Acceptable Worship

Picture This. .. The crowd has gone…. Just a few remain ...Suddenly the religious leaders throw a woman to the ground before Jesus. Clearly this woman also has a reputation. They demand she be stoned according to the law. Jesus leans down and begins to write in the sand. Everyone is confused. Jesus then stands and says, “He who is without sin cast the first stone.” Your mind races to all the sin in your life. What authority to forgive the sins of man! What compassion and love to come to earth for this purpose! Jesus commands her to leave her life of sin. (John 8:11) Surely He is the Son of God!

This story has always intrigued me. I know that the Pharisees were trying to trick Jesus. Yet Jesus knew their heart and he knew the heart of the woman. For her to be forgiven she must have been repentant. He told her to go and sin no more. What an awesome charge from a loving God. One song that the ladies are singing this Easter is when I fall down. Not if I fall. When I fall down. Jesus knows that we will fail and still He forgives. How then should be worship?

To answer this, let’s look at another encounter Jesus had with a woman. In Luke 7:36-39 Jesus is in one of the Pharisees house. His name is Simon and he has invited Jesus in to entrap him. A woman comes with some very costly perfume and pours it over Jesus' feet and wipes them with her hair. Verse 37 tells us that this woman from the city was known as a sinner. Jesus accepts her worship and rebukes those who do not. Jesus knows her heart and accepts her worship. She gives as an awesome picture of what our worship should be. She comes humbly and with great love because she knew what she was saved from. Simon came with motives. Simon did not offer anything to God. He was not repentant. The woman realized her need to worship the Savior because of His holiness. Therefore, her praise was accepted. Simon's was rejected.