June 3

A Broken Spirit

As she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair. Then she kissed His feet and anointed them with the perfume. — Luke 7:38 BSB

Those familiar with the story of Paradise and the Peri will remember how the banished Peri sought to gain admittance to the closed gates of Paradise. The angel told her there was still hope—she could be forgiven if she brought to the eternal gate the gift most dear to Heaven.

The Peri traveled far and wide, searching for something precious enough to offer. She found a hero dying for liberty and captured the last drop of blood from his noble heart. She flew to the gate, but the crystal bar did not move. Next, she found a dying lover and took the final sigh of his parting soul, but again the gate remained shut.

Finally, the Peri came upon a wretched criminal, guilty of countless sins, now weeping in bitter repentance. She caught the tear of contrition as it fell and hurried back to Heaven. This time, the gate swung open, and she was admitted to eternal bliss.

This beautiful legend reflects a deep truth. The Bible tells us the same thing: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” No offering is more precious to God than the tear of true repentance. No song on earth reaches Heaven more sweetly than the cry, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”