Love Expressed

Last night I read the story of the woman who entered the Pharisee's house to anoint Jesus' feet.  As well as the following paragraph regarding the women who provided for the needs of Jesus and His disciples as they traveled.  (Luke 7:36 - 8:3)  I was so touched by Jesus' treatment of women, especially in that time and that society.

The Pharisee invited Jesus into his home for a meal, yet he did not even offer Jesus the rudimentary courtesies one would normally offer to any guest in their home.  This spoke volumes, I am sure, to Jesus as to the Pharisee's attitude toward Him as well as his motives for the invitation.

As they reclined at the table, a woman entered the room.  She was a sinner, evidently well-known as such, but she had the audacity to enter into this 'religious' man's house.  Can you imagine the courage it took?  The side-ways sneers and whispers her presence must have elicited.  But she stood behind Jesus, as though not wanting to draw attention to herself, and stooped to minister to Him.  Weeping, her tears wet his feet, which she dried with her hair, continually kissing his feet.  Then, opening an alabaster vessel, she poured out a perfumed ointment to anoint them.  The fragrance must have filled that room.

I can well imagine the Pharisee silently smirking as he said to himself that if Jesus were a prophet He would surely know the type of woman she was and would 'of course' have draw back in horror that she should dare to touch him.  But Jesus knew his heart and plainly read his thoughts.

And so, after gaining the Pharisee's permission to speak to him, Jesus said:

'When I entered your house, you gave Me no water for my feet (to wash them from the dirt of the roads), yet she has washed My feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.  You gave Me no (welcoming) kiss, yet this woman has not ceased kissing My feet since I came in.  You did not anoint My head with olive oil (mark of respect for a visitor), yet this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil."

Then Jesus goes on to say that it has to do with love.  "I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven for she loved much.  How powerful is that!

Then, as I read on, in Luke 8, there were certain women who provided for Him from their substance.  These women had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities.

All this made me think about how I express my love for Him.  And I am very sad to say that for the past several years, I have not been doing well in that department.

So, last night I prayed about it.  I asked Jesus to show me how I could express my love for Him.

Years ago, I was involved in many things because of my love for Him.  I wrote these type of postings, just motivated by the awe and love I felt for Him, wanting to share that with others.  I sang in the choir and for different church programs, and I also taught women's Bible study for a time.  But as I contemplated these things, I hesitated.  All of them, for me, now seem to get tangled up with both pride and/or fear of rejection.  So I was hoping that He could show me another way I could express my love that would be, for me, free of those constraints.

This morning it hit me -- like a ton of bricks.  Some people don't know me well enough to know that I am naturally a slob.  I guess for me, cleanliness, tidiness, and order just have never been that important.  I don't think it was for my mom and dad, so maybe that is where I learned it (well, that is sort of an excuse any way).  But following in my mom's footsteps, I am not big on entertaining or having folks drop by -- mainly because I know they would be shocked.  But for whatever reason, it has never bothered me, except when I worry what someone would think if they knew.

Anyway, as I said, this morning it hit me that one way I could express my love for Christ would be to make my home, my body (another area where I am sorry lax), and my life more inviting for Him.  I could think of the Pharisee that was so lax in making Jesus welcome in his home, and do what I can to make my home a place that I would imagine He would find comfortable and peace-filled.

YIKES!!!  God, really, did You have to pick the area of secret sin that I have given over to especially in the past few years?  Couldn't You suggest something more 'spiritual?'  Something more fitting my 'druthers?'

Well, it is going to take a lot of praying to take this through more than the first gung-ho effort.  With working from home, my life has been so sedentary (sitting in front of the computer most of the day), that I have been having trouble with my back, shoulders, knees, and ankles.  So, this will be a push for me, not just to get started but to keep going.  But it will be totally and completely a work of love to accomplish it.

What do you think God might suggest to you as a way for you to express your love for Him?  I would love to hear about it.

Eve -- A Special Hatred

Tuesday, December 28, 2010
A Special Hatred

The assault on femininity-its long history, its utter viciousness-cannot be understood apart from the spiritual forces of evil we are warned against in the Scriptures. This is not to say that men (and women, for they, too, assault women) have no accountability in their treatment of women. Not at all. It is simply to say that no explanation for the assault upon Eve and her daughters is sufficient unless it opens our eyes to the Prince of Darkness and his special hatred of femininity.

Turn your attention again to the events that took place in the Garden of Eden. Notice-who does the Evil One go after? Who does Satan single out for his move against the human race? He could have chosen Adam . . . but he didn't. Satan went after Eve. He set his sights on her. Have you ever wondered why? It might have been that he, like any predator, chose what he believed to be the weaker of the two. There is some truth to that. He is utterly ruthless. But we believe there is more. Why does Satan make Eve the focus of his assault on humanity?

Because she is captivating, uniquely glorious, and he cannot be. She is the incarnation of the Beauty of God. More than anything else in all creation, she embodies the glory of God. She allures the world to God. He hates it with a jealousy we can only imagine.

And there is more. The Evil One also hates Eve because she gives life. Women give birth, not men. Women nourish life. And they also bring life into the world soulfully, relationally, spiritually-in everything they touch. Satan is a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). He brings death. His is a kingdom of death. And thus Eve is his greatest human threat, for she brings life. She is a lifesaver and a lifegiver. Eve means "life" or "life-producer."

Put those two things together-that Eve incarnates the Beauty of God and she gives life to the world. His bitter heart cannot bear it. He assaults her with a special hatred. Do you begin to see it?

(Captivating , John and Stasi Eldredge 82-85)

I was reading this email devotional this morning, and it made me once again stop and think "Why would Satan have a particular hatred for women?" I mean, the author does make some pretty good points above, but there is still that within me that thinks, "Ah, here is the world's view of feminism creeping in on our faith." (The funny [or not so funny] thing is that I have taught from this book.) Our 'traditional' Christian roots seem to be so 'male' dominated and Eve has been ridiculed for so long that to think otherwise seems sacriligious.

So, because my mind always looks for the spiritual illustration of truth, I tried to find a reason for Eve to be a particular target. I believe I have my answer, and my answer for Eve's strengths and weaknesses. I thought of Eve as representing the bride for the first Adam, just as the church is the bride for the last Adam, and I immediately saw why she became the target for the evil one.

If we think of it in those terms, by attacking Eve, not only has the evil one indirectly attacked Adam in this move, but he also has hit at the amazing work and purposes of God in the creation. But if you think of it, in attacking Eve, he also has done more to wound the heart of Adam than he would have by attacking Adam himself. (Hope that convuluted reasoning makes sense.)

I guess I can best express it in the spiritual sense. Satan cannot and does not attack God in Christ Jesus directly, rather he sets his sights on the object of His affections, the church. As Satan comes against the church to wound, pervert, and disable her, not only does he interfere in the workings of God's purposes, but he also strikes at the very object of Christ's deep affection!!

When I look at Eve in this light, it is so much easier to see her in the light she is presented in the book 'Captivating.' And it helps me to better appreciate the role I play in this battle. I am both a combatant and a target. Maybe I need to get up, take up my armor, make my stand, and fight back.

Merry Christmas and have a wonderful victorious new year!!!!

Ev


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