October 31 Holy Cleansing Love

Luke 7:36-43 Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39 When Simon, the Pharisee who had invited Jesus, saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is – that she is a sinner.” 40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. 41 “Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
 
ON this day known as Halloween in the United States, I believe millions of people will wear some disguise to hide their true identity. This tradition has become a distortion of Halloween’s original intent. Halloween means “holy evening”. Somewhat in the fashion of Christmas Eve to prepare us for a special consideration of Jesus’ birth, a Holy Evening was a time in the Middle Ages when the church prepared to celebrate All Saints Day on November 1. All Saints Day is a day to not disguise our faith but to openly proclaim God’s good grace to call people into himself through the church.
   But the holy evening is now in deep disguise. Too many in America, instead, play with the devil on Halloween, even highlighting demons and death.
   In a like manner, Simon lived in a deadly disguise. He was living as a godly man, pointing people to God’s law. But in reality he and others like him had distorted God’s loving commands to free his people from bondage. The Pharisees had turned God’s love into imprisoning legalisms. Such structures aided Satan’s schemes to hide God’s truth from the Jews. Simon’s love for God was stained by a love for himself.
   How do we know? Look at his reaction to the tearful woman at Jesus’ feet. Simon’s judgment threatens to cover-up God’s love. To him, this tearful woman is a sinner to be removed from his house. To Jesus, this is one to be free in God’s gracious love as she confesses and weeps over her sins.
   That day in Simon’s house, love confronted judgment. Love removed the woman’s mask of sexual immorality. She is exposed, vulnerable and real before the Holy Son of God. And in uke 8:48 Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Are you in disguise before the Lord? Are you afraid to reveal to him your true identity? Put your fears to rest. Believe in his love. Know his grace. Remove your mask. Rest in Jesus’ forgiveness. Be new in your Lord.
 
Prayer: Holy Spirit, remove all in me that keeps me hidden from you.