Making a Difference in the Shadows, Not the SpotlightSample

Touching someone is an intimate act. Even a pat on the shoulder means a relationship has moved to a higher level of comfort or familiarity. Meaningful touch soothes crying babies and assures worried parents. Stroking someone’s head or hair brings comfort. Holding hands communicates companionship. Couples in love rest easy in each other’s embrace and calmly share personal space. Touching equates with intimacy.

The people who worked with Jesus are often named (like Peter, James, and John). They are described as being with him, in the same locale, but more often as coworkers than intimate followers. An anonymous woman, however, models what it means to have intimacy with Jesus.

A religious leader invited Jesus to dinner, so he “entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. And a woman in the town who was a sinner found out that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of perfume and stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to wash his feet with her tears. She wiped his feet with her hair, kissing them and anointing them with the perfume” (Luke 7:36–38).

This is a moving, poignant story of devotion to Jesus expressed through meaningful touch, extravagant giving, selfless service, and emotional vulnerability. This anonymous woman touched Jesus’ feet, a debasing act in almost every culture. More than just touching them, she watered them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. She did this while dousing his feet with expensive perfume—an extravagant use of a precious commodity—and then kissing them.

It’s hard to imagine more intimate gestures than this woman caressing Jesus’ feet with her hands, hair, and lips. All of this occurred at a dinner party in front of multiple guests (the Pharisee, Jesus, and Peter are listed, but others were likely present). The public nature of this woman’s service was likely humbling and emotionally draining. On top of this, her moral standing in the community was suspect, which made her presence even more awkward (Luke 7:39).    

Jesus used the occasion to teach a valuable lesson about forgiveness (Luke 7:40–43) and confront the Pharisee (and perhaps other guests) about their hypocrisy and judgmental attitude. He responded to the woman’s service by telling her, “Your sins are forgiven” (Luke 7:48) and assuring her, “Your faith has saved you” (Luke 7:50). The contrast between the puffed-up religious leaders and this humble woman is stark and revealing. While Jesus had little use for religious bullies, he welcomed broken people into intimate relationship with him.

Shadow Christians can be intimate with Jesus. He isn’t a distant god—some far-off deity we summon with loud noises, extravagant displays, or religious tricks. Jesus isn’t haughty or stuffy. He welcomes us into his presence—people who come humbly, without pretense, but with sincerity. He wants broken people to touch him, caress him, and kiss him. Jesus is a brother you can hug, not an icon you can’t touch. 

Questions to think about: 

1. When anonymous women touched Jesus, both religious leaders and his disciples became angry for different reasons. Why did these groups react negatively to these women? What social, religious, and moral barriers were broken by these women? 
2. How do these problems express themselves today?