At The Feet Of Jesus {a new series}

One day last week, I stood brushing my teeth over on my side of the bathroom vanity. Brent stood at his sink, leaning towards the mirror and studying the length of his new facial hair.

With a toothbrush busy in my mouth, I muffled, "You about ready to shave that?"

"Babe. You know its November."

Ah, yes. November. For some this month means Thanksgiving and pumpkin pie. Daylight savings, left-over turkey, apple cider, falling leaves and fields full of hay bales.

But for my husband - "No Shave November."

He is now going on ten years of this, ahem, yearly tradition. Brent and all of his Bible study guys rebelling the razor for thirty (long) days. No offense to the bearded men, but I am not a facial hair type-a -gal. It's not that I mind the way a beard looks. Right handsome, I must say. But God has given me only one man to kiss on the mouth, and this is the one man. I personally prefer a less, well, abrasive surface.

"You better be careful over there, mister. No shave November, might become No Kiss November if that thing gets any more out of hand. {laugh}"

"Come on, beards are awesome. Even Jesus had one."

"True. But I'm called to kiss His feet, not necessarily His face."

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.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. This woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put 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." And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." Luke 7:37,38,44-50

What is it, that would make this sinful woman, break open her finest jar of perfume and wash the feet of any man? Weeping, she unashamedly kissed the bare feet of Jesus, in the presence of many of the most intelligent, influential teachers of the day - The Pharisees. The Scribes. The leaders of the major Jewish sects.

What is it about the feet of Jesus? Why wouldn't she have brushed his hair or kissed his cheeks? Why does the Bible instruct us to sit at the feet of Jesus? How does this translate to us today - November 2011?

I want to know...What happens to us when we sit at the feet of our Savior?

I want to lean in and study myself in the mirror. Looking not at my face, but at the attitudes and intentions of my heart. I want to feel the hand of Jesus resting on my head. To hear him whisper to me, "Beloved, your sins are forgiven. Go in peace."

Do you need to hear this, too?

For several posts, leading up to Christmas, we will study this very thing: The believer's place at the feet of Jesus.

From those baby toes Mary must have kissed a hundred times to the beautiful feet that walked the road to Calvary - it is here we will see ourselves transformed, as one whose sins are forgiven.

Picture by "Glorifying's Profile" on Photo Bucket