Sin. One Nasty Tar Pit!

"Dad, what is a tar pit?"

"Well, it's a huge hole filled with thick, nasty, black, sticky stuff."

"Why did the dinosaurs walk into them?"

"Well, I guess they didn't see them or maybe they just didn't think they'd get stuck."

"Dad . . ."

"What Collin?"

"What happened to the dinosaurs that got stuck in the tar pits?"

"They died and eventually turned into fossils.  I guess they got hardened over time."

There was a sinful woman who came to Jesus while he was dining at the home of a Jewish religious leader (a Pharisee) named Simon.  We don't know what her sins were.  Maybe she was a prostitute, maybe an adulteress, or maybe she just wasn't as polished on the outside as the Pharisee.  When she entered the house she was in tears and in her hand was an alabaster jar filled with perfume. This wasn't like a pint of Avon in a plastic jug!  No, this was like her most valued possession. It was likely worth a year's wages.  You can put substitute your salary to make this personal.

So what did she do with it?  She poured it over Jesus' feet but not before she poured her tears on them and wiped them with her hair.  She was broken, sorry, and desperate. She, was in a tar pit.  She was dirty.  She was stuck.  She was afraid. She was dying.  But, she was not yet hardened.  

Simon was like, "Jesus, if you had any idea what kind of slut this woman was you wouldn't let her touch even your feet."  (My paraphrase, but I'm quite sure this is what he meant). 

Jesus then told a parable (a story to make a moral point).  Jesus told a story of two men that owed money to a lender (most of us know that feeling!).  One owed a lot and the other a little. Neither of them were able to pay it back (many of us know that feeling as well).  The lender forgave both of their debts.  Jesus then asked Simon, "Which of them will love him more?" Simon correctly said, "The one who had the bigger debt cancelled."  Jesus then pointed out that the woman loved Jesus far more than Simon did and her actions showed it.  She was hungry for forgiveness and it showed.

Jesus then said something that was really hard for Simon to swallow.  He said to the woman, "Your sins are forgiven."

This part is really important, so listen up.  Simon wasn't upset because Jesus let this woman off the hook but because he claimed he had the right to let her off the hook.  Only God could forgive sins and Jesus was claiming to have authority that only God had.  We'll go down this road another time but for now know that Jesus wasn't just a wise teacher who told great stories.

So, what is your tar pit?  Be honest.  We all have those things that are dark, dirty, and seem to stick to us, hold us down, and might even be killing us.  We all carry guilt but not all of us admit it.  We all have sinned but not all of us acknowledge it.  We all have walked where we shouldn't have walked but some of us will stay in the pit, die, and be hardened forever.  Look, it's OK to admit you've got baggage.  You're fooling yourself if you think otherwise.  But there is a God in heaven (no matter whether you believe in him or not) who loves you.  There is a Savior who took your place in the pit and promises to wash you clean and set you free.

What is your alabaster jar?  Maybe it's your pride, or your wealth, or your possessions.  If you want to be free and clean and totally alive then come humbly, come repentant (wanting to turn from the junk), and give it up.  The woman was at Jesus' feet because she left her pride at the door. Let's do the same, OK?  Let's not become fossils!  Let's not die in the stench of the tar pit! The Bible says, "But, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."  Maybe you've been addicted to drugs or alcohol, maybe you've had an abortion, maybe you've cheated on your husband or your wife, maybe you've been in prison, maybe you just harbor hate in your heart. Whatever it is, bring it to the feet of the one who can remove it for good.  I promise if you come leaving your pride at the door, with a heart full of tears, and the willingness to break open your alabaster jar, God will make you whole again.  Honest.

"Dad?"

"What Collin?"

"I don't think I like tar pits much."

"Me either."

Until next week,

David