Where Faith Becomes Freedom
Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Luke 7:50
Some of the stories in the bible depicting encounters women had with Jesus illustrate a depth of understanding in who He was and their response in worship is quite dramatic.
In one instance we meet a sinful woman at a dinner party where Jesus is the guest of a Pharisee (Luke 7:36-50). During dinner the woman enters the room, positions herself at Jesus' feet and begins to cry. Her tears wash the dirt and grime off his feet and then she dries his feet with her hair and anoints his feet with perfume. This sinful woman knew something that even some of Jesus' disciples had not grasped. She knew the path to freedom from her sinful life was through believing in Jesus as Messiah. Jesus recognizes the intent of her heart and responds to her by saying: “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” In this act of devotion and Jesus' response a woman's life was changed for eternity.
At another dinner party in the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, Mary abandoned her normal and expected role of assisting Martha with food preparation for all of the guests. Instead she chose to sit at the feet of Jesus while He was teaching. Her devotion to Jesus led her to ignore the normal protocols in the community and to sit in a space normally reserved for men who are disciples of a rabbi. Her posture indicated submission to Jesus as her Lord. Jesus commends her for choosing the food he was offering instead of the meal they would enjoy together later.
There are two other occasions where Mary expresses herself in acts of worship. The first is when Jesus arrives after the death of Lazarus. Mary's response to the news of Jesus arrival is to leave the house, run out of the village, and fall at Jesus feet where she called him Lord and made this statement of belief: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Later as Jesus time of ministry was coming to a close He was once again at the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus for a dinner. On this occasion Mary took an expensive jar of perfume and poured it on Jesus feet and wiped his feet with her hair. Jesus recognized her act of devotion as preparation for his burial.
In twenty countries of our world women are being trained as disciple-makers. They are actively inviting other women to believe in Jesus and become worshippers like Mary. The women are equipped to help the new Jesus followers become disciple-makers as well. Lives are being changed for eternity by passionate women who are dedicated disciples of Jesus.
