Loving Christ and Living Lent

The woman just could not help herself. As the crowd watched with astonishment, she rushed forward with a jar of perfume, fell on her knees weeping, “and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.” Some of the onlookers rolled their eyes, muttering. Didn’t Jesus know what kind of woman this was, making such a shameful show with unfurled hair and sobs at His feet?
The Savior knew why she showed such love: “her sins, which are many, are forgiven” (Luke 7:38, 47). This woman had lived a notoriously sinful and immoral life. She knew she could not help herself. She felt her guilt; she knew her well-deserved condemnation. But the Holy Spirit had changed everything by bringing her to repentance and to faith in the Savior. She could not help herself. She would display her unashamed love and devotion at the feet of this Savior who bore her awful load of sins away from her to the cross.
Mary could not help herself, either. Jesus was dining at the home of her brother Lazarus, “whom He had raised from the dead.” To the shock of His disciples, “Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair.” Again, criticism arose at such a show of unfurled hair and emotions—and waste. Judas objected, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” After all, it was worth a whole year’s wages!
However, the Savior understood why she showed such love: “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial” (John 12:1–7). Mary had experienced the sorrows of living in a fallen world under the curse of sin; she had seen death up close. She knew she could not help herself. She knew her sin and mortality. But the Holy Spirit had filled her heart with hope as she sat at Jesus’ feet, listening to His words of eternal life (Luke 10:39). She had seen what happened when Jesus spoke His powerful Word and called her brother out of the tomb (John 11:43-44). She could not help herself. She would display unashamed love and devotion at the feet of this Savior who had come to reverse the curse and give eternal life.
During the season of Lent, we join our hearts with these women in the same spirit of repentance, love for the Savior, and unashamed devotion to Him.
For who of us can help ourselves with sin? We all know our personal struggle with sin and we have felt the sorrows of life under its curse. Maybe there are people who know our shameful past and roll their eyes, muttering, “Who does he think he is, going to church?” Maybe there are memories that are too painful for us to handle. Perhaps no one understands why Jesus is so important to us.
But the Savior understands as we wet His feet with our tears of repentance, for He has born the whole awful load of our sin away from us to the cross. He understands as we anoint Him with the rich fragrance of thankful hearts, for He has anointed us with His priceless blood to declare us redeemed and forgiven. He understands as we bow to devote our heads and our whole life to His service, for He has devoted His head and His whole life to serve us with His victory in eternal life.
We just cannot help ourselves. The more we focus on the sacrificial love of our Savior, the more we are moved to respond by loving Christ and living Lent.
Glenn Smith is pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in New Hampton, Iowa, and Trinity Lutheran Church in Calmar, Iowa.