Luke 7:36-39 Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.”
47-48 For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.”
She took a great risk by coming into this house. Simone was a Pharisee; a hard man who had often publiclly, when in her presence, exposed her sin, in judgement and condemnation. People like Simon shunned her, and demanded others do the same. She already hated herself, and to come into the home of one who affirmed her self rejection was a bizarre act, yet she was desperate, and her brother and sister had told her about Jesus and His transforming love. She brought with her an alabaster vial of perfume, prepared to waste it on Him, if He truly turned out to be what she had heard and hoped He would be. Once in the room she found her self standing behind Him openly weeping. She must have wondered what was happening to her. You see, once again she felt her sins were before her, but this time it was so different. In this Mans presence she did her sins revealed, but this time not exposed. This time she didn’t feel rejected or shunned. This time she felt love. More than love, she felt accepted, and clean. Even more than that, she felt delighted in; adored, even celebrated. She felt wanted, but for the first time, not for what she had to give, but just for her who she was as someone of extreme worth. All she could do in the presence of such forgiveness, and holy affection was weep. This though, was a different kind of weeping. It was the weeping of cleansing joy and discovery. Her discovery of the love of Christ caused her to crumble at His feet as She shamelessly worshipped Him, loving Him back in absolute surrender. Everything, in a moment, had changed in His presence. She had often given her body lovelessly to other men, who never cared to have for her heart, but this time she was giving her life, out of awakened love, to One who only wanted her heart. She, who had so wasted her life, had finally found the love of her life, and in that moment decided waste her life on Him.
This is Lent. Coming into His presence, unclean and ashamed, once again discovering, and being made New in that discovery. This is the birthing place of true revival, which Lent really is; the womb of revival.