And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. -Luke 7:37-38

Books have been written about this famous account of a sinful woman washing the feet of the sinless One. Many lessons can be gleaned from this, but I'd like to focus on her attitude and His response.

She didn't care that she was in a prominent pharisee's house and she was the infamous sinner they talked about. She didn't care the house was full of important leaders, mostly men, and most likely, she wasn't invited. She didn't care everyone reviled her. They didn't want her there. She didn't care that the expensive oil she brought was all to be 'wasted' at the Master's feet. She didn't care all could hear her sobs and see her shameless tears. She didn't care putting her face on Jesus' feet to kiss them. She didn't care her tears were too much, she drenched His dusty feet. She didn't care to let down her long hair and wipe His feet from all her tears and dirt. She didn't care she was seen as an annoying interruption, they probably couldn't wait for her to leave. She didn't care about leaving like a mess, dirty hair and all, everyone was sure to talk about her unsightly appearance. There was no dignity in her exit. She didn't care that she was outside her comfort zone, nor did she care that she made everyone uncomfortable. She wasn't there to please people and do what was convenient for her. She didn't care about anything else except the feet of the One who was love. Who is love. He who saw her, saw her and knew all about her, and He didn't look away. Jesus saw her and He didn't want to get anything from her. He simply loved her.

Finally, she met One who received her in spite of all her imperfections. He was unashamed to show her mercy and grace. Jesus didn't just teach about love, He demonstrated it by not being repulsed when the "dirty person" touched Him. He didn't cringe nor move away from her, like so many others treated her after they got what they wanted. He didn't scold her to fix her life first before coming near Him. 

In fact, Jesus would sit down with sinners, eat with them and treat them like they were His close friends. He couldn't be made "dirty" by being near them. He was the only One who could make them clean. 

That unusual evening, Jesus saw her and praised her show of gratitude to Him. Although she wasn't after His praise, she just wanted to honor Jesus and give Him her best. This woman abandoned all her cares. It was simply Him she cared about. Finally, there was One who genuinely cared for someone as "worthless" as her, and so she thought.

That's why she crawled on the ground to reach for the Master's feet. Dirt was all she felt. She couldn't comprehend how someone as invaluable as her could be loved by the Lord. Yet that evening, the Master lifted her up. When she looked into His eyes, His loving eyes reflected what she was truly worth.
 

Be brave, precious child of God. Jesus Christ loves you. When was the last time you didn't care about anything else but spending time in His presence and looking into His eyes? He is the lifter of your head. You are His treasure worth dying for. 

Come as you are, He cares.