow of emotions:
fear, frustration, shame, guilt, and
yes, even love . . . love.
Kissing the feet of the forgiver of
sins. Suddenly she produces an
alabaster jar. She pours it out. But
you cannot know the cost of the oil
in her alabaster jar.
Simon couldn't understand it
either. Simon saw a sinner. Jesus saw
a heart in need.
Simon thought he was quite a long
way on in the Kingdom of God –
compared to this sobbing mass
blubbering at Jesus feet.
Simon saw a sinful woman. Jesus
saw a woman full of every
possibility for recovery.
She reached out. He took her tiny,
quivering hand of faith and placed it
in his large steady hand of help and
healing.
Simon didn't know the cost of the
oil. He had no way of knowing that
at that moment she was much nearer
to the arms of God than he could
ever dream. She, being poor in spirit
became rich in God.
Simon, simply proud in spirit has
the auspicious distinction of being
recorded for all history as the man
who sat at meat with the Son of God
– and thought himself in a position
to patronize him.
VERSE 39: “When the Pharisee
who had invited him saw this, he
said to himself, ‘If this man were aprophet, he would know who istouching him and what kind ofwoman she is – that she is a sinner.
“Some Prophet! He doesn’t even
know what kind of a person is
touching him!”
Jesus answers Simon in verse 40:
“I have something to say to you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” Simon says.
“Tell me O great prophet who hasn’t
a clue about what kind of person is
touching you!
“Tell me peasant-preacher from
poor but beautiful Galilee. Share
with me, street preacher without a
Bible College Degree, from your
vast, studied insight.”
“”Disgraceful! Nothing short of
disgraceful to let this harlot – this
prostitute – fawn all over you! But
tell me Jesus. you tell me what’s on
your mind.”
And Jesus does: Two men owed
money. Neither could pay. Neither
the one who lived a godless life, nor
the one who tried to live according to
“works of righteousness”.
It doesn’t matter how many years
you’ve worked as a Bible salesman,
it doesn't matter how much money
you’ve given to missions, it doesn’t
matter how many weeks out of 52
you’ve been to church or how many
services you made each week. You
can't go to church enough. You can’t
give enough. You can’t sell enough
Bibles to get to heaven. You still
owe.
If it’s a dime it’s the same as adollar. If it’s ten dollars it’s the sameas a hundred. You can’t pay yourway out of the debt of sin.
So Jesus cancelled your debt.
Have you forgotten your debt? Have
you forgotten the magnitude of what
He has done for us?
There is a danger when we forget
the debt that was owed and the love
that accompanied it when it was
paid. We forget, and when we
forget, then we keep a tally on our
love expressed. We start using love
like a commodity ... love like money,
only spending on those who we like,
PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010.
YOU ARE WELCOME
9:45 a.m. Sunday School for all ages
10:30 a.m. - Sunday Morning Worship
Mid-week Bible Study
C H U R C H O F G O D ,ANDERS
O
N
,
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N
D
I
A
N
A
Timeless Truths
For Today
308 Blyth Rd. E., Blyth
Pastor Les Cook ~ 519-523-4590
Blyth Community Church of God
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca
Sunday, February 28
Ethel United Church
Worship Service and Sunday School - 9:30 a.m.
Brussels United Church
Worship Service and Sunday School - 11:00 a.m.
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
519-887-2664
11:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
From the Minister’s StudyYou can’t pay your way out of the debt of sin
getlivingwater.org
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
at Blyth Public School,
corner of King & Mill
Tuesdays 7:30 pm - Wingham Bible Study
1st & 3rd Wednesdays 7:30 pm - Women at the Well
Fridays 7:30 pm - Youth Group
Evangelical Missionary Church
February 28: Romans 10:8ff
“I have begun to
follow Jesus, and
am depending on
the Spirit of Jesus
in my journey.”
POTLUCK
- Men Cooking!
Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Blyth United Church
Office: 519-523-4224 Rev. Gary Clark
All Welcome
Sunday, February 28
Worship Service & Sunday School
at 11 a.m.
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
Welcomes you to come
and worship with us
Trinity, Blyth
9:15 a.m.
519-523-9595
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
519-887-6862
Sunday, February 28
Please join us for worship
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00am
Evening Service 7:30pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Pastor John Kuperus
Hwy. 4, Blyth
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, February 28
Brussels Public School
at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Sunday School for children
4 to 11 years of age (mornings only)
Childcare provided for infants and toddlers
Coffee & cookies after the morning service
For additional details please contact:
Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
Chris McMichael 519.482.1644
REV. DAVID WOOD
119 John’s Ave.,Auburn
519-526-1131
www.huronchapel.org
9:30 a.m.
Sunday School & Small Groups
10:30 a.m.
Morning Worship Service
Continued on page 18