Broken and Spilled Out..thoughts on worship

I often ask myself this question..."What is worship really?"
 I have been involved in leading worship most of my adult life. I have often thought I do a pretty good job of giving Him glory & honoring Him with my praises.  However.....when I read the story below, I realize I don't even come close to what He deserves!

Have you ever read the story in the bible of the woman that came to Jesus while he was eating at the Pharisee's house, took perfume & poured it on his feet & while weeping, she wet his feet with her tears and then wiped them with her hair? Did you ever try to picture that event and wonder what would happen if someone did that today?

This story is recorded in Luke 7:36-50, and I quote...

"Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table.  When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears.  Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would knowwho is touching him and what kind of woman she is-that she is a sinner."


Jesus answered him, 


"Simon, I have something to tell you."


"Tell me, teacher", he said.


"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender.  One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both.  Now which of them will love him more?"


Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."


"You have judged correctly", Jesus said.


Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.  You did not pour oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.  Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-for she loved much.  But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"
Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Do you think that Simon the Pharisee had less sin than this woman?  I don't - I think the main difference is that he didn't even see or admit his sin...he thought he was pretty darn righteous and was doing a good deed by even having Jesus in his home!

The woman, however, knew she was not worthy of Him, believed in Him as Savior, and literally was a broken woman before Him.  Her heart was humbled and she recognized His holiness & purity.  I have known times in deep worship, where I was on my face before my Lord and was so acutely aware of His holiness and how sinful I am.  I hadn't done anything outwardly terrible and to most folks I am sure I appear as a very nice, thoughtful person...but I became aware of selfish motives deep inside that were not pleasing to my God.  And yet, I did not feel like withdrawing from Him or running away - I wanted to draw even closer if that were possible...the peace & Presence of God were so exceedingly strong that I literally could not move!  I wonder if that is what it was like for this woman at Simon's house.  When we truly worship from our hearts we become "broken and spilled out" before Him, and then He puts us back together again with His healing hands of grace.


So the next time you are in a worship service or spend time in His Presence at home - don't be afraid to give Him extravagant worship, enthusiastic worship, emotional worship - worship that comes from the very soul that realizes

we are not worthy of Him - and yet He makes us worthy - calls us to come - calls us to be broken - calls us to be whole the only way we can be - and that is by His Power.  I have been blessed to experience His Presence so deeply that I will never in a million years be satisfied with "lip service worship" ever again! I want to bow before Him, pour perfume on His feet and wipe them with my tears and hair.  After all...it's what He deserves.