Luke 7:36-50 - Forgiven Much to Love Much

Introduction - Fallen Condition Focus

Consider a time in life where you were incredibly grateful for something and then another time where you weren’t as grateful. What made you more grateful in the one situation as opposed to the other?

The value of what was given.

The consequences you were saved from.

The cost that was incurred for the giver of the gift.

The amount of time you waited for whatever it was.

In today’s passage, we are going to see two very different responses to Jesus. The different responses hinge on how the individuals view their own sin and how they view Jesus and what He can do about their sin.

We will also see a clear contrast between the way that Jesus and the Pharisees relate to sinners.

Literary Context (For the Whiteboard)

Luke 7:1-8:3 - Faith in Jesus Demonstrated

Luke 7:1-10 - The Faith of the Centurion

Luke 7:11-35 - The Identity of Jesus

Luke 7:11-17 - Jesus raises a man from the dead. The people respond saying He is a prophet.

Luke 7:18-35 - John the Baptist sends messengers to ask if Jesus is the Promised One. Jesus points to His works as evidence that He is the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises.

Luke 7:36-50 - The Faith of the Sinful Woman

Luke 8:1-3 - The Faith (Shown by Action) of Many Women

“The section as a whole presses for the trust that Jesus is worthy to receive.” -Bock

This section moves us as the reader to decide whether or not we can trust what this Jesus claims about Himself.

And if we do trust Him, then we see illustrated for us what that trust looks like in the lives of several individuals.

Bock summarized it this way: “Humility, gratitude, and service reflect faith.”

In today’s passage, we are going to see the gratitude of faith as we see two responses to Jesus and two ways of looking at and interacting with sinners.

Luke 7:36-50 - Read the Whole Narrative

What is the setting for this narrative?

Jesus has been invited to a Pharisee’s house for a meal and Jesus accepts the invitation.

Culturally, there a couple of important points to note:

First, “it was considered virtuous to invite a teacher over for dinner” in this culture. (IVP Bible Background)

Second, the fact that they are reclining indicates that this was likely a banquet with many others present to honor someone (possibly the guest teacher).

Third, occasionally these banquets would have been places for moral instruction at which the uninvited could enter and observe the discussions.

Does Luke give us a hint about the Pharisee’s motive in hosting Jesus?

Not on this occasion. Thus, that is not an element upon which we are intended to focus. He may have intended for us to wonder at the reasoning behind the invitation, but he does not provide us an answer.

So, Jesus in reclining at the table, with the Pharisee and likely other Pharisees or people of like-mind and similar status.

Then, what takes place that increases the heat in the room and moves us toward conflict?

A woman of the city, who was a sinner, learns of Jesus’ presence at the dinner.

She brings an alabaster flask of ointment, stands behind Jesus at his feet, wets his feet with her tears, wipes them with her hair, kisses them, and anoints them with the ointment.

The tension in the account rises for us as the reader because we have already seen how the Pharisees feel about sinners. They rebuked Jesus for eating with tax-collectors and sinners previously. So her presence here sets us up for conflict.

But before we get to the conflict, let’s take a moment to look at the way this sinner responds to Jesus. What do you notice about her response?

First, when she learned that Jesus was there, she went to him. (An amazing reality throughout the gospels is that Jesus attracted sinners. We will talk more about the reason for that a bit later).

Second, she brought the ointment. This ointment would have been more expensive than the olive oil that would have normally been used for anointing at this time. The alabaster container would have preserved the quality of the perfume. The POINT: she brought something of value.

Third, she came “weeping” and wet the dusty and unwashed feet of Jesus with her tears. The word here for weeping is the same as back in Luke 6:21, where Jesus said “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.” She weeps either out of the joy that she gets to honor Jesus or because of the joy she has in having been forgiven by Jesus. Regardless, Jesus is the reason for such emotion on her part.

Fourth, after wetting his feet and wiping them with her hair, she anoints them with the costly perfume/ointment.

Based on her response, we can see that this woman has a great affection, love, and appreciation for Jesus. But, not everyone present at the dinner responds to Jesus in this way.

As the account proceeds, how does the host respond to Jesus?

Because Jesus is allowing the woman who is a sinner to touch him, the Pharisee doubts in his own mind whether or not Jesus is really a prophet. The reason for thinking that Jesus was a prophet in the first place was due to his previous miraculous works and His teaching. Luke 7:16

Despite His previous works, the Pharisee now doubts this designation for Jesus because He is allowing this sinner to touch him.

So, we see illustrated for us two different responses to Jesus. And, in what follows, Jesus will explain the key reason for the different responses to Him.

As we get into Jesus’ response, do you see anything ironic about the Pharisee’s doubt about Jesus’ identity as a prophet followed immediately by Jesus’ response?

Jesus is responding to Simon’s personal thoughts and doubts. Bock summarized it this way: “The very prophetic discernment that Simon thought was lacking is doubly manifest, since Jesus knows the woman’s identity and the Pharisee’s thoughts.”

Let’s look at Jesus’ response:

What is the content of the parable that Jesus tells Simon?

Two different debtors: (denarius was a solder’s/laborer’s daily wage)

500 hundred denarii - about 20 months wages (assuming 6 day workweek)

50 denarii - about 2 months wages (assuming 6 day workweek)

This moneylender acts out of character for a typical debt collector in that he forgives both debts because the debtors have no money. Jesus’ does not focus on the fact that the moneylender is acting out of character, but the original hearers and readers would have noticed this as unexpected, unique behavior. It was certainly unmerited on the part of the debtors.

However, Jesus moves right into a question. What does He ask?

Now which of them will love him more?

Simon answers the question rightly that the one with the larger debt is the one who will love the moneylender more. Jesus affirms his answer and then turns his attention from Simon to the woman, while still speaking to Simon.

What does Jesus do in vs. 44-46 as he looks at this sinner and speaks to Simon?

He offers a comparison between the way that Simon received Jesus and the way the woman received Jesus. Jesus is teaching the Pharisee and the reader a lesson from the sinner by this comparison.

Now, in regards to the elements under consideration in the comparison, there is some debate historically as to whether or not the things that Simon did not do were expected of a host, or if they would have been kind gestures slightly above the typical expectations.

Regardless, the point of the contrast is still clear. The sinner’s response to Jesus was one of sacrificial, humble, grateful love. Whereas Simon did not do the simplest of gestures to show appreciation and love for Jesus, the sinful woman demonstrated her love above and beyond what was expected.

What reason does Jesus give for the woman’s great love and Simon’s lack of great love?

Her debt was the greater debt. And just like the debtor in the parable who was forgiven 10 times the amount as the other debtor, she loves more because of the gratitude she has for so great a mercy!

Now, we need to pause and deal with two questions:

First, Is Jesus here saying that the woman’s sins are forgiven as a result of her expression of love?

NO! Why?

First, in the parable, the moneylender forgave first, and then the debtor responded in love. If Jesus were saying that the woman’s sins were forgiven as the result of her love, he would be undermining the point of his own parable.

Secondly, this interpretation would contradict the rest of Scripture’s teaching that forgiveness is given out of God’s own loving and merciful character, not as a result of human works.

So, we see that the woman loves much, which provides evidence of her forgiveness. Both the verb is vs. 47 and 48 “are forgiven” is in the perfect tense and suggests an action that began in the past with continuing effects into the present. The NASB actually translates this more accurately as “your sins have been forgiven.”

Second, is Jesus here teaching that the Pharisees and others like them had a little debt before God in contrast to the larger debt of the outwardly wicked?

NO! Why?

Jesus reserves His most harsh rebukes for the Pharisees. Clearly, Jesus does not understand the Pharisees to be better off than the outwardly sinful.

Also, Scripture teaches that we all owe a debt we cannot repay and all equally stand condemned before God.

Then, what is Jesus’ point in making the comparison between the smaller and larger debt?

I think that the point is this: Simon did not love Jesus the way the woman did, because he did not see the depth and severity of his own sin like the woman did.

She knew of the depth of her sin against God and therefore worshipped and loved because she understood the great magnitude of what Jesus had done for her.

Simon, on the other hand, did not think he had much to be forgiven for. He was self-righteous, like the Pharisee in Jesus’ later parable with the Pharisee and the publican praying before God. Luke 18:9-14

So, this takes us back to our original question that we started with. Our lack of love for the Lord stems from a lack of appreciation for the magnitude of the forgiveness that we have received. We like Simon often view our debt as small, which in turn makes the forgiveness that Jesus offers small. Our gratitude is lacking because we do not see the value of what God has done for us.

We need to see afresh today the depth of our own depravity. Whatever our past sins or our current struggles with sin today, we need to understand that not only did we have the larger debt, but we had a debt that we could never afford! Yet, it has been forgiven by Christ.

This is what the people ask in response to Jesus’ words: “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” Again, we see the focus of Luke is on the identity of Jesus and our response to Him. And those at the dinner table are wrestling with his identity (likely doubting like Simon).

But while the Pharisees recline at the table, doubting in their self-righteousness, the woman who was a sinner is again assured by Jesus that her sins have been forgiven because or her faith in Him.

The irony continues. Those who sit at the table questioning Jesus and judging the sinful woman remain under God’s judgment and hostility with Him, while the sinful woman has trusted Jesus and is now at peace with God.

We have focused in our analysis of this passage on the two responses to Jesus and who He is. And I think that this is the main point of the text: to reveal Jesus as the One who forgives sins and to offer us an example of how we are to respond to Him.

But there is a second point in this text that we need to see: the contrast between the way that the Pharisees and Jesus respond to sinners.

How would you summarize the way that the Pharisees respond to and treat sinners?

Ignore them. Ridicule them. Punish them. Avoid them. Humiliate them. Prevent them from having an opportunity to enter the Kingdom of God.

How is that different than the way Jesus treats sinners?

Jesus addresses them. He eats meals with them, affirming their status as human beings made in the image of God. He offers them an opportunity to be changed.

One writer summarized Jesus’ attitude toward sinners this way: “According to Jesus, it is the restoration of sinners through repentance, rather than the exclusion of sinners from communal life, that is God’s intended purpose for sinners.” Bock added this: “Why does Jesus associate with sinners? Because in forgiving sinners for a large debt of sin, God is able to transform them into people who display great love. Jesus understands this transformation, and it is at the heart of his mission.”

Application - Respond to Jesus and Sinners

First, how should we respond to Jesus in light of this passage?

gratitude, love, sacrifice. There is an emotional response when she understands the magnitude of what Jesus has done for her.

So, we ought to respond in greater worship. But how? I’ll offer a few suggestions:

First, spend some time examining yourself to see that you, like the woman, have many sins not few. The reason for the woman’s great joy and love was that she understood her desperate need. If we, like the Pharisee, underestimate our need, we will not rejoice and love Jesus as we ought. Practically, we can do this by reading through the fruit of the Spirit and asking ourselves in meditation: where am I lacking these in my life? Or go to the 10 commandments and say: in what ways have I failed to keep these commands of the Lord?

Second, don’t stop there. Go to the gospel! Go to Jesus! As you look at your sin, the enemy will attempt to trap you there under accusation and condemnation. But know that because of your faith, Jesus’ word to you is “your sins have been forgiven. Go in peace.” Meditate on Gospel truths: Romans 5:1; Romans 8:1; Ephesians 1:3-14; 2:1-10.

Third, spend time singing songs of worship at home. Pick songs that have solid biblical truth that speak about the work of Christ and the grace of God.

Our second question for application: how should we respond to sinners?

We ought to love them and treat them in such a way that they love us. (Point of clarification: there WILL be times when sinners, unbelievers, no longer want to associate with you because of the message you proclaim, but it ought never be the result of the kind of person that you are)

So, how do we do this practically?

First, where in our lives do we associate with sinners/unbelievers? (if anywhere). If our circles are completely closed off to people who don’t know Christ, we need to expand our circles. How? Eat lunch with a different group of coworkers. Start making occasional phone calls to the unbelieving uncle or aunt instead of the believing one. Invite the unbeliever’s kids over for a playdate. Invite the unbelieving family over for dinner.

Second, believe that God wants to forgive and transform sinners and believe that He can!

Third, avoid the separation tactic of the Pharisees. Listen to Bock’s summary about the Pharisees’ response to sinners: “Their distance from and hostility to those who sin prevent the sinner from ever becoming aware that God can be gracious, that God can transform the sinner…Such hostility toward sinners is to be avoided. Honesty about sin is important, but so is a clear message that God has graciously provided a solution to sin for the one who humbly approaches him.” We associate with sinners and speak the truth of the gospel to them.

Luke 1:1–9:50 Sources and Historicity

The opportunity for forgiveness prevents Jesus’ separation from sinners. In turn, sinners know that Jesus can be approached. Great forgiveness leads to great love, while love covers a multitude of sins. Faith is ground for forgiveness and salvation as well as opportunity for peace with God