Secretely Simon

Recalling a bible study last night that talked about a sinful woman who washed Jesus' feet. The core of the study focused on the awareness of sin between the sinful woman and Simon the pharisee, where both are equal in the eyes of God somehow but we as humans tend to see things on different levels.

The woman found herself acting upon what she is convicted off. Breaking that norm to wash a man's feet in the presence of many and sacrificing away what could very well be the most valuable thing to her was more than just the fact that she had greater sin, to which led to her actions. But rather she RECOGNIZES the severity of her sins that has prompted her actions. What is not explicitly mentioned in the passage is that both Simon ad the woman are in the same boat. But the woman had a more accurate idea of her sin as oppose to Simon did. Jesus did not advocate that Simon's sins were less severe compared to the woman which is why Simon did not do as much as the woman, but Jesus was sarcastically pointing out how Simon thinks he is better off and therefore proven by his lack of affection towards Jesus. 

Whether we like it or not is that many of us are subconsciously playing the role of Simon. We may not come off as snobbish as Simon did but we reflect him by our actions, or rather our lack of actions. Lately it seems more of the idea that our faith being something as personable as it is, somehow needs to be verified through our actions. From my readings and quiet times I find out how our faith will be displayed ones way or another. 

I used to be weary of the fact that actions can be meaningless if there is no genuine faith but I have come to learned that genuine faith will affirm itself, but faithless actions will be revealed of its nature. Somehow there is a way to see how an act comes from genuine faith or empty faith and very often it is revealed in the presence of hardship.

 

Simon is at a well off season in his life, an offering of fellowship which very often is accompanied by a feast portrays Simon's up season. And in his up season, any act of Simon is not validated because it comes out of abundance. But the woman on the other hand is at a place of desperation and lament, the tears that lend to wash Jesus' feet was not merely drops but of weary sorrow that flowed. 

Faith was tested in the midst of sorrow and hardship. The test of Job in his hardship gave a great example. Not to say that there is no struggle in the midst of hardship but rather a display of honor-ship of God's ways even when it is difficult. How much do you give when you have little? How far would you go when you are tired? How much can you endure when you are weak? How much would you love when you are hurt? How much would you sacrifice when you are desperate?

We are Simon in so much that we are unaware of the severity of our lack of faith. Our actions that is anything short of the example of the woman, leaves us in question about what we think of ourselves and our condition. James 2 describes a call for us to go beyond an internal awareness but to prove it existentially. Many Christians hide their faith and justifies it as an internal matter between them and God, to which meaning to ward away accountability. But God demands that our faith be made known through our actions. 

Are we aware of our sins, to be able to cry as much as the woman? Are we humble enough to be sacrificial as to one to use her own hair to dry one's feet? Are we give up our comforts for God, as to one gives up her most valuable possession to adorn God? But most of the time we are just as ignorant as Simon, hidden behind our walls that we build to which little can be seen of our actions. If nothing about our actions reflect the woman, we are most likely a Simon.