The Face of God is Turned Towards You

The description of Jesus’ interaction with a sinful woman in Luke 7 is such a tender story. We read that Jesus is dining at the home of Simon the Pharisee and this woman uninvited, interrupts their dinner party. She should not have been there, but she was. With tears of repentance she washes the feet of Jesus, her Saviour, wipes them dry with her hair, repeatedly kisses them over and over again, and finally, anoints them with expensive oil. Jesus doesn’t stop her, and Simon is not impressed. He says to himself, “If this man (Jesus) was a prophet he would know who is touching him” (Luke 7:39).

But the fact is that Jesus did know. He knew who she was. He knew where she had been. He knew whom she had slept with. Jesus was not oblivious to the facts. He knew everything there was to know about this woman’s sin, yet, in verse 44, the bible says he ‘turned towards’ the woman.

This ‘turning’ was a powerful act of acceptance. In that short encounter with Jesus the woman was transformed from an object of wrath to a woman lavished with grace and mercy. By turning towards her, Jesus was saying, “I know who she is, and I have forgiven her.”

I want to push this point a little further, because I believe that it is important that you grasp it. That word ‘turn’ is packed with significance and meaning. In Numbers 6, we read the blessing that Aaron and the priests were to proclaim over the Israelites. ‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you, The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).

The Message version of the bible says, ‘May God smile on you. Look you full in the face’. We, today, have no idea the significance of that prayer of blessing. When God’s face is turned towards us, it means that His grace and his mercy and his acceptance and his blessing and everything that is good and beneficial and life giving, is flowing from Him to us.

When she repented and Jesus turned towards her, everything changed for that dear woman. She would never be the same again. Did you realise that when you became a Christian, God ‘turned’ His face towards you as well? In the blink of an eye, you were translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His Son Jesus. You were forgiven, cleansed, redeemed and accepted! Now that is worth rejoicing about.

Prayer: Thank You, God, that Your face is turned towards me and I can count on Your love, no matter what happens in my life or around about me. Thank You that when I sin, I can turn towards You in repentance and You will run towards me, with arms opened wide. In Jesus’ name, Amen.