Joyful Ruins

Luke 7:36

“he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.”

I always used to laugh and wonder what it would have looked like to see Jesus reclining: feet up, arms behind his head, truly relaxed.

Obviously we don’t know if that’s what the passage means, but we do know it suggests Jesus was relaxed and that’s something that strikes me as odd.

He’s in a Pharisee’s home, absolutely knowing they disapprove of him, knowing in a few minutes a “sinful woman” will anoint him and he would be judged for allowing her to do so, and yet he’s unphased.

What does that tell me?

No matter where Jesus was, His nature was constant, unchanging, and He was never insecure simply because He was n front of those who did not approve of Him.

I could learn to do that better. If I were having dinner with people who I felt judged me or disliked me or were maybe just indifferent to me, I honestly would act on guard and I certainly would have felt embarrassed if someone came and “washed my feet”. But Jesus isn’t and who is the one we are following?

The Pharisees care about appearances and not the heart, but Jesus is the opposite. What about you?