Finding beauty in Luke 7

I was reading in Luke yesterday and came across the passage in Chapter 7 where the woman pours perfume on Jesus' feet. I've heard this story many times before, but for some reason, it hit me differently this time.

Imagine if this happened today. Jesus is having lunch with a few people that are "high" in the church. These "people" attend church every Sunday, they always seem to have it together, they are involved in every ministry, self righteous, etc. You can picture it right? All of a sudden, during their afternoon lunch in a Cherry Hills mansion, a prostitute from five points runs into the house. She is barely wearing anything, is dirty, is a mess, and is crying hysterically. She runs to Jesus, kneels at his feet, and starts to pour the most expensive perfume at Cherry Creek Mall on his feet. The ladies and few gentleman at the lunch in drop their forks and folded napkins, stunned at what is happening in front of them. One of the ladies runs to call the police, the other one starts screaming at the woman to get out of her house. Jesus, in all of the chaos, just looks at the woman with compassion, touches her face and tells her that her sins are forgiven and to go in peace.

Can you imagine????
Man, Jesus is awesome! I love it. It doesn't matter what we've done, Jesus just wants us! He wants our hearts. We don't have to have it all together, we don't have to be perfect. It's just so beautiful.

From the Message
One of the Pharisees asked him over for a meal. He went to the Pharisee's house and sat down at the dinner table. Just then a woman of the village, the town harlot, having learned that Jesus was a guest in the home of the Pharisee, came with a bottle of very expensive perfume and stood at his feet, weeping, raining tears on his feet. Letting down her hair, she dried his feet, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfume. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him."

⁴⁰Jesus said to him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."

"Oh? Tell me."

^41-42"Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty. Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker canceled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?"

^43-47Simon answered, "I suppose the one who was forgiven the most."

"That's right," said Jesus. Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, "Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair. You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn't quit kissing my feet. You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume. Impressive, isn't it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal."

⁴⁸Then he spoke to her: "I forgive your sins."

⁴⁹That set the dinner guests talking behind his back: "Who does he think he is, forgiving sins!"

⁵⁰He ignored them and said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."