Last week, we met to read and discuss the scriptures with a group of friends made of multiple countries including Africans, Americans, and South Asians, all of whom are seeking to follow Jesus, although each in different stages. Some were believers, others coming from Muslim backgrounds who have not yet fully decided to follow Christ.
In this particular meeting, we were reading about the sinful woman who entered into Simon the Pharisee’s house. She had been crying, wetting Jesus’s feet with her tears, wiping them clean with her hair, and pouring alabaster perfume upon him. It is clear from the story that this woman felt the weight of what she had done, the sins that she had committed, and needed forgiveness. She came to Jesus because she knew that he could give that forgiveness to her. If you want to read the story, you can find it in Luke 7:36-50 or watch it in this video:
In the course of these groups, we ask simple questions to start conversation amongst the people in the group. Questions such as…
What do we learn about God?
What do we learn about people?
How can we put what we have learned here into practice in our own lives?
As we got to these last couple of questions, there was a lot of conversation around the room, bouncing from one person to the next, but then suddenly, out of nowhere, and having said almost nothing in the conversation previously, one of my Muslim friends says…
It was her chance…
I turned to him quickly and asked him to repeat what he said, and he said it again. It was clear that he wasn’t sure what to say next so I didn’t press him further at that point, but he clearly understood. He knew that this woman knew how sinful she was and that now was her time to come to Jesus, bowing at his feet in repentance, yet also in a worshipful way. He recognized that this was her time, and we are praying that he also recognizes this same time has come for him.
All of us have points in our lives where we need to make decisions. This woman was making decisions based on the holiness of God and the holiness of the life that Jesus was calling her to live. Do we also understand the holiness of God and consider our lives in that light?
This woman came before Jesus in repentance and worship. Do we also bow our knees and come before him in tears asking for forgiveness for what we have done?
We are praying that our Muslim friend will find Jesus in this same way. We pray that he will come to him in recognition of Jesus as both his lord, whom our friend must follow and do as Jesus says, as well as savior, who offers complete forgiveness for his sins, making him clean.
Thank you God for this amazing gift! We pray that many will follow the example of this woman, bowing their knees in repentance and worship of Jesus.