Let's look at Luke's Gospel, chapter 7, verse 36.
We'll start reading.
One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him,
and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table.
And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner,
when she learned that he was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house,
brought an alabaster flask of ointment,
and standing behind him at his feet, weeping,
she began to wet his feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair of her head
and kissed his feet and anointed him with the ointment.
Now, when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this,
he said to himself,
If this man was a prophet,
he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him,
for she is a sinner.
And Jesus answering said to him,
Simon, I have something to say to you.
And he answered,
Say it, teacher.
A certain moneylender had two debtors.
One owed 500 denarii and the other 50.
When they could not pay, he canceled the debt of both.
Now, which one of them will love him more?
Simon answered,
The one, I suppose,
for whom he canceled the larger debt.
And he said to him,
You have judged rightly.
Then turning toward the woman,
he said to Simon,
Do you see this woman?
I entered your house,
and you gave me no water from my feet.
But she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
You gave me no kiss.
But from the time I came in,
she has not ceased to kiss my feet.
He did not anoint my head with oil,
but she has anointed my feet with ointment.
Therefore, I tell you,
her sins, which are many,
are forgiven.
For she loved much.
But he who is forgiven little,
loves little.
And he said to her,
Your sins are forgiven.
Then those who were at the table with him
began saying among themselves,
Who is this who even forgives sins?
And he said to the woman,
Your faith has saved you.
Go in peace.
So,
again,
a very familiar text.
I hope
will speak to you in a fresh way.
I tried to really avoid
looking back at
commentaries and previous messages
just to avoid
following a familiar outline
and just
really ask God
to kind of say
these are some things
that he pointed out
to me in this text.
So,
we all know
kind of what's going on.
Jesus had just sort of started
his earthly ministry
and
he's invited
by one of the Pharisees
to come and
basically hang out
and have a meal with them.
And I don't think
it was really out of love
or hospitality,
more out of intrigue
and want to take a closer
look at this guy.
Having meals with people
like as today,
but especially back then
was a way of showing
covenant with someone,
friendship with someone,
a very,
you know,
safe context
to get to know somebody.
And,
but I really just think
they want to take
a closer look at him.
And I don't need to go
on a long spiel
about
who Pharisees are.
You definitely know that.
But
just the term Pharisee
means separated
ones.
So just keep that
in your head.
It's like this idea
of they
are completely
devoted in their mind
at least to
the law
and the book of Moses
and
following all the laws
and the rituals.
And so
dinners
back then as well,
meals with very
well-known people,
dignitaries,
famous people,
they were kind of
put on display
and people
at times
would actually come
and watch
the dinner.
So you can imagine
that
like just
they think
that you're so awesome
that people would come
and watch you
eat your food.
So
but that's kind
of what it was.
It was a social
custom to be
permitted
even for the needy
people to visit
such a banquet
to receive leftovers.
So there's a
few points
just
that really felt
would be good
to convey
from this text.
But
one,
number one,
is
there is no
sinner too
great
that forgiveness
in Christ
cannot be found.
There's no
sinner too
great
that forgiveness
in Christ
cannot be found.
And
most of us
would say,
yeah,
we know that.
But I really
want you to
examine your own
heart and think
about people
that you've
interacted with
that you may
think this
not true of.
And
we see this
in verses
37-38.
So first you
have the
identity of
the woman
that Luke
doesn't fully
disclose
exactly who
she is.
But
it's very
clear that
she has a
very stained
reputation
and
more than
likely
was a
prostitute.
We don't
know that,
but it
comes across
that way.
And
she could
just be
sleeping with
men
because she
enjoys it
and that's
a way
for her
to make
a living.
That's
definitely
it.
So some
women,
though,
however,
can be
forced into
prostitution
when they
have no
one to
protect
them or
provide
to them.
That
happens
in other
places
in the
world
even
today.
So we
don't
really know
which one
it was,
whether she
was forced
into it
or it
was just
kind of
voluntarily.
But what
Simon actually
says of her
is like,
if this
man was a
prophet,
he would
see what
sort of
woman this
is.
And that
idea of
what sort
carries this
idea of
what kind
of dirt
she comes
from,
what kind
of absolute
filth she
comes from.
And the
term sinner
in this
text denotes
a heinous,
habitual
sinner known
for being
devoted to
specific sins.
sins.
So her
presence there
would have
been a
great insult
to some
degree for
her to
kind of
not just
be a
spectator,
but for
her to
actually come
up to
Jesus,
who was
the guest.
So it
was a
title
given,
a title
particularly
given to
tax collectors,
prostitutes,
drunkards.
And it
says, I
don't know,
this was
something that
just sort
of I
thought
about,
but it
said that
she was a
woman of
the city.
And if
you think
about those
of us who
come from
small towns,
small communities,
there's kind
of an added
burden of
shame when
you live in
such close
quarters with
people and
everyone knows
who you are.
You can't
just kind of
disappear into
a crowd.
And it's
like an
extra guilt,
extra shame
that a lot
of us don't
really feel.
And some
people that
I've met
in the past
have done
such shameful
things that
they're even
scared to go
out in the
public.
And maybe
even ashamed
to kind of
go show up
in a church
building or
a church
service.
And that's
very sad,
but just a
fear of
man that
drives them
away.
And so
no doubt
she felt
great guilt
and great
shame for
the sin
that she
had committed.
Sin is not
just an
action.
It defiles
us and
makes us
unclean.
If you think
about some
things that
you've done,
how it's
brought immensely
guilt,
there's a
verse in
Ezekiel that
I really
saw a good
while back.
It just
really nails
it.
It's Ezekiel
20,
verse 43.
And it
says,
this is the
Lord talking,
and there
you shall
remember your
ways and
all your
deeds with
which you
have defiled
yourselves.
And you
shall loathe
yourselves for
the evils that
you have
committed.
sin has a
way to
defile us
and cause
us to
loathe
ourselves
because of
the things
that we
have done.
And so
she really
has this
on her
shoulders.
And so
she comes
before Jesus,
she kind of
crosses the
boundary,
so to speak,
into the
actual dinner
that's taking
place as
he's reclining
at the
table.
And she
takes this
alabaster
flask,
which was
a really
soft stone
used frequently
to put
perfume in
particularly,
probably one
of the most
valuable
possessions
she had.
And you
see her
gladly
poured out
on the
feet of
Jesus.
And
almost
picturesque
of her
almost pouring
out her
spirit to
Christ.
And with
her tears,
she washed
Jesus'
feet and
wiped them
with her
hair,
which is
amazing.
Because you
know my
footophobia,
I can't
stand feet,
and this
idea that
she not
only went
that far,
that's a
great expression
of love.
So if I
ever do
anything for
your foot,
it means I
really love
you.
But she
cried
tears of
just brokenness
to Jesus
on his feet
and then
wiped them
with her
hair.
Both this
idea of
thankfulness,
just in
reverence,
just for
who Jesus
is,
and through
herself in
humility,
just at
his mercy.
And we
know this
is just so
symbolic of
what Jesus
has said
about those
who are
broken and
poor in
spirit.
In Matthew
5,
blessed are
the poor
in spirit,
for theirs
is the
kingdom of
heaven.
Blessed are
those who
mourn,
for they
should be
comforted.
And
recognizing our
great spiritual
bankruptcy before
God,
nothing to
bring to
him at
all,
how it's
really an
awareness of
our need,
our mourning,
and our
brokenness.
And this
woman definitely
has this on
her mind.
So,
does the
weight of
your sin and
shame hinder you
from coming to
Christ for
mercy,
even as a
believer?
Do you tend to
kind of stay at a
distance sometimes
before you've
done enough
acts of
penance,
where you
make yourself
feel worthy
to come
to Christ?
But,
there is no
sinner to
great.
There just
isn't.
This leads to
number two,
which we see
in verse
39.
Beware of
having higher
standards of
righteousness
than Jesus.
Beware of
having higher
standards of
righteousness
than Jesus.
and we
see that
Simon
definitely
has in his
mind,
as well,
a lot of
the other
Pharisees at
this time,
that there
are just
good people
and there
are bad
people.
And the
truth is,
there's not.
There's only
bad people
and then
Jesus.
That's it.
And we
tend to
gauge people
by that
sometimes.
And they
even look at
Jesus and
don't really
see the
righteousness
in him
at all.
And they
think that
they are
far above
this woman.
This woman
should not
even be
around.
If anybody
has a right
to be around
another righteous
person,
it's just
one of them.
And previously,
just for sake of
time,
I may not
read all this,
but just in the
previous verses
leading up to
this text in
Luke 7,
they're talking
about John
the Baptist.
And Jesus
basically tells
them,
it doesn't
matter who
God sends,
you're going
to reject
him if
he's actually
speaking the
truth to
you.
Because John
came and
he had this
very strict
religious
lifestyle.
Very strict.
He took the
Nazarite vow.
He did all
these things that
just set him
apart.
It's like very,
I don't know,
strict and
religious.
And more
than them,
probably.
Then you have
Jesus'
ministry that
was kind of
characterized by
more of a
joyous ministry.
So you have
both someone
who's very
strict and
very disciplined
characterizing
John's ministry,
if you would,
versus Jesus'
ministry.
And they're
rejecting both
of them and
just kind of
saying,
like,
we don't
believe.
We think that,
and Jesus calls
them out for
being childish
in the previous
verses.
We've done all
these things for
you and you
still don't
listen.
And so,
a small lesson
inside of this
is some
people,
no matter
what you do,
you can jump
through all
their hoops,
answer all
their questions,
but the problem
is at the end
of the day,
they just have
a wicked,
depraved heart,
and the problem
is their unbelief,
not that they
haven't been shown
enough evidence
of who God
is.
And so,
Jesus already
has his
reputation for
looking,
for hanging
out with
gluttons,
tax collectors,
and sinners.
So they have
this idea
about Jesus,
so they
really think
that they
are above
him in
some ways.
So,
beware of
like sin
becoming
academic.
That's a
new word
I've been
appreciating
lately.
And
academic
means like
you understand
what it is
on paper,
and it works
out this way,
but reality
is you don't
have any clue
at all.
Like it's
kind of like
the difference
between reading
about something
and experiencing
something.
So,
beware that
your sin
is not
academic.
You would
confess,
like,
yes,
I know
I'm a
sinner,
but like
you don't
really feel
like the
burden of
that.
And
do you,
if not on
paper,
but in
practice,
see certain
sins as
worse than
others?
And do you
believe that
such people
are beyond
the mercy
of God
and his
saving power
in Christ?
And do
you,
even as a
believer,
focus on
the sins
of others
to make
yourself
more comfortable?
in your
own
self-righteousness.
I do.
I did it
earlier this
week.
And great
conviction
followed.
But just
beware that
you're not
gazing at
Jesus or
anyone else
through the
eyes of
self-righteousness.
So,
yeah,
beware of
that.
Don't have
a higher
standard of
righteousness
because you
don't.
So,
number three,
point three.
this is a
big one.
Our love
for Christ
or lack
thereof
is directly
connected
to the
awareness
of our
own sin.
Our love
for Christ
or lack
thereof
is directly
connected
to the
awareness
of our
own sin.
And we
see this
in verses
40 through
47.
So,
Jesus knows
what's going
on.
He knows
he's
discerning
Simon's
thoughts.
And he
tells him
this parable
to teach
him a
lesson
about
sin
and about
God
and about
forgiveness
and about
who he
is.
And
500 denarii,
like both
two money
lenders,
one owned
500 and
the other
one owned
50.
500 was
the equivalent
of about
20 months
wages.
So,
that's a
long time.
50 denarii
is about
two months
wages.
So,
a lot
more,
a lot
less than
20 months
wages.
So,
but it's
meant to
depict the
reality that
unconditional
forgiveness
was expressed
by the
money lender.
He forgave
them
unconditionally,
but love
was the
result.
And we
have a
tendency
to kind
of,
as a
culture,
to disconnect
sin from
the love
of God.
And I
had a
professor
in college
that was
a
professor
of
religion
and
said that
she was
a
Christian,
but not
really.
But she
shunned me
for talking
about sin
and I
talked to her
in her
office a
lot,
just about
this kind
of stuff.
And she
just said,
you should
come to
my church
because in
my church
we talk
about the
love of
God and
how kind
God is
and how
he's our
father and
all this
stuff.
love of
God and
love of
God.
You have
no idea
how loving
God is
because your
view of
yourself is
so big
and your
view of
sin is
so small.
And I
actually read
her this
passage and
she just
goes,
hmm,
interesting.
And I
really,
we have to
understand that
there's a
connection.
So this
woman's love
and faith
was expressed
by her
works.
She did
three things
that Simon
did not.
And if you
see that in
her text,
like,
she did
this,
you did
not,
Simon.
So all
these different
things demonstrated
her faith
expressed in
love and
Simon's lack
of it.
Jesus not
only approved
of the woman
kissing his
feet,
but reminded
Simon that
he had
neglected to
greet him
with a
kiss.
And what
was quite
appropriate at
that time,
it was a
welcoming
thing.
And to
not do
some of
these things
or to
wash
Jesus'
feet was
an insult.
So they
didn't even
show him
the normal
hospitality
norms at
all.
So they
really didn't
respect him.
But he
didn't make
a big deal
out of it.
He just
said,
like,
this woman
has gone
far beyond
even what
you,
what I
expected
of you.
So her
love proved
and authenticated
her faith.
love much
or love
little.
We need
to be
careful here,
but there
was Thomas
Watson,
one of my
favorite
Puritan
guys,
he said,
until sin
be bitter,
Christ will
not be
sweet.
And we
have to
understand
that there's
a direct
connection
until we
really
understand
who we
are apart
from Christ,
the intensity
of our sin,
the depth
of our
need,
the extent
of our
brokenness,
and then the
judgment that
we deserve.
We will never
see Jesus
or appreciate
him for
who he
truly is.
So,
however,
this doesn't
mean that we
merit forgiveness,
rather that
our love for
Christ is the
fruit of
forgiveness.
And the
parable itself
depicts that
forgiveness
that's given
unconditionally,
and that love
was the
response to
that.
So,
in verse
47,
where you see
this idea
of her
sins,
which are
many,
are forgiven
for she
loved much.
That's,
think of it
as like
wherefore,
like the
result of
this,
the evidence
of this
is her
love towards
me.
So,
not that she
had earned
his forgiveness
and none of
us ever
could,
that would
go against
the whole
parable,
plus what
he just
says in
the next
verse.
So,
we know
that we
can't earn
God's
forgiveness.
So,
a while
back,
I read
this devotional
Future Grace
by Piper
on a
sabbatical,
and I'm
rereading it
with Adam
Dome
right now.
Such a
great reminder,
but of
course,
all of us
would say
we can't
earn forgiveness
by good
works,
by doing
good things
for people,
by attending
services.
I think we
all know
that,
but how
many of you
have ever
tried to
pay God
back with
gratitude,
or pay
God back
with love.
And,
man,
this was a
killer for
me,
because I
feel like
so much
in my
life,
I've been
saying,
God has
died for
me,
so therefore
I just
need to be
grateful and
just show
him a lot
of love.
But the
problem with
that is our
love and
our gratitude
rises and
falls every
day.
So,
the power
to live
is,
as
followers of
Jesus is
not found
in our
gratitude and
love ultimately.
Isn't that
shocking?
It is to
me.
But it
can't be
because it
just rises
and falls.
At the
end of the
day,
our gratitude
and our
love can
be motivations,
but it
really seems
to be that
scripture puts
the emphasis
on grace.
Like,
at the end
of the day,
it's still
grace that's
going to
hold you,
not your
gratitude,
not your
love.
And,
kind of,
so,
tomorrow is,
Kathleen's
going to
hit me if
I'm wrong
on this,
I think
it's my
12-year
transplant
anniversary,
where I
get my
lungs at
UAB.
So,
it's really
cool that
Wes and
Liz were
on the
day,
because they
were there,
other than
Nathan and
Sam.
But I
know that
I have
this works-based
mentality to
pay God
back for
what he's
done for
me.
And I
want to
pay him
back by
my gratitude
and my
love.
And so,
when I'm
not grateful,
and when I'm
not loving
God,
I just hate
myself.
It's a
really bad,
bad cycle.
But we
put emphasis
on what was
grace that
taught my
heart to
fear,
but we
need to
think about
it's also
grace that's
going to
lead us
home.
So,
you can't
pay God
back with
how grateful
you are.
I think
that's what
I unknowingly
was trying
to do.
Like,
God,
I'm going
to pay
you back
for the
forgiveness
you've shown
me by
being grateful.
And you
can't do it.
It's just
going to
rise and
fall.
At the end
of the day,
it's still
God's grace.
It's still
God's grace.
God's grace
towards us.
None of
us are
ever truly
aware of
how sinful
we are,
like,
ever.
We have
moments where
we're pretty
clueless and
we think
we're pretty
good people.
And other
times we're
more aware
of it.
But none
of us
have ever
been 100%
aware of
just how
truly sinful
we are.
So even
the most
devout
followers of
Jesus failed
at times to
show that.
But we
know that,
again,
it's God's
love and
God's grace
towards us.
the breadth
of it,
the intensity
of it,
is what
sustains us.
In 1 John
4,
verse 9,
it says,
And this
is the
love of
God,
was made
manifest among
us that
God sent
his only
son into
the world
so that we
might live
through him.
And this
is love,
not that we
have loved
God,
but that he
loved us
and sent
his son
to be the
repitiation
for our
sins.
It's very
great.
So,
number
four,
forgiveness
can only
be found
by faith
in Christ.
Forgiveness
can only be
found by
faith in
Christ.
And see
this in
verses 48
through 50.
Jesus
has the
authority
to forgive
sins,
which only
technically
God can
do.
Faith,
her faith
saves her,
not her
works.
So she
abandons all
any pretense
of her
own
self
righteousness
and just
clings to
Christ's
righteousness.
And all
that is
expressed in
her actions.
Think about
the faith
that it
took her
to even
show her
face there.
Like,
she must
have just
heard that
Jesus was
around.
Must have
just heard
that he
was in
the neighborhood.
And then
the stuff
that she
had heard
about him
just said,
this man
must be
a man
of mercy.
This man
might be
my only hope.
And so
she,
regardless
of what
people think
about her,
she shows
up there.
So think
about the
fear of
man that
her faith
overcame
in that
moment.
And because
she believed
that Jesus
was worth
it.
And her
faith was
expressed in
the love that
she showed
towards him.
And so,
but, you
know, Christ
told her,
hey, your
faith has
saved you.
Go in
peace.
Those are
amazing words.
Like, we all
long to kind
of hear that.
And understand,
though, that
Jesus knew
in the back
of his mind
that I'm
going to pay
the penalty
for that
woman's sins.
There's no
such thing
as pardon
without payment
of debt
in God's
eyes.
Christ had
to pay the
penalty for
our sin,
and he did,
as well as
for this
woman's sin.
Really
quickly,
flip over
to Colossians
chapter 2.
Colossians
chapter 2.
Colossians
chapter 2,
and look at
verse 13.
And Paul
writes,
And you,
who were
dead in
your
trespasses,
and the
uncircumcision
of your
flesh,
God made
alive together
with him,
having forgiven
us all our
trespasses,
by canceling
the record
of debt
that stood
against us
with its
legal demands.
This,
he set
aside,
mailing it
to the
cross.
So this
idea of
a record
of debt,
all the
stuff that
you have
done and
thought that
was dishonoring
to God,
Christ paid
the price
for it,
and canceled
it by his
sacrifice on
the cross.
God
in our
story,
Jesus knows
that he's
going to
have to
do that.
He can't
just forgive
this woman
and just
go on.
But our
salvation,
our faith,
our forgiveness
of sins is
only found
by Christ
dying for
us.
So,
lastly,
verse,
this is more
of an
implication,
but because,
this is number
five,
because God
has forgiven
us in
Christ,
so we
must forgive
others.
So,
the joy
and freedom
of forgiveness
that we've
experienced in
Christ,
we must
express to
others from
the heart.
For in
that kind
of forgiveness,
people see a
picture of
Jesus.
It points
to him.
And it's
not out of
duty,
but out of
what God
has wrought
in our
hearts
through him
showing us
forgiveness.
Also,
in Colossians,
if you just
jump down
the next
chapter,
it says,
put on
then,
as God's
chosen ones,
holy and
beloved,
compassionate
hearts,
kindness,
humility,
meekness,
and patience,
bearing one
another,
and,
if one has
a complaint
against another,
forgiving each
other,
as the Lord
has forgiven
you,
so you
also must
forgive.
And so,
those of
us who
have been
set free
and forgiven
by Christ,
we should be
eager to
show that
to other
people,
for in
that they
see the
forgiveness
of Christ.
And just,
if there's
anything that
needs to be
dealt with in
your heart
today,
things that you
need to ask
the Lord for
forgiveness for,
or go to
someone that you
have sinned
against,
and say,
hey,
I need to
ask your
forgiveness,
may this
kind of be
a driving
force of
that,
but I pray
that you
would just
kind of
see the
grace and
forgiveness
of Christ
with no
strings
attached.
You can't
pay them
back,
it's just
free,
and there's
nothing we've
done that
cannot be
pardoned and
forgiven.
God is
not just
forgiving us
because he
just feels
bad for us,
it's because
he truly is
kind towards
us,
he wants to
show us
that kind
of forgiveness,
and I pray
that that
just transforms
our hearts
today.