Luke 7:37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.
An unnamed but well known harlot visited Jesus while He was reclining at the house of Pharisee. The Pharisee invited Jesus to his house, not because he esteemed Him as the Messiah but because he wanted to have a close encounter with the Miracle Man. The Pharisee was sceptical when Jesus allowed the unnamed prostitute to wet His feet with tears, wipe it with her hair and anoint His feet with perfume. It was a Jewish customary to honour a noble guest by anointing their head with pure perfumed olive oil. Psalm 23:5 You anoint my head with oil. The woman did not consider herself worthy to anoint the head of Jesus but she anointed His feet with perfume. This was an act of repentance, submission and surrender. The Pharisee speculated in his heart, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who is touching Him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner” (Luke 7:39). Jesus did not address this woman with her name which had the tag of bad reputation but He renamed her as the “aroma of Christ”.
Repentance, obedience and submission will wipe out the past and rename us as a branded perfume, aroma and fragrance for Christ. He uses an obedient and repenting soul to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him, everywhere. 2 Corinthians 2:15 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. The alabaster that she broke at the feet of Jesus was used to anoint herself to attract adulterers in the past but repentance renamed and rebranded the content to be reused for the glory of God.
Three blessing that follow a repentance and obedience soul:
1. Rename: The slanderous name that was given to the harlot was wiped out and she was renamed and crowned as “Holy to the Lord”. Jesus did not address her with the name that the town had given her. We only know her as the woman who anointed the feet of Jesus with perfume. When the devil reminds us of our past, we must remind him that we have been renamed as “the righteousness of Jesus”. (2 Corinthians 2:15 so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him).
2. Rebrand: We might have come from an ordinary family, simple background or even might be the least in our lineage, but when we come to the feet of the Almighty, we will be rebranded as an expensive “perfume of Christ Jesus”. Our worth and value changes when we are rebranded by the Lord. God takes an ordinary, abased and foolish people of the world and rebrands them as the mighty, powerful and potent vessels for Him.
3. Reuse: This woman was a broken vessel, blemished, dented and stained by her past mistakes, but Jesus did not talk about her notorious life or ugly history; He set her free, forgave and liberated her to be reused for His glory. “Your sins are forgiven.” Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Vs 48 & 49). Jewish women did not uncover their hair before other men, but this woman uncovered her hair as an act of confession and penitence and she was forgiven. It is our transparency before God that will save and redeem us.
This unnamed woman with bad reputation was renamed and rebranded forever to be reused for His glory.
Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Prayer: Heavenly Father rename my past, rebrand my reputation and reuse me for your glory. Amen
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