The Weeping Outcast

Introduction:

-What does a lover of God really look like?

-The most dominant characteristics of true love. Is what someone is willing to sacrifice for another person.

-The lengths we go for our children are mostly felt by what we sacrifice for them. Late night study session, weekend soccer tournaments, giving your last dime for them to be able to attend a science camp for the their future, Refinancing your house to help them pay for college. All of these things are done because of your great love for them.

John picks up on this in his gospel John 15:13 “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” John calls sacrifice the highest form of love.

Ladies and Gentlemen when you are looking for mate willingness to sacrifice is one of most compelling signs you found a keeper.

-Jesus did many things to prove his love but that final act of sacrificing his life was hid grand finale.

-This week we want to look at a practical story to help quantify(what does it look like to love him) “what it means to Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.”

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.”

Then

Luke 7:31–34 CSB

31 “To what then should I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to each other: We played the flute for you, but you didn’t dance; we sang a lament, but you didn’t weep! 33 For John the Baptist did not come eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ 34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

-(v.31-32) These Pharisees are giving Jesus a headache so he uses an analogy to help them see their stubbornness.

-(v.32) First he calls them “children” which is some ways is a exposure of their level of spiritual growth.

-(v.32) Then Jesus goes on to describe what looks like a game that children play. He describes the playing of a flute which was common at a wedding. Notice the response of the Pharisees in this story “they did not dance” they were spiritually undiscern during times of celebration they were hardened and not able to enjoy. He then describes the singing of a dirge(lamentations) this was a song sung during times of grief most likely a funeral. Notice the response of the Pharisees “the did not weep”

-(v.32) The Rebuke was essentially: You religious teacher have become so cold and hard hearted that you have forgotten that you are in business of people. And that you have totally lost connection to the sheep. When the sheep needs help and cries you show no compassion, when the sheep is rejoicing you have lost the connection to rejoice with them

-(v.33-34) Then Jesus shreds them with some pinpoint logic: When John the Baptist came under a nazarite vow eating no bread, and drinking no wine you called him “a demon!” When I came eating bread and fellowshipping with the people you called me “a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!”

-(v.35) “Yet Wisdom is vindicated by all her children.” Very interesting that Jesus would use “wisdom as a noun” wisdom is not a person place or thing. Unless when he uses “wisdom” metaphorically to speak about himself.

-(v.35) “Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children” Jesus is telling these Pharisees go talked to those people that I have impacted they will speak on my behalf and tell you that I am not a sinner, drunkard, but I am a friend of the tax collector, because they need my help.

-(v.36) In the midst of this conversation one of the Pharisees offer Jesus a dinner invite to the house. Jesus accepted the invitation and the text says: “He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table” Luke added that last part because he wanted us to understand the context of this dinner. This was not a normal dinner this was probably a Sabbath Banquet. When it says Jesus was reclining at the table this was a more formal dinner. This is when they would pull out couches and mats for the dinner guest.

-(v.36) The Pharisees(Teacher) was inviting Jesus over as an equal. He did not see a distinction between him or Jesus. He figured this is another Rabbi like me I want to hear his teaching over a nice meal.

Always-God will respond to those that Love him with all their heart soul, mind and strength.

I. The Weeping Outcast gave it all

Luke 7:37 CSB

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

-(v.37) “And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner” In walks this woman into the narrative. The text gives us some clues into this character. She is a woman and she is a sinner. Now Luke is being general in his description of her. But when you look back at (v.34) there is a connection between his description of her and that verse. Luke is not speaking about general sins he is speaking about a loose woman. She is either an adulterer or a prostitute. I would argue that she is most likely a prostitute based on the remainder of this verse

-(v.37) This broken sister heard “the teacher” was going to be at this Pharisees house. So she ran home and went to get her sacrifice. I know she was probably thinking “I know I am probably not supposed to be at this prominent Pharisees house without an invite, but my need supersedes social politeness, and religious protocol. Yes I am “unclean” Yes I am “a sinner” yes I am a woman. and Yes I was not invited, but I need to see the Master, and when I come I don’t want to come empty handed.

-(v.37) “she brought an alabaster vial of perfume,” The value of this vial was about a years worth of wages. Often Prostitutes had vial of perfume as a part of there career to entice men. The woman came to the Master willing to give up/sacrifice her costly perfume as a symbol of her repentance. Essentially she brought her life. She brought that which was most critical to her former lifestyle.

Where do I get that amount for the perfume??

Mark 14:1–6 CSB

1 It was two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a cunning way to arrest Jesus and kill him. 2 “Not during the festival,” they said, “so that there won’t be a riot among the people.” 3 While he was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured it on his head. 4 But some were expressing indignation to one another: “Why has this perfume been wasted? 5 For this perfume might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they began to scold her. 6 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a noble thing for me.

In the ancient world there would be two ways a woman could afford to sacrifice a years worth of wages. Either she was well off due to inheritance from a dead husband or she was a prostitute. I lean towards prostitution. Think about it. A prostitute perfume game would have been on point. Perfume would have been the way Mary would have entice suitors.

When Mary broke the bottle on Jesus feet it was a symbolic way of saying I am giving up my ole life and I am willing to break this expensive bottle of perfume to prove it.

It was the same thing Jesus was asking the “The rich young ruler to do” Sell all you have and give it to the poor. His willingness to sell his stuff was proof of a true heart change.

transition statement-scared, nervous and out place she could not hold herself back, and she demonstrated her love for Jesus

II. The Weeping outcast was willing to humble herself

Luke 7:38–39 CSB

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!”

-(v.38) “and standing behind Him at his feet, weeping” She took on the mindset of a house servant. As Jesus sat reclined on the couch eating with his feet behind. She knew that she was uninvited but she might have figured if take on the role of a common house servant I can enter the Master presence. She did not come into his presence demanding a title, demanding a position, or demanding to be notice. It was not unusual for the person’s who feet were being washed to never make eye contact with the foot washer. Like the women with the issues of blood. Mary might have thought If I can just touch his feet healing can come to me.

-(v.38) “she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume” Can you see the scene???? In the midst of using this expensive perfume to anoint the feet of Jesus she begins to break emotionally and starts crying while she anoints his feet. Then watch what she does.

She then divest herself of what little honor she had: In this culture in public a woman always keep her hair up. If a woman was caught in public with her hair down it was grounds for a divorce. Just speculating but it is probably because of the sexual connotation related to a woman letting her hair down, but this woman didn’t let her hair down to entice Jesus she let her hair down as a sign of her humility. She laid aside cultural boundaries and used her hair to wash Jesus feet. What she used to use to entice she is now using to wipe the master feet.

(v.38) All of her personal finances she gave to the Master, Her previous profession, All of her honor she also gave to the Master. This is what it means to Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. You might say she did not hold anything back from Jesus. She gave it all to him. I am convinced that at some point during this event when she got over her own fears, and insecurities, and focused on the Lord, it was just Jesus and her in that room. She lost track of everyone in the room and just began to break in front of the Lord.

-(v.38) I have a theory as to why she starting crying “hope” she knew the because of her profession and past sins she could not go to the synagogue, nor be accepted back into the covenant community of the Jewish believers. Her past was too sordid. As she washed Jesus feet he did something that no other teacher would allow her to do......(v.39) tells us.

Look at the Preacher reply

Luke 7:39 CSB

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!”

-(v.39) The Host Pharisees started to ponder and he thought “If this man were a true prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner” In the midst of this scene the host Pharisees is focused more on the character of the woman than the character of Jesus. But notice whatever respect he had for Jesus at the beginning of dinner has know left. He questioned his prophetic call based on the compassion he was showing this woman. He says a true prophet would know “who this is, by name, and what her career was” this tells me that this woman reputation preceded her. She was known.

-This (v.39) give us a clue and of why this woman cried. She was not supposed to be touching a Rabbi/Teacher of the Law because she was “unclean” but Jesus is allowing her to touch him which is an implicit acceptance of her as a forgiven child of God. Without saying a word to her. This woman started to think not only has he not rebuke me for coming near him, he has allowed me to touch his feet and anoint them.

-Our great God knew what the Host was thinking so like any great near eastern teacher he told him a story:

-Two debtors one owed 500 hundred denarii and the other 50 denarii

-Lets break it down even further. One denarii is a days wages. One person owed about a year and half worth of wages-120000 and the other owed about 10000.

-Both were not able to pay the debt and the moneylender graciously forgave them:

Question Simon(Host Pharisees) So which of them will love him more?”

-(v.43) Simon answered Jesus “I suppose the one whom he forgave more?” He understood Jesus story that’s why he answered with certainty, he knew Jesus had pinned him. We might say “he just got told” He also knew that in that story he was the one who had been forgiven of little.

-(v.44) “Turning toward the woman” this is a powerfully significant phrase. Prior to this Jesus just lets the woman love on him and give him worship and adoration without acknowledging her. Now he acknowledges her presence by pointing her out to Simon the host.

-(v.44-46) “I entered your house” Jesus tells him this was not the responsibility of this woman, it was your house therefore you were supposed to do what’s she is doing. He treated Jesus as an outsider, or enemy not a guest. Jesus reminds Simon of this woman behavior contrasted against his own behavior. “You gave me no Kiss, You did not anoint My Head with oil.....You did not give up anything sacrificially . You haven’t inconvenienced yourself at all for my visit to your home. This woman gave up a years worth of wages, and you did not even use free water to wash my feet.

Transition statement-This woman in the midst of seeking God, recieved her greatest gift. She lost her career, and her Honor, but she gained a Savior

III. The Weeping woman sacrifice led to joyful worship not Religious obligation

Luke 7:45 CSB

45 You gave me no kiss, but she hasn’t stopped kissing my feet since I came in.

-(v.45) You will notice that in Jesus rebuke of Simon the Host he talks about things that should have been done by obligation alone. Jesus was not talking about special behavior, but the bare minimum any Host would do for an invited house guest.

a. you did not wash my feet with water

b. you did not greet me with a kiss(this was a way of displaying hospitality in the ancient world)

c. you did not anoint my head with oil(this was done as a refreshment)

-These things listed were just the basic obligation that a host would do for a house guest. By Analogy: If you have houseguest you probably would clean the sheets, at the bare minimum and provide food.

-(v.45) Jesus exalts this woman because she went beyond the bare minimum. but notice in (v.45) this phrase “but, since the time I came in, she has not ceased to kiss my feet” For this woman this was not a one-time obligation, but new found lifestyle. She has made her decision to make Jesus her Lord, and to give him the rightful place in her life. Look at the text “she has not ceased to kiss my feet” This woman does not see church as just something we do on Sunday. She is waiting at the door, before it is open so that she can come to worship the Lord, and that is because she has been worshipping all week with the Lord. This woman does not see worshipping Jesus as an inconvenience, or just something she has to do to feel less guilty about not serving. She is excited to serve the Lord, She is excited to demonstrate her love to God through her service.

-(v.47) “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little” This is the apex of the story: This is the point Jesus wanted everyone to hear. Folks who are aware of their own sinfulness, weakness, and insecurities are the often the ones that give me the most sincere, passionate, and faithful love. Those that hide their sins, minimize their faults, and avoid taking blame for their sins often give me surface level love and adoration.

-You say Pastor but I thought I love the Lord; I give, and I come to church. Loving the Lord is so much more than that. How do you sit still knowing what has done for you:

Romans 8:29–30 CSB

29 For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.

-(v.29)

a. foreknew-this is a relational knowledge of those that would be saved---one might say “fore-loved”

b. predestined-to determine or decree beforehand; conformed to the image of His Son, so that HE would be the firstborn(prototokos) among many brethren

c. Called-At just the right time God call you on the phone and you pick it up

d. Justified-Declared Legally Righteous. Vindicated. Not Guilty.

e. Glorified-This is the point when these earthly bodies put off mortality and put on immortality.

-This is enough right here alone to make you Love the Lord more deeply and serve him without regard to those around you....Let alone the fact that he also feeds, clothes, watches out for you, comforts you, guides you, rebuke/disciplines you, and finally is sanctifies you....

Look at the Preachers Response

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?”

-(v.49) All those at the table seemed to be more concerned about him exercising his authority to forgive sins, rather than the fact that one was lost and now she was found.

So hard hearted that they were unable to see the love of this woman bestowed on this loving King.

Application

Loving the Lord will require a continual sacrifice on your behalf, you must enter his presence ready to give

Loving the Lord will require a humble spirit. You must be willing to divest yourself of your ego in submission to him

Loving the Lord will require joyous consistency. You must be willing to be faithful, not looking at your service to God as obligation, but as your reasonable loving service unto him

MBC we need some people like this woman in our church, willing to lay aside cultural norms, willing to lay aside her own personal embarrassment, willing to block out all the distraction and focus on the Lord. Willing to bring a sacrifice no matter what the cost.

Lets see how Mary is doing does she still serve after this event. Luke 8:1-3

Luke 8:1–3 CSB

1 Afterward he was traveling from one town and village to another, preaching and telling the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary, called Magdalene (seven demons had come out of her); 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward; Susanna; and many others who were supporting them from their possessions.

Conclusion

No sin will make your Saviour turn away in disgust, no weakness will make him want to give up, no struggle will make him feel his grace has been given in vain. He will not give up, will not forsake you, he will complete what he has begun.....Paul David Tripp

Open the Doors of the Church