Which woman in the Bible do you most identify with? If I’m being totally honest—which I am because we’re friends here, and that’s what friends do—I wish I could say I embody the fierce leadership of the judge and prophet Deborah. I’d love to say I have the courage of Queen Esther, the loyalty of Ruth, and the work ethic of Martha, but that wouldn’t be true.

Do you know who I identify with the most? The woman in Luke who showed up at a dinner party with Jesus and some Pharisees, the one who smashed an alabaster flask of fragrant oil and washed Jesus’ feet with her tear-soaked hair. Some Biblical scholars claim this could’ve been Mary Magdalene, but there’s no evidence to support this theory. In John 12:3, Mary of Bethany also anointed Jesus’ feet with aromatic oil, but that was a totally separate incident. One thing we know for certain is this woman’s identity is unknown to us but she was deeply known by God and we’re still telling her story thousands of years later. Think about this scenario. It’d be something if it happened today. But in biblical times, to say this behavior was wild would be a complete understatement.

This would have been culturally unacceptable behavior for a man, but it was punishable for a woman and definitely unpardonable for a woman of her reputation. (Luke 7:37 says the woman was known to have a “sinful” reputation, which was a code word for scandalous.) This unnamed woman knew the risk of what she was doing in crashing this powerful man’s dinner party. She counted the cost, and she decided it was worth the danger if it meant getting close to Jesus. Her bold profession of love and adoration to Jesus could have cost her everything but Jesus was worth everything she had.

The party was full of religious men who knew her reputation. Her presence in this Pharisee’s home defied the religious elite and required tenacious faith. Surrounded by her accusers, she dared to approach Jesus. I imagine her with her head hung low, carrying the most valuable thing that belonged to her, painfully aware of her brokenness as she burst open the alabaster flask of expensive perfume. Overcome by emotion, she knelt before Jesus weeping, wetting His feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them repeatedly, and poured perfume on them (Luke 7:38).

How often are we like this courageous woman? When we know we’ve made a mistake, we fall at the feet of our Savior, painfully aware of our brokenness, overwhelmed with what we’ve done, doing what little we can to honor Him with the little we have left. If you and I were sitting in the same room right now, you would see me raise my hand because that’s been me so many times.

But that’s not where the story ends. The gathering was hosted by a Pharisee named Simon, who was curious about Jesus yet suspicious of Him. When Jesus had arrived earlier that night, Simon didn’t greet Him with a customary kiss. He didn’t anoint Jesus’ head with oil or offer Jesus any water so He could wash His feet. Simon’s behavior was an intentional diss in this context—and Jesus called out Simon’s disrespect by contrasting his behavior with the sinful woman’s selfless act of courage.

When Simon saw this intimate act of worship unfold he thought to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” and Jesus, knowing Simon’s inward thoughts immediately answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” (Luke 7:39-40). Let’s take a moment to unpack this. This Pharisee goes from hosting Jesus to questioning Him in an instant because he thought that Jesus was incapable of seeing this woman’s heart. In the following verses when Jesus shares the parable of the two debtors (Luke 7:41-43) which clearly demonstrates He’s able to read the human heart by exposing Simon’s inward monologue and his posture of self-righteousness. Next, we see a striking contrast when Jesus applies the parable to both Simon and the sinful woman (Luke 7:44-47). In doing so, Jesus teaches us that the more aware we are of our own desperate need for forgiveness, the more lavishly we should love.

Jesus then asks, “Do you see this woman?” (Luke 7:44) Placing emphasis on the fact that the Pharisee was the one who couldn’t see her all along. Jesus challenged this man’s judgmental thoughts asking, “Do you see this woman, or do you simply see her sin? Jesus saw a repentant heart where Simon could only see shame. It’s important to note that the key to her forgiveness wasn’t her love for Jesus but rather her faith in Him. God’s Word says that we’re all saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus and not by our own efforts or works (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The devil is our accuser. Like the Pharisee in Luke 7, He calls us by our sins, but God sees His son and what He has done when He looks at us. In Christ we’re a new creation, redeemed, and set free from our secret shame (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The woman in Luke 7 knew she couldn’t avoid her brokenness if she wanted to access the wholeness only found in Christ. She knew that people might dismiss her, judge her, and misunderstand her but they’d never hold the power to define her. Jesus was worthy of everything she had, including her life.

Remember this truth: When you’re at your lowest, when you feel like you’re broken beyond repair, Jesus is there to put you back together. It’s only when you’re intimately aware of your need for forgiveness and choose to embrace your brokenness that you’re able to experience the fullness of His love.

Excerpted from There’s Beauty in Your Brokenness: 90 Devotions to Surrender Striving, Live Unburdened, and Find Your Worth in Christ by Brittany Maher and Cassandra Speer. Copyright © 2023 Brittany Maher and Cassandra Speer. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. harpercollinschristian.com.

Brittany Maher is a kingdom-minded minister and a bestselling author. She is also an evangelist with a burning heart for the broken and lost. She is the founder of Her True Worth, a large and growing online community with the sole mission of empowering an entire generation of faith-filled women with the freedom found in discovering their true worth that is in Christ. She and her husband Ryan invest most of their time in equipping God’s people for digital evangelism across the globe. They believe in the importance of using every tool they can to help bring people to a saving knowledge of Jesus. Brittany is planted in Michigan with her husband, Ryan and their daughter, Ariana.

Keep up with Britt on Instagram @brittmaher

Cassandra Speer is a bestselling author, sought-out Bible teacher, and vice president of Her True Worth, a global ministry created to encourage wounded and wandering women to find their identity and validation in Christ alone. Cassandra is passionate about sharing her faith and tackling the raw and messy moments of life with a little bit of humor—and a whole lot of Jesus! She is also the proud wife of an Air Force veteran. Cassandra and her husband are planted in Oklahoma City, where they live with their three children.

Keep up with Cassandra on Instagram @cassandralspeer