Scandalous Love and Forgiveness

Good morning!

We are going to wrap up Luke chapter seven today with a powerful example of Jesus’ love and forgiveness.

When we began chapter seven, Jesus had just finished teaching the disciples in a story Luke calls the sermon on the plane.

On the heels of that time of teaching, Jesus went back into several cities and resumed his public ministry.

It is important to remember that when Luke wrote this book, chronological order was not as important as arranging his writing to present an “orderly” accounting of Jesus’ ministry.

Luke’s goal was to prove to himself, Theophilus, and other readers that Jesus was the Messiah.

Luke is trying to answer the question he and many others were asking.

“Who is this man?”

Therefore, Luke shares stories of Jesus’ interactions with many different people.

These stories reveal the kind of person Jesus was, how he interacted with all kinds of people, and ultimately, that he was the son of God.

Luke starts chapter seven with a story of Jesus healing the Centurion's servant. Luke 7:1-10

The Centurion wasn’t Hebrew.

He was a Gentile, and Luke includes this story to show that Jesus came for all people, not just the Hebrew people.

In their interaction, Jesus affirms and uplifts the faith of this Gentile Roman officer.

Jesus healed the servant because of the faith of the Centurion, thus revealing that his power and love stretched farther than God’s people expected.

Jesus then raises the widow’s son from the dead. Luke 7:11-17

This story shows yet another unexpected aspect of Jesus.

It reveals his authority over life and death.

It also showed his love for the widow.

In doing both of these things, Jesus calls the people’s attention back to things that God had done in that region through other well-known prophets.

Jesus is proving that he is not acting in his own authority but upon the authority given to him by God.

In the next story, Luke tells us about John the Baptist questioning if Jesus was the Messiah. Luke 7:18-35

Luke uses John’s doubt to answer the question.

Who Is Jesus?

Luke shows us through Jesus’ response that Jesus was different than the Hebrew people expected.

Jesus tells John the Baptist to look to the works that He has been doing to answer his question.

Even in his doubt, Jesus lovingly affirms John and then proclaims John’s greatness to those who were present.

Jesus addresses the doubt that creeps into our lives at times of difficulty.

He teaches us to live with expectancy about what He can do but not with expectation of what that thing may be.

Jesus ends that teaching with a promise that if we listen to and follow him, His righteousness will be revealed through our lives.

Today in the final story of this chapter, Luke reveals the scandalous love and forgiveness that Jesus offers to all people.

Let’s read this last story together.

Look with me at Luke 7:36-50

Luke 7:36–50 CSB

36 Then one of the Pharisees invited him to eat with him. He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 And a woman in the town who was a sinner found out that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of perfume 38 and stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to wash his feet with her tears. She wiped his feet with her hair, kissing them and anointing them with the perfume. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “This man, if he were a prophet, would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—she’s a sinner!” 40 Jesus replied to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” He said, “Say it, teacher.” 41 “A creditor had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Since they could not pay it back, he graciously forgave them both. So, which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one he forgave more.” “You have judged correctly,” he told him. 44 Turning to 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, with her tears, has washed my feet and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but she hasn’t stopped kissing my feet since I came in. 46 You didn’t anoint my head with olive oil, but she has anointed my feet with perfume. 47 Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

This is such a cool story for several reasons.

A few points that are important to note as we dive into it.

They are back in Nain.

Last week’s story happened in Galilee.

Nain is the same place where Jesus raised the widow’s son from the dead, and Jesus’ presence would have been widely known.

Luke doesn’t tell us the woman’s name.

Some have speculated that it was Mary Magdalene, but there is no evidence of that, and it would have been odd for Luke to introduce her in the next chapter, as we will see next week.

Her identity is not the point of Luke’s story.

The point is her faith and Jesus’ response.

Luke starts off this story by telling us that Simon invited Jesus to come and eat with him at his house.

The woman in the story hears that Jesus is at Simon’s house and goes to find him.

What she does when she gets there may seem odd, but the individual actions are customary in that time period and culture.

The washing of your feet when entering someone’s home.

Greetings with a kiss.

Anointing your guest's head with oil.

None of these were required but were gestures of hospitality and welcome.

While her avenue of delivering these gestures wasn’t customary, the meaning behind them was.

She approached Jesus in this way because she wasn’t formally invited, but it was culturally appropriate for those who had need to come and receive food.

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8: Matthew, Mark, Luke Luke 7:36–38

The woman (v. 37) took advantage of the social customs that permitted needy people to visit such a banquet to receive some of the leftovers. She came specifically to see Jesus, bringing a jar or little bottle of perfume.

At this point, her actions are too much for Simon to deal with, and not say anything.

But Jesus knows this and responds to what he is thinking.

Jesus knows our hearts and thoughts.

That may seem a little unsettling, but that doesn’t change that it is true.

Life Group Question: Can you share a time when you felt completely seen by God?

Life Group Question: How did you feel to be that bare before God?

Many times, we have seen Jesus respond to what someone is thinking.

Jesus knows what is happening in the heart of this man who has invited him for dinner.

Life Group Question: How will it impact people’s perception of Jesus if they feel judged by us?

He also shows us that he sees and knows the sins of this woman washing, drying, kissing, and anointing his feet.

Not only does Jesus know what we are thinking, he challenges those thoughts.

Jesus challenges this religious leader's thinking by telling him a story.

Let’s look at that story again.

Luke 7:41–43 CSB

41 “A creditor had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Since they could not pay it back, he graciously forgave them both. So, which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one he forgave more.” “You have judged correctly,” he told him.

A denarii was about a day's wage.

So, to owe someone five hundred would be an insurmountable debt.

Whereas to owe only fifty would only be about two months' wages, which would be more manageable to repay.

Not only does Jesus tell the story, but he requires that Simon answer the question of which one is more grateful.

Jesus is disarming Simon by making him answer the question.

Jesus is taking the focus off the judgment and putting it on the great value of forgiveness and the appropriate response to such grace.

Look again at what the woman is doing to Jesus.

Luke 7:44–46 CSB

44 Turning to 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, with her tears, has washed my feet and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but she hasn’t stopped kissing my feet since I came in. 46 You didn’t anoint my head with olive oil, but she has anointed my feet with perfume.

Her actions show the state of her heart, and Jesus is causing Simon to compare his own heart with hers.

Last week, we discussed that Jesus’ actions prove who he is, and the same is true for us.

Our actions prove who we are on the inside.

The woman’s actions are in response to the forgiveness Jesus has given.

She is not doing this to gain his forgiveness.

Rather, it is an overflow of her heart towards Jesus.

In verses forty-seven and forty-eight, when Jesus says that her sins are forgiven, he isn’t forgiving her in response to her actions.

Rather, her actions are proof that she has already received forgiveness.

Life Group Question: What is your response to Jesus’s love and forgiveness?

Life Group Question: How can your love for others aid in their response to God’s love?

Luke 7:47–48 CSB

47 Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Jesus points out that her actions are the response to what she has experienced.

Because she has been forgiven, she has loved much.

And Jesus compares her great love with the “little” love of Simon.

Both of their actions have revealed the condition of their hearts.

Because Simon didn’t receive Christ as the Messiah, he doesn’t understand what this woman does.

We read about this last week.

Luke 7:29–30 CSB

29 (And when all the people, including the tax collectors, heard this, they acknowledged God’s way of righteousness, because they had been baptized with John’s baptism. 30 But since the Pharisees and experts in the law had not been baptized by him, they rejected the plan of God for themselves.)

The religious leaders at that time held very specific expectations of what the Messiah would be like.

Because their expectations blinded them, they didn’t see Jesus for who he was.

But not this woman.

Like the others, she recognized God’s way of righteousness, placed her faith and trust in Jesus, and experienced the forgiveness of God.

As recorded by John, this love she felt from Jesus resulted in a loving response. 1 John 4:19

1 John 4:19 CSB

19 We love because he first loved us.

This is why the woman entered uninvited, wept upon Jesus' feet, washed, dried, kissed, and anointed his feet.

She was doing what she could to show her appreciation and love for the one who had loved her.

And as we can see, those seated at the table didn’t understand what was happening.

Luke 7:49 CSB

49 Those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?”

Again, we see the echo of the question Luke is working to answer.

This is not the first time the religious leaders have asked this question either.

Luke 5:21 CSB

21 Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to think to themselves, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

This is on the heels of Jesus healing the paralytic whose friends lowered him through the roof.

Jesus reveals who he is to the people present at that dinner.

Jesus is the son of God.

What the religious leaders failed to see was obvious to everyone else.

Over and over, we see stories in Luke where ordinary people put their faith in Jesus.

In response to their faith, Jesus did incredible things.

These actions from Jesus were him exercising his divine right to forgive, heal, and restore people.

This is why he said he came!

John 12:44–50 CSB

44 Jesus cried out, “The one who believes in me believes not in me, but in him who sent me. 45 And the one who sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me would not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and doesn’t keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and doesn’t receive my sayings has this as his judge: The word I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own, but the Father himself who sent me has given me a command to say everything I have said. 50 I know that his command is eternal life. So the things that I speak, I speak just as the Father has told me.”

Jesus came to redeem and restore the world back to God.

To reveal what had been hidden.

To open the sight of the blind, to heal the broken, and to bring the lost home.

There were people around Jesus who saw and heard the same things the woman we read about today.

But there is a distinct difference in their responses to these things.

Some believed and some did not.

Luke is making it plain that those who believe in Jesus are the ones who are being saved.

Salvation is based on faith alone.

This is the most important part of this whole interaction between those present at this dinner party.

This is where so many have been led astray before.

It is easy to read this story and walk away with the understanding that it was because of this woman’s actions that Jesus forgave us.

Jesus concludes this conversation by making it clear that her faith is what has saved her. Luke 7:50

Luke 7:50 CSB

50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

American church culture will try to convince you that proper behavior, the right kind of clothing, going to church enough, and many other things will make you right with God.

Life Group Question: How can we actively fight against performance-based religious activity?

Jesus says something very different.

He acknowledges that her sins are many.

Luke 7:47 CSB

47 Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little.”

But her forgiveness isn’t based on her actions.

The opposite is true.

Our behavior and previous or future mistakes don’t change God’s love for us.

Jesus acknowledges her sin and still affirms the forgiveness that she has received.

She is acting this way in response to the forgiveness she has received.

Not only did she receive forgiveness, she also received salvation.

Her salvation, once again, was not the result of her actions; it was the result of her faith.

Luke 7:50 CSB

50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Your faith has saved you.

Life Group Question: Does your life communicate the scandalous love and forgiveness you have received?

I titled this message the Scandalous Love and Forgiveness of Jesus because in her culture and in ours today, this kind of grace is scandalous.

It is unheard of, yet it is the basis of our relationship with God.

It is a rarely-heard message, yet it has the biggest impact on the world.

As Jesus was ministering to people, they felt this love, forgiveness, and salvation.

But the religious got in the way and were communicating the wrong things.

This leads us to ask some questions.

Are we, the religious people, that are in the way?

Or are we preaching a gospel that says forgiveness and salvation are a gift from God for all people?

Are we requiring that people meet some standard that we have put in place, or are we loving like Jesus?

The grace we have been offered was costly to Jesus, but it is completely free and undeserved for us.

God sent us the law so that we could see our need for God.

But, just like the religious people of Jesus’ day, we still hold ourselves and others to the level of perfection in order to be loved by God.

This is the anti-gospel.

Romans 8:3–4 CSB

3 For what the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering, 4 in order that the law’s requirement would be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Jesus has done all that God requires. Romans 8:3-4

His perfection is passed to us when we trust and place our faith in him.

When we trust that his perfection was enough to satisfy God.

The problem with our culture is that we don’t trust Jesus.

Life Group Question: How can our words and actions teach people to trust Jesus?

We still want to be part of the process of perfection.

Jesus makes it clear in this interaction with the woman that her faith is enough.

This is the gospel that we need to preach to ourselves and our culture.

Jesus is enough.

This message is scandalous because it takes the power from the religious organizations and places it completely in Jesus’ hands.

Jesus is enough for you, for me, and for the world.

Let’s release the power and control that we have fought for our whole lives.

Place your faith in a man who lived for you, died for you, and came back to life for you.

Jesus knows your heart.

Just like the woman in our story today, he knows your sins.

And just like the woman in our story today, he loves you right where you are, in the middle of your sin.

He forgives you because he loves you.

Jesus is the son of God and has the right, authority, and power to forgive and save you.

Luke aimed to answer the question, “Who is Jesus?”

What he has shown us in this chapter is that Jesus was in fact God’s son.

We know that because he has the power to heal.

He has the power over life and death.

He has a love that transcends our sin and doubt.

He has the authority to forgive and redeem us.

Jesus is the Son of God.

God sent him to reveal God’s character and heart for all people.

God sent Jesus to reveal to you that God loves you.

If you don’t know Jesus personally and have never placed your faith in him and received his salvation, there is no better moment than now.

Place your trust in him today, and you, too, can receive his salvation.

You can be freed from guilt, shame, and death.

You can experience the freedom, liberty, and love Jesus freely gives.

If you have never placed your faith in Jesus, it is quite simple.

As we close in worship, take that time to have a conversation with him.

Tell him that you know that you need his salvation, believe that he is God's son, and want his forgiveness.

Let’s pray.

Announcements:

Trunk or Treat

Pastor appreciation lunch

Offering