I believe two testimonies in the Bible show why some humbly and genuinely worship God and others don’t. Luke 7 36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 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. 39 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.” 40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. 41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 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?” 43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. 44 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. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
The above Biblical passage includes the testimony of a Pharisee, a conservative, religious leader and a scholar, who invited Jesus to his house for dinner but did not even give Jesus the customary show of respect of providing water to wash his feet of the grit and grime of a dusty road. Plus, he did not give Him a kiss on the cheek or put oil on his head revealing no love or affection.
However, a harlot shows up unexpectantly crashing the dinner event and spontaneously falls on her face from behind Him washing the feet of Jesus with her tears drying them with her hair! Then, she kissed his feet repetitively pouring perfume on them, personal sacrificial gifts. She truly worshipped Jesus!
Jesus gives the bigtime “man of God” an eternal lesson. The one who truly worships Jesus is the one who realizes the magnitude of grace and mercy it took to genuinely and thoroughly forgive and save him/her of the multitudes of personal sin. The harlot not the religious leader understood this and worshipped Him.
If you think you don’t really need God and can stand on your own righteousness and merits, you will never understand the joy of personal worship and forgiveness. Conversely, if you think you don’t deserve forgiveness because of your brokenness and sinfulness and are humbly grateful to the One who has forgiven and saved you, you will truly understand worship.
Meditate on the following two verses in 1 John 18 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Verse 9 gives us something to eternally celebrate.
Lord, I praise and worship you recognizing that I can only because of your grace and mercy. Hallelujah! Praise your glorious name!
Barnabas Man 