The Holy Kiss!

The Holy Kiss!

Samuel Machado

The Word "Kiss" alarms the majority of the fold.

For Indians, it is totally an abusive term. It is even considered to be uncultured.

Amazingly! Right through the Scriptures, we can find instances of Kisses rendered as a form of salutation.

The Kisses played a prominent role in the Jewish Culture.

We can find it even today. It is still practiced.

When we take a clean look at the New Testament, We can see the practice in-effect.

We can witness our LORD and CHRIST being kissed by men and women during His Service on Earth.

Also during the Apostolic age, we see the Apostles mention it again and again.

Even we are repeatedly encouraged to greet each other with a "Holy Kiss".

But we have lost the essence of the "Holy Kiss" over the ages.

In the Catholic diaspora, I have witnessed the act of kissing  "Bishop's ring" during special occasions.

Also the Kings were kissed by their Generals as a Sign of Pact.

But the Kissing mentioned in the Holy Bible is not of such weak intention.

It is divine and rich in love. Let's learn it Church.

The Jewish Rabbi's were kissed at their feet as a sign of respect and reverence.

Even the students would kiss on their lips at the end of tenure. 

Kissing was an act of dignity in the Jewish fold.

We can see it in the Parable of the Prodigal Son as well:

So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." Luke 15:20

Here is a father who clutches hold of his prodigal son and kiss him.

Do you think that JESUS Our LORD did that? Ponder!

Also the act of kissing serves as an important sign in many ways bringing meaning and purpose.

There are tons of incidences marking the Kisses in the Holy Bible. 

But the "Favorite Kiss" ever recorded is in the pages of Luke's Gospel.

The Scriptures say:

"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." Luke 7:38

I personally enjoy the "Startling Devotion" of this woman.

And more interestingly we don't even know her name. Doctor Luke doesn't even name her.

All we can interpret from the passage is: 

She was an adulteress woman and she was not welcomed.

The Scriptures say, She came to the home where Christ was invited.

It meant, she had access to the house of the pharisee who had invited JESUS. None stopped her from accessing the home.

She even made her way so close to Christ and none of the folks dared to stop her.

Church, Can you imagine it? Can you replay the settings in your mind?

Even the host didn't. The Guest didn't it. It means something of intricate proportion.

Eventually, She did something which none of them did.

She wept. She wept and She wept badly.

How much did she weep? 

She wept enough to wet the feet of Christ.

She sobbed so hard bringing her tears to clean the dirt of Christ Feet.

I am swept by the love she showered upon JESUS.

She was indeed filled with "Conviction" which was brought by her Savior's Presence.

Why do we consider it strange to weep today?

Because we are not convicted!

We have not know Christ and His Presence.

If we say, we know His Presence.

Then we will weep like this "Sinful Woman".

Church! Have you got the picture?

Did the Presence of JESUS bring you to His Feet?

Or Is it that you have invited JESUS and failed to feel His Presence?

Are you like those men in the house?

They had no intention to know their hearts or minds.

Even the Son of God was not sufficient for them.

They were stubborn. They assumed they were perfect in comparison to the sinners like her.

They didn't know Christ. They didn't weep. This is how I have seen the Church today.

But here is the Sinful Woman at the feet of our LORD, pouring her heart out.

With no words of confession, Yet with her tears. 

The Tears of Repentance bottled by our LORD and Savior.

Psalms 56:8

We as the CHURCH have not seen the Sinful Woman and her act of kissing.

She was condoned and appraised by our LORD.

She was blessed beyond all those who were in the very house.

She had her sins forgiven and forgotten by the LIVING GOD.

But the Pharisees were not!

Haven't we read, we are liars if we say, we have not sinned.

Going to Church doesn't make you Holy and Righteous.

Going to the LORD's Feet Does!

Do you want to embrace the "Holy Kiss"?

Do you want to be in the arms of JESUS?

Do what the Sinful woman did!

And this will be response of Christ:  You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.

Luke 7:45

What has become of the Holy Kiss?

Shalom,

Samuel Machado

His Slave

Judges 6:24

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Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman

When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.  A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 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.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said 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.”

Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

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. You did not give me a kiss, but 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 - as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”