Greater Debtors

As It Happened

Today I want to share one of the accounts of Jesus’ ministry with you. It’s one of the examples that are recorded in each of the four Gospels, today we’re looking at Luke’s record of it specifically.

So Jesus has been doing ministry all over the region. He’s been healing people and casting out demons and teaching. All this hadn’t escaped the attention of the Pharisees, religious leaders of the Jews at the time. One of them was really curious about who Jesus was and about everything He’d been doing. He figured that a good way to learn more would be to invite Jesus to dinner, so he did. Jesus accepted the invitation and joined the Pharisee at his home. As He stepped in the door, it became clear that the Pharisee didn’t really view Him as a peer - he didn’t offer Jesus any water to wash His feet with and didn’t welcome Him with any familiarity.

Little did the Pharisee know, news of the meeting he had scheduled with Jesus had made it around town. In particular, one woman was very interested in meeting Jesus. She wasn’t exactly welcome at the Pharisee’s house, but she was afraid this might be her only chance to meet Jesus. You see, she had a reputation around town and she was sure that Jesus knew about it - surely someone told Him and clued Him in. She was a sinner. She was still fairly well off and an outside observer might think her life was working out alright. She was taken care of, she had all the material goods she could want - but she knew that her life was hollow, missing something important. She knew what she had done, she knew that it wasn’t just a reputation, she knew that she was a sinner. But she had heard rumors that this Jesus had forgiven sins, that He had restored people who were broken inside, so she had to talk to Him.

She bought an expensive ointment to gift to Him and made her way across town to the Pharisee’s house. With Jesus at the home, it was a very busy place and she easily slipped into the room He was in. In her head, she had an eloquent speech ready. She was going to explain herself to the man, she was going to maintain her dignity, and she was going to ask for Him to help her. All that went out the window when she saw Him. She rushed to where He was sitting, tears streaming down her face, and broke down. All of her words escaped her as she began to wash Jesus’ feet with her tears and her hair. She could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on the scene she was making, but she wouldn’t stop.

Jesus turned to Simon and asked him a pretty easy question. He asked

Luke 7:41–43 (ESV)

“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.

When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

Jesus turned to her explaining that the Pharisee hadn’t shown any love to Him since He arrived, but she had been overwhelmed with love. He said it was because, for her, much had been forgiven. She could pick up on the judgement radiating from the Pharisee, but it didn’t matter - the next words out of Jesus’ mouth were ones she had always hoped to hear. “Your sins are forgiven.”

An Opportunity for Compassion

What a beautiful story, a woman who is burdened and broken by sin is forgiven and restored by Jesus! But I was thinking, the story could’ve gone another way.

So Jesus had still been doing ministry all over the region. He’s been healing people and casting out demons and teaching. One of the Pharisees was really curious about who Jesus was and about everything He’d been doing. He figured that a good way to learn more would be to invited Jesus to dinner, so he did. Jesus accepted the invitation and joined the Pharisee at his home. As He stepped in the door, it became clear that the Pharisee didn’t really view Him as a peer - he didn’t offer Jesus any water to wash His feet with and didn’t welcome Him with any familiarity.

Little did the Pharisee know, news of the meeting he had scheduled with Jesus had made it around town. In particular, one woman was very interested in meeting Jesus. She wasn’t exactly welcome at the Pharisee’s house, but she was afraid this might be her only chance to meet Jesus. She was a sinner. She knew that her life was hollow, missing something important. She knew what she had done, she knew that it wasn’t just a reputation, she knew that she was a sinner. But she had heard rumors that this Jesus had forgiven sins, that He had restored people who were broken inside, so she had to talk to Him.

She bought an expensive ointment to gift to Him and made her way across town to the Pharisee’s house. With Jesus at the home, it was a very busy place and she easily slipped into the room He was in. In her head, she had an eloquent speech ready. She was going to explain herself to the man, she was going to maintain her dignity, and she was going to ask for Him to help her. All that went out the window when she saw Him. She rushed to where He was sitting, tears streaming down her face, and broke down. All of her words escaped her as she began to wash Jesus’ feet with her tears and her hair.

The Pharisee saw the woman came in and saw how desperately she needed to see Jesus. He made sure no one bothered her. When she started crying, he felt compassion for her and had one of the other people in the room set a place for her at the table. He saw Jesus turn to her and tell her that she was forgiven. Her face lit up and He smiled along with her. He felt so happy that was able to witness that, to see this woman redeemed and restored by Jesus.

Kneeling Together

That’s a little different isn’t it? It makes you feel a little different? Makes you feel like the Pharisee’s behavior was a little more appropriate. He saw someone in need of forgiveness and helped them get to that place. He saw someone receive forgiveness and celebrated with them. That’s a great example for Christian community isn’t it? When we see someone who is broken and burdened by the weight of their sin, we remind them of Jesus and His forgiveness. But I want to tell this story again, one more way.

Jesus still starts off doing ministry all over the region. He’s still healing people, casting out demons, and teaching. One of the Pharisees hears about this, but more importantly he hears that Jesus is forgiving sins. He knew that a lot of people would say he’s righteous, a lot of people would say a Pharisee - a religious leader - like himself didn’t need forgiveness. He knew that wasn’t true though, so he invited Jesus to his home, hoping to receive forgiveness himself and learn at Jesus feet. That wasn’t all either, he invited other people he knew - even a woman who had a really bad reputation in town.

The woman was surprised she got that invitation, but she was very interested in meeting Jesus. She hadn’t expected to be welcome at the Pharisee’s house and she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to meet Jesus otherwise. She was a sinner. She knew her life was hollow, missing something important. She heard the same rumors the Pharisee had heard that this man could forgive sins and restore broken people - so she went.

She bought an expensive ointment to give to Jesus and went to the Pharisee’s house. She slipped in, feeling strangely welcomed in this man’s home. In her head, she had an eloquent speech ready. She was going to explain herself to the man, she was going to maintain her dignity, and she was going to ask for Him to help her. All that went out the window when she saw Him. She rushed to where He was sitting, tears streaming down her face, and broke down. All of her words escaped her as she began to wash Jesus’ feet with her tears and her hair. She expected the other people in the room to judge her, to tell her to stop making a scene, so she was shocked when someone knelt down next to her and started washing Jesus feet alongside her.

It was the Pharisee and he looked at her in the eye and said, “thank you, I didn’t know how to approach Him.” They both looked up at Jesus and He smiled down at them. He guided them to their feet, to sit alongside Him at the table, and told them both, “your sins are forgiven.”

Go and Do Likewise

We all know and see people who are broken, who are sinful, who need Jesus. We don’t just show them compassion as they find their way to Jesus, we guide them to His feet and kneel beside them - we’ll be a church ready for Him, all our hearts longing for our King, waiting for His return and receiving His forgiveness. Amen.