Wednesday Devotional

Luke 7:36–50 ESV

36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at 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.”

I love the contrast we see in these verses. It’s a contrast that we still see to this day. We have Simon the Pharisee. Pharisee’s are obviously known for being very self righteous. They felt like they had reached the pinnacle of human moral virtue. But to be fair to them that’s because in a lot of ways they had.

They didn’t live messy lives like everyone else. They came from moral families with good virtues. They followed the law. In a lot of ways they did what they were supposed to do.

Now not only was Simon a Pharisee, he is apparently a relatively well know individual in his day. He’s at least well known compared to this woman who isn’t even named in the text. It just says she is a woman of the city who is a sinner.

It’s unclear what sins she’s commited to give her this title of sinner. But she was the exact opposite of the Pharisee. Her life was a mess. It’s doubtful she came from a good moral family with good virtues. It’s likely she had the exact opposite of an upbringing.

But she was apparently such a sinner that being a sinner is what she was known for.

So much so that Simon assumed Jesus would have known who she was. Luke 7:39 “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.”

The text implies that Simon expects someone like Jesus to condemn and push a way this sinner of a woman. Simon was uncomfortable with not just the woman's behavior but Jesus’ behavior as well. It’s interesting when we love people the way we are supposed to it will always make the self righteous uncomfortable.

I pray we are a church that is willing to make the self righteous uncomfortable as we love the sinner.

But not only are there reputations in contrast the way they treat Jesus is in contrast.

Luke 7:44–46 “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.”

What a dramatic difference in how they treated Jesus.

One was cold and stand offish.

The other effusive in her worship and love of Jesus.

Why the different responses? Jesus explains with a short parable.

A money lender had two debtors. One 500 denarii and another 50. The money lender forgave both debtors. Who would be most grateful Jesus asks? The obvious answer is the one who have been forgive the greater amount. The one who had been forgiven 10 times the amount of the other.

Simon was a moral man. He followed the law. He did not see himself as needing much forgiveness. Therefore He did not see himself as needing a Savior.

The woman saw herself as a sinner. She had broken the law. She saw herself as needing infinite forgiveness. Therefore she worshiped Jesus as her Savior.

How we view our own worth or our own righteousness determines how we view God.

Have you ever heard the question. If God is a good God how could he allow so much suffering. People use that question as a way to discredit God and to say that God can’t be good.

But that question is actually filled with arrogance. It assumes that we as people deserve God’s kindness. That we deserve to live absent of suffering.

Why would we deserve to live absent of suffering? Why would we deserve God’s kindness? Why do people think this? Because people think that we are generally good. Well of course people who are generally good deserve kindness from God and protection from suffering.

So it’s because people think they are good and righteous in themselves that their suffering proves God is not good.

How we view our own worth or own righteousness determines how we view God.

So tonight I have a simple question for you. How do you see yourself?

Do you view yourself like Simon the Pharisee. Do you thank God that you are not as bad as others?

Or do you see yourself like the woman. A sinner who has been forgiven much.

You may say you believe you are a sinner and that Jesus has saved you.

But what you believe is always revealed by what you do.

Do you see Jesus as infinitely kind? Are you effusive in your praise and worship of him? Or are you cold and stand offish like Simon?

Luke 7:47 “47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.””

We love little when we feel like we’ve only been forgiven little. We love much when we realize how much we’ve been forgiven.

Do you love much? Do you love Jesus like the woman loved Jesus? The way we love like the woman isn’t by trying harder. It’s by being honest with ourselves about our sin. Humbly confessing our sins to Jesus and trusting that we have been forgiven.

In your prayer time tonight. Take a few moments before you get to any of the requests and spend time confessing sin. repenting of sin, and worshipping Jesus for the forgiveness of sin.

I’m going to pray and then we can share some requests.