Who is Jesus? (Part 2) Luke 7:36-8:3

Several weeks ago, we looked at that all too popular verse in Luke 6.

Luke 6:37 “37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

However, as we examined it we noticed that the text doesn’t mean don’t make judgments, rather it’s about our attitude.

That we aren’t supposed to have a judgmental attitude toward people.

We aren’t to look as someone and assume they are condemned with no chance of coming to Jesus.

We are to offer them the same opportunity Jesus offers us.

We are love them as we would want to be loved.

Now for 21st century America that seems like a pretty normal mantra.

However, for Jesus’ time this wasn’t the case.

Some People were actually seen as second class citizen.

These people included the poor, the sick, the widow, the orphan, women and children.

What’s interesting and something that we have to grasp, is that this is exactly the group that Jesus came to preach the good news to.

All you have to go is go back to Luke 4, to see who Jesus came to proclaim the gospel to.

The sick, hurting, poor, and outcast.

And as I stated when we began studying through Luke some 25 weeks ago, this is one of the keys to understanding Luke’s purpose in writing his gospel.

He’s writing his account for an outsider.

Theophilus is a gentile who has been invited into the kingdom of God.

Jesus is welcoming the outsider.

This is shaking up the community.

So people are asking the question “Who is Jesus”

That’s what Luke has been answering in this chapter.

This is the most important question that can be asked.

A couple weeks ago, Tommy had you all look at two accounts at the beginning of Luke 7, first being about the centurion’s servant and then the widow’s son.

Both of those stories show us the authority of Jesus.

The authority recognized by the centurion that then leads way to Jesus’ authority over sickness and even death with the raising of the widow’s son.

Last week the question was examined through John the baptist’s doubt and through his mission.

John helped to reveal who Jesus is through the message he proclaimed.

Jesus is the promised one that John prepared the way for.

This morning we are going to answer the question by looking at Jesus’ interaction with a Pharisee and a sinful women.

Here we are going to see that once again Jesus claims to have the right to forgive sins.

An action that only God can do.

So by the end of these three weeks we should see that Jesus

Has Authority over all creation.

He is the Savior that God promised he would send to his people.

And that he has the ability, authority, and right to offer forgiveness of sin.

So before we dive into this account let’s go to the Lord with a word of Prayer.

Just to place this on the timeline in Luke, here’s what’s happening.

Jesus had just told the Pharisees that they would never be happy.

They weren’t happy with John living a life of being separated from the world.

and they weren’t happy with Jesus living with the people.

There is nothing that would satisfy them.

They said John has a demon and Jesus is a drunkard.

Yet Jesus stands firm on his teaching and the message he was sent to give.

Claiming that wisdom is vindicated by all her children. v.35

Now after being Chastised he is invited to dinner by a Pharisee.

We find out later in the chapter that his name is Simon.

Luke 7:36–39 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!”

Dinner Time Scandal

Jesus is at dinner with a Pharisee.

We aren’t sure where his stance is on Jesus but we can infer from later events that he didn’t have a high view of Jesus.

Now as he was eating and reclining at the table a woman enters in to the home of Simon the Pharisee.

Luke makes sure to let us know that this woman is a sinner.

Traditionally, she is said to be a prostitute, but the text isn’t clear about that.

Regardless of what her sin is, she is known by the community as a sinner.

Her character is stained.

Her life has been observed.

Her reputation proceeds her.

She is an outcast, unclean and unworthy.

But she approaches Jesus.

She comes with an alabaster jar.

In the gospels of Mark and John, we are told that this jar of perfume is worth 300 denarii, that’s nearly a years worth of wages.

What this woman does is scandalous.

She begins to wash Jesus’ feet.

She washes his feet with her tears.

Dries his feet with her hair

And anoints his feet with this perfume.

Why is she crying?

That’s a great question, but we don’t know.

There are a couple of theories.

The first being that she is overwhelmed by her sin while looking upon Jesus.

The next is that previously Jesus and her had met in a conversation that isn’t recorded.

In that conversation Jesus said something that caused an extreme feeling of joy to rush over her.

The truth is we don’t know, but what we can surmise is that she is overcome with emotions by being in the presence of Jesus.

Meanwhile, Simon the Pharisee, can’t see past her reputation.

He can’t see past her sin.

Not only that, but her current actions are equally shameful.

First she enters into a strangers house uninvited.

Then approaches the guest instead of the home owner.

She then starts weeping and washing his feet.

and begins to wipe the tears away with her hair.

Here’s something culturally that we can’t really comprehend.

Jewish Women, during Jesus’ time, NEVER let their hair down in the presence of any man other than their husband.

In fact, this act of displaying your hair could be viewed as an act of adultery.

Letting your hair down in public was shameful and even grounds for a divorce.

This is no small thing.

On top of being known as a sinner, she is now casting more shame upon herself.

Yet she doesn’t care b/c she desires to serve Jesus.

Simon, the Pharisee, is disgusted with this woman’s reputation and he is confused by Jesus’ reaction.

Jesus isn’t repelled by her sinfulness.

Simon thinks to himself, Luke 7:39 “...“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!””

Simon has a theological assumption in his thinking.

He believes that there is not a prophet or man of God who would allow this to happen.

This scandalous woman by her actions and by touching of Jesus would sully Jesus’ reputation.

So he can’t associate with her or allow her to wash his feet.

Simon has a separatist mindset.

To be holy.

To be clean.

To be pure one must be separated from the world.

There’s no way a prophet of God would allow these shenanigans to continue.

A prophet of God would never let this kind of sinner touch him.

Listen this is applicable for us as well.

This assumption is what keeps us as those called by God away from preaching and proclaiming the gospel to those sinners.

We don’t want to be seen as guilty by association.

We fear that if we are seen with or around those who are viewed as sinners we may be lumped into that category.

But if we are called to imitate Jesus.

Then we are called to associate with the outcast.

We are called to go and proclaim the good news to sinners.

We are called to tell the sick and hurting that there is a hospital for their soul.

We are called to go and drag those sinners to the feet of Jesus.

I wonder how many of us would feel the same was Simon did if the biggest sinner in our town walked in those doors.

Would we ask ourselves “Why are they here?” “Who invited them?” “Does Jesus want them?”

Listen to me, I am not saying that we as God’s people aren’t supposed to be distinct from the church.

That’s readily apparent in the Scriptures.

We are a set apart people who should live by and adhere to God’s Truth.

But what we can never forget is that we were all once like that woman who is washing Jesus’ feet.

We were once terrible sinners who weren’t worthy of being in the presence of God.

And Yet, Jesus invited us in.

Let’s not be barriers to the world around us, let’s have open hearts to the work of God in the world around us.

This should be comforting to us, that Jesus isn’t afraid of our sinfulness.

He’s not afraid of what we have done.

He’s not afraid of who the world says we are.

Instead his arms are open to receive the worst of sinners.

But Simon is doubting who Jesus is.

If Jesus is a prophet then he should know about this woman.

And if he knew about this woman he would separate himself from her.

But that’s not the way Jesus operates.

So Jesus is about to let Simon know that there’s more to him than meets the eye.

Luke 7:40–43 CSB

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.

Parable of Debtors

Jesus knew the thoughts of Simon.

This could only happen as a revelation of God.

Or if Jesus is the Son of God.

So the simple act of responding to Simon’s thoughts reveals some answers to the question “Who is Jesus?”

Jesus has divine insight and can hear the thoughts of those around him.

Jesus uses this opportunity for teaching.

Remember a few weeks ago, when we studied Jesus dinner at Levi’s house.

I told you guys that when Jesus comes to dinner he uses the opportunity to teach something about himself or about what God is doing.

That’s exactly what is going on here.

Jesus tells a short parable about 2 debtors who owe a creditor money.

One owed 50 denarii

The other owed 500 denarii.

I mentioned it earlier, but as a refresher, a denarius is equal to about a days wage.

So one owes about 50 days of wages.

The other owes about 1.5 years worth of wages.

Here’s the thing, neither of these debtors would ever be able to pay back what they owe.

If they are only making one denarius a day, then they will always be indebted to their creditor.

Can you feel the hopelessness in this situation?

These debtors are barley making enough money to survive.

And yet they continue to owe money to one who has every right to make them sell land, wife, and children to pay off this debt.

These debtors both of them are going to live a life of slavery and service to this creditor.

They have no hope or light at the end of the tunnel.

Everyday that they live is day lived in bondage to this debt and to their creditor.

This is a debt they owe and can never repay, but the creditor is gracious.

He approaches each debtor and graciously cancels the debt.

I can almost feel weight coming off of their shoulders.

This burden doesn’t have to be carried any long.

Their debt has been paid.

And the point that Jesus is trying to hammer home with Simon is the amount of love felt by the one who had been forgiven much.

So he asks this question “Which one of them will love him more?

And Simon isn’t dumb.

He knows that the one who is forgiven more will have more gratitude and thanks toward the creditor than the one who is forgiven much.

Now obviously we know that when Jesus tells his parables that they are about more than what is on the surface.

So this parable is not about money.

However it is about debt.

What’s under the surface is the reality of the debt of sin?

Each sin comes with a price tag.

That price is death.

So every time we sin death is the price that is expected of us.

That’s what Paul means when he says that the wages of sin is death.

Death is what we have earned as the wage for our rebellion and sin.

We have to recognize our dreaded sinful state.

We are all sinners and b/c of our sin we owe to God a debt we cannot pay.

We are each like one of those debtors.

Even if we are relatively good in light of our neighbor, in God’s eyes we still owe him our lives as the penalty for our sinfulness.

Here’s the main difference between Simon and this woman.

The woman recognized her sinful state.

She recognized the need to repent.

She recognized the need to lay it all down at the feet of Jesus.

But Simon, b/c he is religious.

B/c he wasn’t as outwardly sinful as this woman didn’t feel as if he was in as dreadful of a state.

What Simon doesn’t realize is that both he and that woman are in debt.

They both owe a price that they can’t pay.

Though her debt may look worse to the world, they both need grace.

They both need to be forgiven.

They both need to turn to Jesus and repent of their sins.

In order to understand the love and grace of Jesus we need to see the depth of our own sinfulness.

The need for his forgiveness.

Apart from Jesus the best and worst sinners are still dead in their sins and trespasses.

We cannot help ourselves.

No matter how hard we try, the weight of what we think we can accomplish by good works will always be outweighed by our sinfulness.

We could never in 1,000,000 years pay off the debt we owe.

I find it curious that Paul writes in 1 Timothy 1:15 “15 This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them.”

Paul is announcing himself as the worst of all sinners.

Why this is interesting is b/c this is towards the end of Paul’s ministry.

He’s been planting churches.

He’s been suffering for the sake of the gospel.

He’s gone to places were they love him and places were they want to kill him.

His devotion to Jesus and the message of the gospel is unmatched.

And yet he says so is his sinfulness.

How can Paul say such a thing?

The more he walked with Jesus.

The more devoted he became to the cause of Christ.

The more he recognized his wretchedness.

As he lived his life of mission for Jesus he could more clearly see the depths of his own sinful state.

The close to Jesus the more abhorrent their sin became.

And we have believers walking around today thinking that they are sinless.

That they have achieved some moral superiority.

That suggests to me that they aren’t close to Jesus.

B/c the slightest taste of bitter sin is revealed next to the sweetness of Jesus.

This is what closeness to Christ builds in us.

It builds in us a distaste for our sin.

An aversion to it even.

And that’s what this woman understands at the feet of Jesus.

Her sin is so wretched that all she can do is weep and clean the feet of Jesus.

Here’s the thing, if we recognize our bitter our sin is, how much of a debt we owe then we will see all the more the beauty of Jesus.

But if we think that our sin is miniscule, that our sin isn’t that big of a deal, then we will never see the need for our savior.

And though we cannot pay our debt, it can be forgiven.

Jesus can wipe the slate clean.

Isn’t that good news?

That Jesus can forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

And a heart of understanding this leads to worship of Jesus.

That’s what we see in this woman’s actions.

Luke 7:44–47 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. 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.”

Devotion or Disregard

Jesus uses this opportunity to contrast the actions of this woman with the inaction's of Simon.

She did everything to Jesus that Simon should have done, but she did it to the most extreme.

There were expectations of hospitality when visiting someone’s home.

Especially if that someone was a prominent figure like Jesus.

However, Simon’s inaction demonstrates that he rejects Jesus.

But the focus is on the woman’s extravagant gifts for Jesus.

She didn’t wash his feet with water, but with her own tears.

She didn’t use a towel to dry his feet, but her own hair.

She didn’t anoint his head with oil, but his feet with a costly perfume.

This woman realized that even being at the the most unseemly part of Jesus’ body is valuable.

Just being in his presence drives her to worship b/c she recognizes his power, authority, and compassion.

The person who has a multitude of sins to be forgiven will always be more grateful than the one who has few sins.

What Jesus isn’t saying is that Simon needs less forgiveness.

This all comes down to a recognition of our sinfulness.

The woman recognizes her need for forgiveness, while Simon doesn’t b/c he relies on his own self righteousness as the measure of sin.

This can be our default state too.

It’s easy for us to think that we are good with God b/c we aren’t as bad as someone else.

But Jesus here shows that all sin must be forgiven whether great or few.

The debt is still owed.

And if we die not forgiven then we have earned the wrath of God.

Let’s not get too high and mighty.

Just b/c you have never committed adultery, done hard drugs, or gone to jail doesn’t mean that you haven’t sinned.

Your gossip, pride, and self-righteousness are just as sinful as the ex-felons.

We all need forgiveness.

And when we realize how much we have been forgiven then we will fall down at the feet of Jesus and offer him our everything.

We will love him with devotion.

But for that deep of a love to take place, we must know the depth of our sin.

This woman knew the depth of her sin b/c it was ever on the forefront of her mind.

She was shunned by the community.

She as shamed by people b/c of her sin.

It was an ever present reality that overwhelmed her life.

However, it’s so much easier for us to forget just how sinful we are b/c we are never face to face with our sin.

We choose to sin in silence and in the dark hoping no one will find out.

Meanwhile, we stand before God covered in the filth of our sinfulness.

Believing, like Simon, that’s Jesus is lucky that we invited him to the party.

How arrogant can we be?

So please I beg each one of you to take a moment and examine your heart.

Where are you when it comes to devotion to Jesus?

Do you truly recognize how sinful you are?

B/c to us forgiveness is never great if we don’t think we need that much of it.

The most beautiful part of the story comes next.

Luke 7:48–50 CSB

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.”

Forgiveness

These are some of the most amazing words spoken by Jesus.

“Your sins are forgiven”

I’ve spent a lot of time talking about our sinful state and how we need Jesus’ forgiveness, so I won’t continue on too much.

Here’s the thing about forgiveness.

The sinner has no bargaining chip.

He can’t convince Jesus to forgive him.

We truly rely on Jesus’ grace and mercy to experience forgiveness.

Here’s the thing, only God can forgive sins.

That’s why the crowd is so confused by Jesus’ statement.

Who is his man who forgives sins?

Jesus didn’t passively say, God has forgiven your sins like the priest would say.

Rather it is under his word and authority that sin is forgiven.

So in these few verses we see a high view of Jesus from Luke as he records the words.

Jesus is God in flesh.

He is able to forgive sins b/c he has the authority to do so.

And after he forgives her sins, he bids her go in peace.

When we know that we have been forgiven by God, there is a peace that overcomes us.

We have been made right with God.

Though we deserved the wrath of God, we have now been made at peace with him.

What a beautiful picture.

Enemies of God become his friends.

Children of Wrath become Children of God.

This is the good news of the gospel.

Our sins can be forgiven.

We can be washed white as snow.

Only through Jesus can we receive this forgiveness and he freely gives it to those that come to him in faith.

We stand at a cross roads in life.

We can think that we don’t need God’s forgiveness Like Simon.

Or we can recognize our sinful state and fall down at the feet of Jesus and ask for his forgiveness.

I can tell you, one of those people left that day completely transformed.

And it wasn’t Simon.

Are you going to leave here transformed by seeking Jesus’ forgiveness or are you going to stay the same?

Let’s pray.