Session 14

Poured Out

From The Blessed Life

The woman in this story needed no one to remind her of her sin. Her mind replayed it again and again. Jesus was going to eat with a man in her town. In her sinful state, she
realized the answer to her agony and made her way to that house. With her, she carried something valuable, an alabaster jar of perfume, which she poured on Jesus’s feet. This
was a generous gift, one of great monetary value. She set an example of giving generously to God through finances. But, if we look carefully, we see the perfume is not all she poured out.

The woman served Jesus generously. As she knelt behind Him, she cleaned His feet with her tears and hair. It wasn’t a pleasant job. His feet were dirty from walking on dusty roads, but it was a sacrifice she chose to make because He was her answer. This woman generously poured out her affection on Jesus, kissing Him over and over. Kisses misused in the past were now focused where they should be. Her affection was directed to her healer.

She trusted in Jesus enough to know her gifts would not be wasted. In response to her faith, Jesus forgave all the sin she brought with her that day. Jesus, in the most generous act in history, gave up heaven and gave up His life. Like this woman, our first step in learning His kind of generosity is giving ourselves generously to Him. When we pour our possessions, time, strength and affection on Him, he will use us to give generously to others.