Unapologetic Tears

Hello, friend, and welcome to this daily encouragement from Our Daily Bread. I'm Elisa Morgan, and I'd like to share today's reading with you that I titled Unapologetic Tears. I'm sorry, Karen said, apologizing for her flowing tears. After the death of her husband, she stretched herself to care for her teenage kids. When men from church provided a weekend camping excursion to entertain them and give her a break, Karen wept with gratitude, apologizing over and over for her tears.

Why do so many of us apologize for our tears? Simon, a Pharisee, invited Jesus to dinner. And in the middle of the meal, as Jesus reclined at the table, a woman who had lived a sinful life brought an alabaster jar of perfume. Luke chapter 7 verse 38 says, As she stood behind Jesus 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. Unapologetically, this woman freely expressed her love and then unwound her hair to dry Jesus' feet. Overflowing with gratitude and love for Jesus, she topped off her tears with perfumed kisses, actions that contrasted with those of the proper but cold-hearted host. Jesus' response? He praised her exuberant expression of love and proclaimed her forgiven. We may be tempted to squelch tears of gratitude when they threaten to overflow, but God made us emotional beings, and we can use our feelings to honor Him. Like the woman in Luke's Gospel, let's unapologetically express our love for our good God who provides for our needs and freely receives our thankful response.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Luke chapter 7 verses 36-44. When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, 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 came 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 money lender. One owed him 500 denarii and the other 50. Neither of them had the money to pay him back and 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. Let's pray. Loving God, thank you so much for your grace. Thank you for seeing our gestures of love, however we give them. Thank you for giving us the grace we need to love you back for loving us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.