Divine Dining March 5, 2026 Devotional

LUKE 7:44b-46 |  ^44b I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.

We all have an opportunity to define Jesus. Simon defined Him as worth eating with but not worth extending the traditional signs of welcome to. Interesting, perhaps a phenomenon, but not someone he could fully support in a public fashion. He no doubt understood and had experienced the skepticism of Jesus present among Israel’s religious and political elite. By giving Jesus a hearing but not seeking His friendship, Simon avoided losing any of his social status or political capital. Commitment to Jesus represented unwarranted risk. Today also there are social circles where public commitment to Jesus will compromise social standing.

What Simon did not understand was that you and I ultimately define ourselves by the way we define Jesus. Our spiritual possibilities, our destiny, our role in God’s kingdom are determined by His Lordship, His presence, and His power in our lives.

How do people around you define Jesus?

Gracious God,

The defining element in our lives and souls is our relationship with Jesus. Make that relationship strong, full, and authentic. May you define me as a disciple.

Amen.