For those with faith in Christ, there is always a happy ending.
Are you like me, not always ready and willing to admit to wearing the same shoes as certain sinners from the Bible? May this fellow sinner’s story fill you with peace in Christ, who has filled our shoes through his gospel of good news.
This is a true story about a woman who lived a sinful life.
A Pharisee invited Jesus to have dinner with him, and so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she went there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 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. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven [that is why she loved so much]. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even ‘forgives sins?”Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:36-50).
Perhaps you are familiar with the story. Jesus has accepted a dinner invite from a Pharisee named Simon. He reclines at a table to eat, and a woman (who was likely a prostitute) washes his feet with her tears. Simon is offended that Jesus is letting her touch him because “she is a sinner.” Jesus tells Simon a simple parable about a moneylender who forgave two debtors to show him that the bigger the debt, the bigger the forgiveness, the greater the love from the one forgiven.
Then he directs Simon to the woman.
You are that woman. I am that woman. We deserve a rebuke like the prophet Nathan gave David after committing adultery and murder, “You are that man!” (2 Sam. 12:7). It only takes a little reflection to realize we, too, have lived a sinful life in thought, word, and deed. One might be tempted to think, I'm not a prostitute. I didn't commit adultery or murder like David. I’m not as bad as that person. But the truth is, “all have sinned” (Rom. 3:23). Even someone who considers themselves as having “lesser debt,” James 2:9-10 says, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”
We all have our “shoeful.” Things such as hatred, envy and greed, gossip, lust, lying, vanity and pride, selfishness, self-righteousness, sloth, complaining, arguing, doubt…if the shoe fits, wear it.
But this woman’s story doesn’t end here, and neither does ours. For those with faith in Christ, there is always a happy ending.
It's a beautiful thing to put ourselves in her shoes. Notice how the woman pursued Jesus: she “learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there.” She went to Jesus immediately, and stood behind him at his feet, weeping, pouring out her sins and sorrows, washing his dirty feet with her tears. She wiped them with her hair and worshipped him. The woman had intentionally brought with her costly perfume to pour on Jesus’ feet. In this way, she expressed her love and devotion.
As the Pharisee “loved little” and self-righteously observed the woman, other eyes were on her too; Luke mentions there were guests present, questioning Jesus’ ability to forgive. But that didn’t stop her. She had her eyes (even her hair, hands, and lips) fixed on Jesus. He had her heart. Jesus wanted the Pharisee to know that this great love was a natural result of great forgiveness. So he explained how he had not received water to wash his feet, or a kiss, nor did Simon anoint his head with oil. The woman, on the other hand, wet his feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed his feet, and anointed them with perfume.
Notice how the woman stayed close to Jesus the whole time and didn't stop kissing his feet from the time he entered the house. (And he didn’t leave her, even while she bore a bad reputation as a prostitute in the community.)
There, at her Savior’s feet, she received freedom from her “bigger debt” and the good news and peace that only Jesus gives: “Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
And we can do the same. Pursue Jesus (because he’s already pursuing you). Pour out your heart (because he already knows – he wore and walked in your shoes). Stay close by (because he never leaves you nor forsakes you). Sit and listen a little longer at our dear Savior’s beautiful feet. Tell him more. Don’t stop.
He loves you. You love him.
By faith in Jesus, the good news and peace that only he gives are ours every day. Having freed us from our “lesser” and “bigger” debts, cleansing and making us holy by his blood, he says to you and me, “Your many sins have been forgiven; that is why you love so much. Your faith has saved you. Go in peace…and share my good news.”
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news of peace, who preach the gospel of good things!” (Rom. 10:15)
Heather Schulz is married to the second love of her life, Daniel (Christ is her first love). She also carries close to her heart their nine children. She is a writer and author of Spiritual Musings of a Simple Mother; God's Word and Quotes for Plain Folks (to be released in 2025-26). As a homemaker for 27+ years, Heather enjoys cooking, gardening, house renovations, most anything outdoors, laughing, listening at Jesus' feet, and anything involving food, fun, faith, fellowship, and family.
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