Well, let's turn for a short time now to Luke chapter 7.
! We're going to look especially at verses 36 to 50,
I have something to say to you.
And he answered, said, teacher.
In many ways, we could summarize this passage by focusing on two of the questions that are asked in the process of the passage.
In verse 44, he said to Simon, do you see this woman?
In other words, Jesus is drawing Simon's attention to this woman, to who she is,
but especially what she has just done in anointing the feet of Jesus and wiping them with her hair.
And when you go to verse 49, it's a comment there by Luke when he comes to write this for us.
He said to her, your sins are forgiven.
And then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, who is this who even forgives sins?
And in many ways, you can summarize the passage from both of these questions.
Do you see this woman?
Do you see who she is, what she's done?
And do you see this person, this Jesus, and who he is and what he himself is able to do?
So in other words, the first question there in verse 44, it's really a challenge to Simon, Simon the Pharisee,
a challenge as to how he should see people, how he should view people, how he should come to an opinion about people,
what are the characteristics of his assessment, what is right and what is wrong in making assessments of people.
The second question is a challenge, and of course that's a challenge to us as well,
but the second question is a challenge to us too, verse 49,
who is this who even forgives sins?
How do we view Jesus?
Not just how we view other people and how we assess their lives,
what we make of them, what we think of them,
what our conclusions are,
but especially what do we make of him?
What is Jesus for?
What have we done with him?
Who is he to us today?
An issue which runs right through the Bible,
but Luke's gospel, in the framework of Luke's gospel,
that question frequently comes up.
Who is this man?
Who is he?
What is he about?
So let's see, first of all, this woman.
Simon, do you see this woman?
Who was this woman?
Well, she came to this house of Simon when Jesus was here,
and we're told that she had something of a reputation.
A woman of the city who was a sinner,
when she learned that he was reclining at table,
brought an alabaster flask of ointment.
The word sinner, and Simon uses the word as well,
when he thought about what Jesus had allowed this woman to do.
If he were a prophet, he wouldn't have allowed this.
He's saying, for she is a sinner.
Now, that word could mean a lot of things.
We're all sinners to some extent.
To a great extent, we're all sinners deep down,
and we're sinners by practice as well.
But when this word is used in this kind of context,
it means she was a woman who had a reputation,
a woman who had a lifestyle that just wasn't becoming
as it should be of a woman in society,
or of anyone in society.
It means she had a reputation for being prominently
or obviously a sinner.
She lived in a sinful lifestyle,
possibly a sinful relationship.
Who knows?
Maybe she was a prostitute.
Maybe she was somebody who lived an immoral lifestyle.
But in any case, she was known as a sinner.
She was known as somebody who had that sort of reputation,
that sort of background and practice.
And she would not be welcome in this kind of society,
in this kind of situation, in this man's house especially.
But she came in,
and as she came in,
she came to Jesus,
and she anointed his feet with her tears
and wiped them with the hair off her head.
She came weeping.
She came with his ointment.
She came and kissed his feet.
She came and anointed them.
What is all that telling us?
Well, it's telling us that she recognized in Jesus
things which this Pharisee certainly did not.
It tells us that she loved this Jesus,
which this Pharisee did not.
It tells us that despite the fact that she had this reputation,
she came to love this person, Jesus,
and she loved him particularly
because he had forgiven her sins.
It was all from her love for him
that she did this.
Look at verse 47,
where Jesus says to the Pharisee,
You didn't anoint my head with oil.
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.
Now Jesus is not saying,
because she has done this,
I've decided to forgive her sins.
He's not saying,
by virtue of what she has done,
by virtue of her action here,
her doings,
she has come to be forgiven her sin.
That's not what he's saying.
He's saying,
what she has done shows,
it's evidence of the fact that her sin has been forgiven.
She loves me because I have forgiven her sins,
because her sins which are many are forgiven.
Her love for Christ grew out of her knowledge of forgiveness,
grew out of her situation where her sins had actually been covered,
had been dealt with by the Lord.
And that's why she loved him.
But her love took the form of acting like a slave would act.
When you came into a house like this,
for a meal or on a special occasion,
there were slaves employed to actually wash your feet.
John chapter 13 has a very famous passage
that uses that as a background to it,
if you like,
where Jesus began to wash the feet of the disciples.
You gathered some dust when you walked through the streets
on the way to wherever you were going,
and slaves were employed,
among other things,
to wash the feet of guests
who were invited to come to dinner
or to come to a supper.
And that's what this woman is really doing.
She's acting the part of a slave.
She's taking this position
in the presence of Simon and his guests
and Jesus in Simon's house.
She's taking the lowest position.
She's happy to do it
because she loves this Jesus.
Now there's a challenge in that for ourselves,
isn't there?
Our discipleship is not about prominence in public.
It's not about getting for ourselves
a position that people can talk about.
Our discipleship is being prepared
to take the lowest,
the smallest,
the most menial position
and tasks for the Lord.
Being able to say to the Lord,
whatever you give me, Lord,
whatever you ask me to do,
whatever service I can be to you,
I'll be happy to do it
because it's what I owe you.
Because it's all too little
compared to what you have done for me.
What is washing someone's feet
compared to having your sins washed?
That's the point that Jesus is making.
When your sins are washed away,
the least you can do for Jesus
is something you will do most happily.
The most you can do for Jesus,
you will do it most happily.
Why?
Because you love Him
and He's worth doing this for Him.
After all, as we mentioned,
John chapter 13
has a wonderful passage
where Jesus Himself
acts the part of a slave
or a bond servant.
You remember He
took off His outer garments.
He wrapped a towel around Himself.
All of these details are important.
And He began to wash
the feet of the disciples.
And there's a theological symbolism
in that in John's Gospel.
John loves to have
that symbolism brought out,
especially where it relates
to God's love and to Jesus
and all that Jesus came to do.
And here is Jesus demonstrating
by way, if you like,
of a parable in action
rather than in words,
where He had divested Himself
of the glory that is His as God.
He's still God.
It still belongs to Him,
but He's masked that
by His place in the world
as a servant of the Father.
He's come to be,
not to be served,
as He put it Himself,
but to serve
and to give His life
a ransom for many.
And as He does,
as He washes these disciples' feet,
He's demonstrating,
He's come into the world
to act the part of a slave,
the part of a servant,
bonded to the Father
and bonded to His people
and being prepared
to carry this through
to the very end.
And when He had finished
washing the disciples' feet,
He took up His place again.
The towel had done its work.
He sat again
where He was to begin with.
And there's John's symbolism for you.
The Lord came into this world
in the form of a servant
and He humbled Himself
to the death of the cross,
as Philippians 2 put it.
And what happened then?
Well, He went back
to the glory He had with the Father
before the world was.
But what a wonderful,
wonderful service
in between those two great points
of His coming
and His going back to the Father.
He came to wash
the feet of His disciples
spiritually,
as well as literally.
He came
to be the Savior of sinners.
He came into the world
to show the Father's love
and to be,
for us too,
the example
above all other examples
of what it means
to serve God
humbly,
willingly,
consistently.
So there's a challenge
in this woman
for ourselves.
Are we today
prepared
to follow Jesus?
To follow Him
into the most menial tasks?
Will we go
wherever He sends us?
Will we do
whatever He requires
of us?
Will we say,
Lord,
when I think
of what You have done,
what You ask of me
to do for You
is all too little.
But then you see
Simon's conclusions.
Jesus said to him,
Do you see this woman?
But he had concluded beforehand,
and I think this is one of the reasons
Jesus drew His attention again
to this woman
when the Pharisee,
when He saw this woman
doing what she'd done,
He said,
If this man were a prophet,
he would have known
who and what sort of woman
this is
who is touching him,
for she is a sinner.
What is Simon doing
with this woman?
What are his conclusions
based upon?
They're based upon
his own ideas
of what's right and wrong.
He's putting her
in a category,
not regarding her
as a person.
He just says,
This woman is a sinner.
This man, Jesus,
shouldn't have allowed
this woman to touch Him.
She's a sinner.
She's in the category
of being a sinner.
He should have just
excluded her.
He should have put her aside.
How do we assess people?
Do we put them
in categories?
Do we say about them,
Well, yes,
but they're of the world
and just ignore them?
Or do we say,
Oh, yeah,
but they're not our denomination.
They're not our congregation.
Or do we say of them,
They're not communicant members
of the congregation.
Therefore,
it's not so important
what they do
or don't do
with their life.
We're constantly,
aren't we,
in the business
of categorizing people,
putting them
into different categories,
and quite often
absolving ourselves
of responsibilities
concerning them.
That's what this man
was doing.
She is a sinner.
Let's leave it there.
So Jesus shouldn't
have touched her,
allowed her to touch Him
at all.
And he's concluded
about Jesus,
this man can't be a prophet.
He's a fake.
If he were a real prophet,
he would have known
what sort of woman this is.
It's really telling
how Jesus responded.
Here is Simon saying,
If this man only knew
what this woman is,
if he really knew,
he wouldn't have allowed her
to do this.
And in the response,
what becomes obvious
is that not only
did Jesus know
who this woman was,
but he knew
what Simon was thinking.
You see,
it's interesting.
It's important,
actually.
Simon said
to himself.
He didn't say
anything out loud.
He said to himself,
If this man
were a prophet,
he would have known
who this woman,
what sort of woman it is
who's touching him.
It's quite clear.
In verse 39,
the Pharisee,
when he saw it,
he said to himself.
He didn't say anything
out loud.
He didn't say to Jesus,
Why are you allowing
this woman to do this?
Don't you know
that she's a sinner?
It's all inside
his own head.
It's all in his soul.
It's the thoughts
of his mind.
And all the time
that he's saying
about Jesus,
if only he knew,
he really doesn't know
that Jesus
knows not only
who this woman is,
but the very thoughts
that he's thinking.
Simon never spoke
a word,
and Jesus knew
everything
that was in his mind.
And so it is
with you and me today,
just as truly
as it was
on that occasion.
Your response
to the gospel,
your response
to the call
of the gospel,
calling you
to come to Christ,
your response
to Christ's call
to go to serve him,
to be his servant,
to be openly his,
to be willingly his,
to do for him
whatever he's calling
upon you to do,
whatever thoughts
are in your mind
regarding those things
right now,
the Lord is reading them.
He knows them.
He's reached
his own conclusions.
Whatever conclusions
we've come to
about him.
But he doesn't
condemn Simon
outrightly.
He doesn't come
to rebuke him openly.
Instead,
you find from
verse 41 there,
he actually tells him
about this moneylender.
And he puts Simon
to the test again
when he goes through
the various parts
of that account
about the moneylender.
And he then
comes to the point
which of them
will love him
the most.
And Simon
rightly concludes,
well,
it's the one
to whom most
is forgiven.
And that's what
leads him again,
leads Jesus to
speak about this woman.
Because Christ's concern
is to lead
this Pharisee
towards the light.
Not to leave him
in the darkness.
The darkness
of his own understanding.
The darkness
of his own conclusions.
The wrongness
of his own thinking.
He's all the time
leading him
towards
considering
the truth
as he ought
to consider it.
And he's saying,
well,
you have judged rightly.
And then he turned
again to the woman
so that he would
focus again
on what that woman
had done.
You see,
he's drawing
Simon's mind
all the time
to what he ought
to have concluded.
What he ought
to have thought.
And to what kind
of opinion
he should have had
about Jesus
himself.
And that's how
the gospel
is today for you.
The gospel
of which Christ
is the centerpiece.
Where Jesus
stands
at the very heart
of this gospel
message
of salvation
in him.
That's the concern
of the Lord.
That's what the gospel
is concerned
for you and I
to do.
To lead us
into the light.
Not to leave us
in our darkness.
Not to leave us
to our own conclusions.
And that's why
you find
through this passage
that Christ's
response here
to Simon
is to get
his attention.
Verse 40
Simon
I have something
to say to you.
Jesus knew
who he was
knew who this
woman was
knew the thoughts
of Simon's heart
now he turns
to Simon
and says
Simon
I have
something to
say to you.
And he's
saying that
to you
and to me
today.
He's reading
your thoughts.
He knows
your heart.
He knows
what conclusions
you've come to
about himself
about other
human beings
or about the
church
whatever it is
he's reading
your thoughts
he knows
your mind.
And today
this gospel
or Jesus
through the gospel
is saying
Simon
I have
something
to say
to you.
He's not
saying it
to whoever's
beside you
in the pew.
He's not
saying this
to somebody
else in
this congregation
today.
Yes he may
be doing that
but as far
as you're
concerned
as far
as I'm
concerned
Jesus
is saying
I have
something
to say
to you.
Because
this gospel
is not
a generalized
presentation
of truth
to us.
This gospel
of Jesus
and Jesus
through the gospel
is not
just addressing
us as if
we didn't
have individual
needs that
he is able
to meet.
He's not
lumping us
all together
and saying
here's something
I want you
all to consider
and discuss
together.
No he's
saying I
have something
to say
to you
today.
Doesn't
matter how
you've come
here today.
What your
thoughts have
been.
What your
life has
been up to
now.
However
long you've
been on the
road of
following the
Lord.
Or even
if you've
not yet
come to
begin to
follow him.
Jesus
today is
addressing
your soul
and saying
you put
your own
name into
it instead
of Simon.
I have
something
to say
to you.
Aren't
you thankful
today that
Jesus is not
saying I
could speak
to you but
I'd rather
that I go to
somebody else
in this
congregation
first of
all and
then I'll
come back
to you.
No he's
saying I
have something
today to
say to
you.
Wonderful
way the
gospel
directly
addresses us
as individuals
in our
individual
need in
our
individual
relationship
with God
and to
eternity
and to
the truth
of the
gospel
itself.
Thanks be
to God
that he
didn't walk
past me
in my
life.
God
and say
I'm
going to
leave you
here.
I'm
going to
speak to
someone
else.
And you're
thankful
today as a
Christian
that he
didn't
bypass you
on the
way through
life but
that he
came and
spoke directly
into your
soul and
said today
I have
something to
say to
you.
God's
and as
we're
thankful for
God's
address to
us
individually
so we're
thankful for
all that
that contains
focusing
specifically on
our need to
serve him
on our need
to humble
ourselves before
him or
our need to
be like this
woman to
take the
lowest place
to wash
his feet
spiritually
without tears
actually to
if we need
to.
She
honored Jesus
by her
actions.
And that's
what Jesus
is pointing
to speaking
this way to
Simon.
She has
honored me
Simon.
I want you
to look at
her.
I want you
to think
about her.
I want you
to consider
what I have
to say to
you about
her and
about yourself.
and so
Simon has
much to
think about.
And that's
how it is
for me
today.
I stand
in this
pulpit and
Jesus is
addressing me
and saying
you speak
to these
people about
the gospel
you speak
to them
about their
need of
Christ
what about
yourself?
I have
something to
say to
you today.
He's not
bypassing me
or any of
us who
preach the
gospel.
for all
of us
for each
of us
it's our
great privilege
to know
God speaking
to us.
God not
leaving us
to our
own
devices.
God not
telling us
I'm done
with you.
No he's
speaking
to you
and to
me
in this
building
at this
moment.
And he
needs your
response.
he needs
to know
what you're
going to
make of
what he
has to
say to
you.
He's not
just throwing
it at
you and
just leaving
it as if
it didn't
matter.
Why is
he speaking
to us
directly?
Why is
he calling
our attention
to the
Bible and
to the
teaching of
the Bible?
So that
we will
come to
know him
and know
him intimately
and know
him continually
from now
on and
know him
as the
only one
in existence
who is
able to
meet all
of our
needs in
all its
scope,
in all its
detail,
in all its
depth.
Nobody can
do for you
what Jesus
can.
And that's
why the
gospel is
concerned.
Or Christ
through the
gospel is
drawing you
to think
deeply of
this relationship
with himself.
Do you
see this
woman?
But then
you find
near the
end of
the
chapter
as we
saw
in
verse 47
who is
this
who
even
forgives
sins?
As we
said,
she loved
the Lord
because her
sins were
forgiven.
This is
what he's
saying.
I tell
you,
her sins
which are
many are
forgiven,
for she
loved much,
but to
whom little
is forgiven,
they love
little.
And he
said to
her,
your sins
are
forgiven.
And then
the question,
who is
this who
even forgives
sins?
Now this
is the
burden of
Luke's
gospel all
the way
through as
you read
it from
beginning to
end.
This is
in many
ways the
main
burden of
his
gospel as
he's
taking us
through
the
incidents
in
Christ's
life while
he was
in the
world,
through to
his death
and resurrection
and then
ascension to
glory.
Who is
this?
What is
he about?
that's the
concern of
Luke for
his readers
that they
will come
to know
who exactly
this is
and what
they need
to make
of him.
And he
says here,
who is
this who
even forgives
sins?
That's what
they said
among
themselves,
those who
are at
table with
him.
That's the
question.
Who is
this who
even forgives
sins?
Well,
only God
can forgive
sins.
No minister
can forgive
sins.
No priest
can forgive
sins.
No church
can confer
forgiveness
of sins,
wipe our
sins away.
Only God
can do it.
But you
see, the
point is,
here is
God doing
it.
Who is
this who
forgives,
even forgives
sins?
He has
the authority
to forgive
sins.
That's why
he's able
to speak
to this
woman.
your faith
has saved
you.
Your sins
are forgiven.
There's no
salvation
without
forgiveness.
We can
persuade
ourselves
that somehow
we'll make
our way
into the
kingdom of
God
without really
paying much
attention to
our sin
and our
need to
have our
sin forgiven.
It's not
like that.
There are
many voices
that will
try and
persuade you
of that.
There are
many voices
that will
tell you,
well, you
don't need
to deal
with your
sins yet.
You don't
need to be
that serious
about things
yet.
you can do
that.
You can do
that at some
later stage
in your
life.
You've got
enough to
be doing
with at
the moment.
But you
have to
realize, and
I have to
realize, that
without Jesus
we're still in
our sins.
Without faith
in Christ,
our sin is
not forgiven.
And when
our sin is
not forgiven,
we're not
right with
God.
Who is
this who
even forgives
sins?
The world
in which we
live hates
the idea of
sinfulness.
The biblical
idea of sin,
the biblical
teaching on
sin, what
sin is,
what sin
deserves.
What we
are as
sinners from
the day of
our birth
onwards, or
even prior to
that, as
Psalm 51
put us, we
are conceived
in iniquity
and sin.
And we
bring forth
sin as soon
as we're
into the
world.
The world
out there
hates that.
You don't
tell people
you're a
sinner.
You don't
tell people
you need
your life
changed,
you need
a fresh
and a new
start.
Do you
need a
relationship
with God?
The world
doesn't want
to hear
that.
As
sinners, we
don't want
to hear
that.
But our
privilege under
the gospel is
that in his
own goodness
and mercy
and grace,
God brings
us to hear
that.
God brings
us to
consider that.
And we
come to know
our need
of forgiveness
because that's
what God is
telling us.
and Jesus
says to
this woman,
your faith
has saved
you.
Go in
peace.
Now, it
doesn't mean
that her
faith was
meritorious.
It doesn't
mean that she
earned
salvation by
her faith.
But it
does mean
that her
faith had
connected her
to this
salvation,
this forgiveness,
this salvation
that Jesus
is speaking
of.
Your faith
has saved
you.
It's faith.
What is faith?
Faith,
essentially,
is our
coming to
trust in
the Lord.
To put
all our
trust in
him for
time and
for eternity,
that trust
is really
faith.
Our faith
is trust,
essentially.
There are
other things
to it as
well.
You believe
certain things
to be true,
certain things
not to be
true,
and so on.
But faith
at its
very
center
is trusting
in God.
Putting your
trust,
your confidence
in him,
handing over
your life
to him,
and saying,
Lord,
here is my
life,
the life I've
had up to
now.
It's not
been the kind
of life
that you're
pleased with.
But I hand
my life over
to you.
I know
it's right
for me
to do
it.
I know
it's what
you're
calling on
me to
do.
And this
woman here,
your faith
has saved
you.
Is there
anyone here
today who's
not yet
saved?
Anyone
who's not
come yet
to trust
in the
living
Christ?
Anyone
who knows
the gospel
as you do
so well?
But still
you're in
your sins.
And your
sins will
condemn you
if you die
like that.
And you
have Jesus
today speaking
to you.
I have
something to
say to you.
And what
he's saying
to you is,
here is
salvation.
Here is
what you
need.
Trust in
me.
And you
will have
this salvation
to enjoy
for time
and for
eternity.
No one
will be able
to take it
from you.
Nobody
can actually
change
the
circumstances,
the relationship
then that
you have
with God.
Your
faith
has saved
you.
And then
he says,
go in
peace.
And
actually
literally
what Luke
is recording
for us
here is
that Jesus
said,
go into
peace.
Really to
translate it
literally,
it's the
word into,
go into
peace.
He's not
just saying
to her,
go now
in peace
from this
place.
He's
saying,
go into
peace.
Enter
into
peace,
the peace
that you
have in
your
salvation.
Enter
into that
peace.
Enjoy
that
peace.
Do you
lack
peace in
your life?
Are you
looking for
peace?
I'm
assuming
that
everyone
here,
including
myself,
is aware
of their
need for
peace in
their life.
The world
out there
is full
of the
lack of
peace.
But you
and I
are here
under the
gospel
where peace
is being
presented to
us in
Christ.
Go
into
peace.
Enjoy
peace with
God.
Enjoy
peace as
you
anticipate
death
and
eternity.
These
things are
not
morbid
to focus
on them,
to think
about them.
The world
will tell
you,
I don't
want to
think about
these
things.
I have
far too
much to
live for.
Why should
I be
thinking of
death and
eternity and
sin and
judgment and
all that
stuff?
Here is
Jesus
saying,
if you
want peace
you've
got to
think about
them.
If you
want peace
there's only
one place
you can
find it
and that's
in Him.
Go
into
peace.
A
peace
that will
not
in any
way free
you from
all your
troubles.
It will
not inoculate
you in
such a
way that
you won't
feel any
pains or
concerns or
anxieties or
troubles anymore.
It's not like
that.
But the
big thing
is,
when you
go into
peace,
when you
place your
trust in
Christ and
He says
to you,
now go
into
peace,
what He's
saying,
you might
have
troubles,
you will
have
troubles,
but you'll
have
me.
And
because
you'll
have
me,
you'll
have
peace.
You'll
be able
to face
your
troubles
as never
before,
through the
peace that
I will
give you.
Simon,
do you
see this
woman?
Who is
this who
even
forgives
sins?
Simon,
I have
something
to say
to you
today.
Let's
pray.
Lord,
our God,
we thank
you for
the peace
of the
gospel.
We thank
you for
the way
that it
has come
about,
that you
have come
into this
world and
given of
yourself the
Prince of
Peace to
die for
our peace.
We bless
you,
Lord,
today that
that peace
is real,
that it
far exceeds
anything that
any human
being can
conceive of
by way of
peace.
Bring us,
we pray,
into that
peace,
and if we
will already
come to
know you
as peace,
O Lord,
help us to
travel onwards
in the
peace of
Christ,
and enable
us to value
that peace
in such a
way that
would treasure
it in our
own hearts,
but would
also value
sharing it
with others.
Receive our
thanks now,
we pray,
pardoning
all our
sin,
for
Jesus'
sake.
Amen.
Well,
we're going
to conclude
our worship
today singing
in Psalm
103,
from the
Scottish
Psalter,
Psalm 103,
and
verses
8 to
12.
The
Lord,
our God,
is merciful,
and he
is gracious,
long-suffering,
and slow to
wrath,
and mercy
plenteous.
He will
not chide
continually,
nor keep
his anger
still.
With us
he dealt
not as we
sinned,
nor did
requite
our ill.
For as
the heaven
and its
height,
the earth
surmounteth
far,
so great
to those
that do
him fear
his tender
mercies
are.
As far
as east,
as distant
from the
west,
so far
hath he
from us
removed
in his
love
all our
iniquity.
all these
verses
then to
God's
praise
in
Psalm 103
from
verse 8,
the Lord
our God
is merciful.
and he is
gracious,
from
suffering
and slow
to
wrath
in
mercy
plenty
of
He
will
not
continually,
nor
keep
his
anger
still.
with
us
he
can't
nor
does
we
sin
nor
give
we
quite
ado.
For
us
the
heaven
in
its
height,
the
earth
surmounted
fire.
so
great
to
those
that
do
in
fear
his
tender
mercy
side.
!
As
far
as
he
distant
from
the
west
of
the
sea,
from
us
to
us
to
us
the
of
the
and
the
Father
the
Lord
the
Lord
the
Lord
Father
and
the
Holy
you
evermore.
Amen.
the
of
the
of
the
!
holy