Be Grateful to Jesus (Being Like the Sinful Woman Part 5)
This is Part 5 in my blog series Being Like the Sinful Woman which was originally published during Lent 2019. I introduced the story of the sinful woman in Part 1. Please start there if you have not read it already.
The sinful woman from Luke 7 possessed seven attributes that are indispensable when coming to Jesus. The fourth is that she was grateful to Jesus. The Psalmist tells us to "give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever." (Psalm 118:29).
The woman who knelt at Christ's feet, kissing them, washing them with her tears and drying them with her hair was broken by sin. Perhaps she had once been righteous and circumstances turned her toward wickedness; or perhaps she had never lived in the light, and had preferred the dark. Either way, by the time she came to Jesus her sin had eaten away at her. Her life was twisted and sad, and she carried the heavy chains of sin everywhere she went. When the Holy Spirit led her to Jesus, she found the one man who could lift her heavy burden; and she was grateful for it. She was so grateful she fell to her knees to give him thanks. Her gratitude was so overwhelming that it caused her to weep. Christ saved her, He forgave her many sins, He lifted the heavy burden that she had been carrying and replaced it with light yoke of His love.
I have received some pretty wonderful gifts in my life, but there are none greater than the gift of salvation offered to me by Jesus Christ. If I am grateful for the earthly gifts, how much more so should I be for the Heavenly gift Christ has offered me? If I demonstrate my appreciation for a friend buying me lunch by thanking him, how much more so should I demonstrate my gratitude for eternal salvation? Like the sinful woman, I was burdened by the heavy chains of sin, a slave to my earthly desires, and selfishness. But the Lord shined a light into the darkness and led me out. He saved me, and offered me a place in His eternal kingdom where all my tears will be wiped away, and no one will ever suffer again. And He did it all by suffering Himself, as much as any man ever could. He did it by taking the punishment I rightly deserve. How could I not be grateful? How could I not fall to my knees and thank Him, every day of my life? How could I not love and worship Him above all things?
Today's prayer:
Most generous God, thank You for everything You have graciously given me. Most especially, thank You for dying on the cross, sacrificing Yourself so that I might live. And thank You for forgiving my many sins and choosing an unworthy creature like me, to share in Your eternal kingdom. I am so very grateful for Your unending love and goodness, and will worship You forever!