BROKEN TO BE WHOLE
Finding God at the End of Your Rope - Part 1
Sunday, February 18, 2024
Luke 7:36-50, Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9
"Meanwhile, a woman from the city, a sinner, discovered that Jesus was dining at the Pharisee's house. She brought perfumed oil in a vase made of alabaster. Standing behind him at his feet and crying, she began to wet his feet with her tears. She wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured oil on them."
- Luke 7:37-38
Listen to this Week’s Sermon here:
Simon, the pharisee, disrespects Jesus in every possible way. No formal sign of welcome, no customary foot washing available, no anointing. He doesn't simply forget about such ceremonial practices. Surely he would not forget for any other honored guest. Rather he is demonstrating that in his eyes, Jesus is not an "honored" guest.
This sinful woman, on the other hand, goes over and above to honor Jesus far beyond what ceremony and tradition would expect. She is not even the host, but she understands that Jesus is worthy of more honor than anyone. More than that, she recognizes her own unworthiness to even be in his presence, and out of her brokenness, she pours out everything she has at Jesus' feet.
Our world tells us that when we are broken, when we have come to the end of our rope, that we must tighten our grip and hold on. "Just hang on a little longer," we say. "This too shall pass."
This idea of "hanging on" is not the way of Jesus. When we come to the end of our rope, Jesus reminds us that not only do we lack the strength to hold on, but that even if we could, it is a futile effort. How long will we hang there over the abyss? Even if we could hang on for a little while, we don't have the strength to climb back up. and even if we could climb back up, where would it get us? Eventually we would end up right back at the bottom. And that's exactly what so many people do. We spend our lives climbing up and down a rope that leads nowhere.
This sinful woman, in her humility and brokenness, shows us another way. "When you get to the end of your rope, let go."
"God's kingdom begins when you come to the end of yourself and realize you have nothing to offer. It's precisely the opposite of every assumption we tend to make in this world"
- Kyle Idleman
This is why Jesus says: "If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it" (Luke 17:33 (New Living Translation).
"Most people who lack the faith to go “all-in,” also lack the courage to get “all-out.” As a consequence, they remain stuck in a lukewarm netherland. The Christian faith is not like the Lion’s Club. It’s not volunteerism. There are no annual dues to keep one’s membership current? May I be emphatic? The Christian faith of the Bible is all or nothing. Now, may I risk being offensive? If you push back on my emphatic “all or nothing” assertion, it’s because you lack the courage to choose. Settling for the easy out of, “At least I’m doing something,” is not biblical faith. It’s nominal Christianity. The enemy of our age is not doing nothing. It’s the mentality that says something is enough... The greatest gift we can give to one another is to become graciously, yet brutally, honest with ourselves. Resolve this today. Abandon yourself to God in trust and submission."
- J.D. Walt