And He said unto the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. Luke 7:50
In our text, the Lord Jesus is commending the faith of the sinful woman who had entered the house of the Pharisee who was hosting the Lord Jesus for a meal. And yet, as He dismisses her in peace, this is the first mention in the account of faith. We read of the woman’s tears of repentance and remorse, so copious that she was able to use them to wash the feet of the Lord Jesus. Yet He does not commend her repentance, nor her act of kindness in washing His feet. We read of her using her hair to wipe His feet, and of her kissing His feet. But the Lord Jesus does not commend her for either her service nor her affection. We also read of the precious ointment that she poured on His feet. But the remarks of the Lord Jesus do not mention this act of sacrifice and devotion. Why is her faith the only thing that is mentioned? Because it was her faith that led to everything else.
All that this woman had done was because of her faith in the Lord Jesus. She utters no words that are recorded, other than her sobs, so we must base our knowledge of her on her actions and her attitude. Her highly unusual behaviour, including entering the house of a Pharisee, would have brought considerable attention to her, much of it scornful. Only a very strong faith would have drawn her to that house and enabled her to perform her unusual act of devotion. Her tears make it plain that she knew exactly Who the Lord Jesus was. Her act of remorse was toward the One against Whom she had sinned, the One Whom she knew she must approach if she was ever to find forgiveness. She came. She did all that she felt she must do, and did it without reservation or hesitation. And it was because of Her faith in Him. Our faith in Him is what motivates and enables us to worship and service, too.
Remember the record of those who are described in Hebrews 11, which we call Faith’s Hall of Fame. Great acts were performed, great decisions were made, and great miracles were performed, all through faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). With faith, it is possible to please God. We read nothing of the sinful woman after this encounter with the Lord Jesus. But we can have little doubt that hers was from that point a life of devotion and service to her Lord. The faith that she displayed in Simon’s house was the faith that she would live by for the rest of her days. And so it is – or should be – with us. When we took that first step of faith into the provision that God has made for our salvation, we began a walk that will take us to Heaven. Along the way, every step should be one of faith. We trust the Word of God to feed our souls and give us guidance. We trust the Holy Spirit to give us the power to live for Christ. We trust the Lord’s people to provide our needed fellowship. And so it goes, step by step, faith by faith.
The sinful woman went in peace from her first encounter with her Lord. We live in peace as we encounter Him daily.. – Jim MacIntosh