Learning to Sit at the Feet of JesusSýnishorn

The Unknown Woman 

Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

So he said, “Teacher, say it.”

“There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”

And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

—Luke 7:36–50

The identity of the woman in this passage is unknown. Some say she was Mary Magdalene; others say she was Mary of Bethany. Some believe she was a prostitute or a woman who had been caught in adultery. But Luke chose to just identify her as a woman who was a sinner, because in reality her name or the nature of her sin isn’t important. She is a woman all of us can relate to because we are all sinners; we “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). 

This legendary woman recognized her state. She recognized her sin. She recognized her need for forgiveness. And she recognized the One who freely offered that forgiveness. 

It started with her tears. Her heart was so full that there was no place for the overflow to go except out of her eyes. His grace had made her spiritually clean, had cleansed her from all unrighteousness; now she used the outpouring of her heart to make Jesus’ feet physically clean. 

The woman then used her hair to wipe His feet. The Bible talks about a woman’s hair being her glory (1 Cor. 11:15). She understood that there was more glory in understanding and knowing the Lord, who exercises lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth (Jer. 9:24). And she understood that true glory belongs to God and God alone. 

But the woman wasn’t done. She then anointed Jesus’ feet with fragrant oil. It was an offering, poured out on the feet of Jesus and producing a pleasing aroma. The oil was an expensive, extravagant gift. But it was worth it to show her devotion, her gratitude, and her love for Jesus. 

She is a living sacrifice. She is a drink offering, continually poured out as a pleasing aroma.