GOoDLifePrecepts: By: KeviJ
In my teenage years, I was a very different person from who I am today. I was raised on the streets of New Orleans, LA. I sometimes reminisce about how easy it was to catch a ride as I went from place to place. All I had to do was get all dressed up, put on my makeup, feel confident, and make eye contact with the drivers who circled the block or slowed down to ask where I was going, welcoming the attention. Looking back now, I see those days with a new lens, of course. I remember the day I met Jesus: in that memory, He was the driver in the Rolls-Royce—elegant and inviting, exuding royalty and status as he pulled up alongside me, inviting me in for a ride. Of course, it wasn’t literal—but that’s how he came to me, unlike the others. He saw right through me— knowing everything about me, my past, my fears, and my hopes all at once. He knew what I needed and offered to take me places I’d never been, and do for me what no one else could. That was the moment I truly felt seen, loved, preferred, and chosen by Him, invited to a life filled with grace, forgiveness, and purpose all at once.
As we connect my story with the question we’re diving into this session, it makes more sense:
“Do you see this woman?”
We can catch a glimpse of how our heavenly Father views us. Grace sees what others overlook and transforms what others dismiss. The truth is, Jesus stripped away my filters of judgment, fear, and pride in this context because when He saw me fully, as he did the unnamed woman in the text, it meant restored identity, dignity, and even a future. Yes, now I boldly say, regardless of the offense, there’s grace for that. Jesus wasn’t sending her away; He was welcoming her into a restored life. The kingdom precept in this passage is that we can be “Fully known, Fully Loved, and Fully Restored—not despite our past, but because we took that past and placed it at His feet.
The boldest worship often emerges from the most broken places. Everything was at stake; she might have been shooed away or harshly reprimanded, but she didn’t care about the whispers, or her reputation—which she knew better than anyone present. Jesus revealed prophetic insight by showing Simon, in his parable, that this lady had a greater degree of debt/sin than he did; therefore, she loved most. Yet in that moment, none of it mattered to her; the one her soul loved was present, and she recognized the depth of the forgiveness she needed. Can you imagine having the opportunity to pour out your love and gratitude to Jesus? There are some risks you’ve got to take, and you can’t be a coward. The people in the room had a recollection of her past, but she knew her future was different because of an encounter with Jesus. Her worship was unrecognizable—raw and yet divine. She didn’t need to speak words; her worship spoke volumes.
Undoubtedly, every action in this passage is a principle that can be unpacked within itself. She went uninvited, crossing cultural boundaries; she cried, a public display of her outward emotions. She let her hair down, as scandalous as getting undressed in public; she kissed the feet of a man who wasn’t her husband, unashamed and unfiltered, and she poured out perfume— her livelihood, as a different kind of offering. We know that this unnamed lady had an agenda. She was left unnamed for a reason; every one of us could benefit from doing what she did now, in a contemporary context. We understand what it meant then by examining the responses of those on the scene, but we also know what it meant to Jesus. Are we willing to live for an audience of one? Her body proclaimed repentance, her tears spoke of gratitude, and her hands declared his honor in her love for Him, a love that even dared her to show up to worship from her heart.
The current context of the world we live in is obsessed with being seen—but not fully known. We curate profiles, perform for the likes, but this woman shows us what it means to remember that we are but dust, we need His grace every day. Without speaking, she was heard. Without performing, she was valued. Without being perfect, she was still loved by the greatest lover of all. You may not know this, but Jesus sees beyond the masks and filters we put on down to the heart level—He calls it beautiful only when it’s sincerely poured out at His feet. This unnamed lady didn’t need validation from the crowd—just a glance from the Savior.
Time of Reflection:
** Two thoughts to Ponder:**
You and I can come to Jesus with everything and be fully loved, without any performance or perfection required.
Our first step is to be authentic, withhold nothing out of fear He’ll reject our offering. Being unfiltered, unashamed and surrendered is okay!
**Heart Probing Question:**
Do I believe I am fully known, completely seen, and radically loved by Jesus in this moment?
Scripture References and study sources:
Luke 7:44–50
1 Corinthians 8:3
Galatians 4:9
Chronological Study Bible
Shall we close this time in prayer:
Jesus, I know You see me, not the performance I put on for others, not the titles I carry or the shame I hide, you see my tears, fears, and flaws, and you still love me unconditionally. Let me pour out at your feet in the same way this unnamed lady did, I know You’re worth that from me. Help me live as courageously surrendered and beautifully yours as she did. In Your Son Jesus’ name I pray, Amen
May you never again question your worth. He sees you. He knows you. And He loves you deeply.
