My Thoughts . . .

Monday, 08-02-2021

Can you imagine a Men’s Sunday School Class deciding to take a “field trip” to part of the city where prostitutes sold themselves?  Why?  Their purpose is to invite those “ladies of the night” to visit the congregation’s Sunday morning worship.  Instead of talking to a few of the women on the sidewalk, they accept the invitation to enter the house of prostitution where they can invite the entire group.  Inside they are invited to sit down.  Immediately some of the women selected a man and each began to remove that individual’s shoes.  This was explained so none of the men objected.  The women took a container of water, dipped their hair into it, and began washing each man’s feet with her hair.  However, the event reached the spouse of each man as well as the church office before the “cleansing” was completed. 

What do you think the first question would be asked of each of those men when they returned to their home?  Would that first question from their spouse be, “Did you share Jesus with those women?”  Perhaps that first question would be worded, “When you shared Jesus, did any of those women accept him as their Savior?”  Would Jesus, the gospel, or salvation be included in that first question?  Suspicion often rules a situation, and a different type of question might be forthcoming, such as, “Why did you go into that house of prostitution?”  Maybe that question would have been, “What could you do in that house that you could not do outside on the sidewalk?”  Maybe bewilderment might produce a much hotter interrogation?  Would a spouse ask, “You expect me to believe that all that prostitute did was to take off your shoes and socks and wash your feet with her hair?  What kind of fool do you think I am?”  What kind of response would you have received if you had been one of those men returning home?

In reading Luke 7:39 we see what the host Pharisee thought when a woman described as “a sinner” was allowed by Jesus to wash his feet (v. 38).  That Pharisee’s silent question wondered if Jesus was really a prophet or not.  Should a man of God be concerned that others might read the wrong reason for his right responses?  Most of today’s ministers would be concerned that their actions, though right, might be seen as wrong.  Reality could shout, “Jesus can get away with it, but you are a fool if you think you can!”  Sometimes, those who pride themselves in being skyscrapers of faith, as Simon the Pharisee did, might become one’s biggest critic by developing the wrong conclusions.  Perhaps the modern conclusion would be that one must follow Jesus’ example, but those examples must first be approved by the Simon’s of the world!