Seeing J E S U S
Prayer
Luke 7:36-50 (ESV)
One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “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.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Does how you see Jesus matter?
How do you see Jesus?
Does it affect how you treat others?
How much have you been forgiven of?
Has your life been an offering of worship?
Luke 7:36 (ESV)
One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.
Luke 7:37-38 (ESV)
And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.
As the Pharisee sits in Jesus’ presence with a critical spirit, this woman of the city surrenders, adores and humbly through repentant tears worships Him.
As Simon waits to be served she serves the Lord!
Can you imagine being an uninvited guest in a religious leaders home who would not be celebrating your presence and without words or concern for others perception or knowing how Jesus might respond you humbly and extravagantly love on Him in extreme worship at great cost?
It seems that her objective was to anoint His feet but her tears preceded her offering, so she humbly wipes Jesus’ feet with her hair. Pride and perception will often keep us from loving God the way we should!
Luke 7:39 (ESV)
Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “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.”
The average rabbi would not permit himself to be touched by an unclean person, but this was no average rabbi. Jesus touched and was touched by our sin in order to rescue us from it. INCARNATION!
Are you living an incarnational life?
We are never going to be the hands and feet of Christ if we look down on others and fail to look up to Him.
Simon had no concern for this poor woman’s dilemma, no yearning to lift her from her broken life or to help her become a godly woman. He simply judged her, pushed her aside, and presumed that any other rabbi would do the same.
Luke 7:40 (ESV)
And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
Now that Simon had summed up Jesus and elevated himself to a pious position Jesus had a question for him.
Are their questions Jesus might ask you?
Where you a sinner saved by grace too?
Have you overestimated your own righteousness?
I know your heart, but do you really know theirs?
Has what I have done for you translated to others?
Or He might say “you without sin cast the first stone.”
Luke 7:41-42 (ESV)
“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
Jesus is putting a mirror in front of Simon and showing him the darkness of his own sin and self-righteousness. This is exactly what God’s Word does for us.
James 1:23-25 (ESV)
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
How do you respond to others who are caught in public sin?
Ideally we point them to Christ and His Cross!
Luke 7:43 (ESV)
Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Luke 7:44-46 (ESV)
Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.
The fact that Simon gave Jesus no water for His feet, (kiss or anoint Him) communicates how he saw Jesus.
Luke 7:47 (ESV)
Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
Is anyone forgiven little? Or is that our inaccurate self-perception?
Pride and self-righteousness lives in inaccurate self-perception! It is so important that we have an accurate perspective on ourselves and that is the work of the Holy Spirit and a humble yielded heart that is quick to respond to conviction with repentance.
The woman’s love didn’t save her, it is what her love demonstrated that saved her – her faith in Jesus the Christ! In contrast, self-righteous people, think they have no sins that need to be forgiven, so they also have little love to show for it.
Luke 7:48 (ESV)
And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Luke 7:49-50 (ESV)
Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
While the others doubt Christ’s authority to forgive sin, this woman puts her faith in Jesus and receives forgiveness.
Applications
We can be quick to judge the weaknesses of others, to compare ourselves with others, and to justify our own sins by pointing the finger at someone else. By doing this, instead of humbly confessing our own sins and committing ourselves to serving Jesus, we take our place right next to Simon sitting arrogantly in the presence of the Lord.
Pride and perception will often keep us from loving God the way we should!
Overflowing love is the usual response to forgiveness and the appropriate result of faith, but only those who acknowledge the depth of their sin can appreciate the total forgiveness God offers them.
Do you appreciate the wideness of God’s mercy?
Are you grateful for his forgiveness?