Church Walls - Art of the Gospel Part 4 (Luke 7:36-50)

This passage was very much in my mind when we were in Paris and any other part of France where we walked into an historic cathedral. The big, ancient Roman Catholic churches walls are filled with naves, alcoves, altars. Many rooms open exposed to the main sanctuary. You can see in many of these worship spaces amazing works of art; grand works of art, worshipful works of art painted right on the walls of these chapels; some of which are painted by some famous artists, their contemporaries or their equals. Some of these painted walls in these chapels are in great condition and some of them are worn away. It is something as you can see them worn away. At the top the painted walls, they still look mostly untouched even after a century or centuries of use as an aid in worship – but near the bottom, in the places where one can reach, you can see where thousands of people over hundreds of years have beseeched our Lord with their tears pouring down their faces. Facing the wall, one can see where people in real need and in real passion they have placed their hands and faces upon the painted images of God incarnate and scenes of service to Him. You can almost hear their prayers through their tears; their fervent prayers! Now they are gone but the testimony of their coming before the Lord is still there. The power of the miracles they sought, is still there. The image of the Love of God is still there. Their tears have washed the painted feet of our Lord in the sanctuary.

May it be the same with us. May we be like the lady anointing the feet of Jesus with our tears, may we be like the centuries of people washing away the images in the churches with our tears; may we come to the Lord with such passion and devotion that all who see us will have no doubt of our love of and zeal for God. For as we do, we will know we have been forgiven and as we do we will know He has saved us.

It is my hope that we can all come to the Lord with that true passion and abandon that comes only from really, truly, and totally turning ourselves over to Him. May we each do this then and experience the full power of His Salvation for now and forever!

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