Untitled Sermon

Luke 7:36–50 ESV

One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 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, 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. 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.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 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. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Luke 7:36-50

(ON BOARD)

36-39- Am I this excited about Jesus and what He has done for me?

40-43- When debt is paid we love!

44-46- Once who loves vs one who doesn’t

47-50- We have been forgiven a huge debt

Second Chances

Forgiveness

What comes to mind when you hear the word second chances/ forgiven

Do you think someone is more appreciative when they are given a second chance?

How have you responded when you were given a second chance?

Is a second chance and forgives the same thing?

For those of you who were saved as children, do you find it hard sometimes to understand the passion expressed by one who was dramatically saved later on in life, perhaps out of an unthinkable lifestyle of sin?

Do you ever feel guilty because of it?

Most of us have been given a second chance. When we admitted we made a big mistake, there was a person in our lives willing to see past that mistake and to help us move forward. That individual’s offer of forgiveness, assistance in moving forward, and opportunity to prove ourselves, caused us to appreciate and love that person in a deeper way. This should also be the response we have to Christ’s forgiveness. Living in the reality of His forgiveness should prompt expressions of love, thankfulness, honor, and gratefulness.

Forgiveness was defined as the removal of guilt that results from sin. Jesus’ forgiveness wipes out a sin debt that none of us can pay because we are sinners, living in a sin-broken world. Our sin debt is cancelled; our sin has been sent away. It is gone, and with it, the condemnation of eternal separation from a holy God. This is only because of the redemption we have through His blood sacrifice on the cross.

Now lets look at this passage of scripture:

This story of the woman cleaning his feet with her hair anointing his feet with perfume is not the same story in the other three Gospels about the woman anointing His head with perfume at Simon the Lepers house. This is a different Simon and this one is done to show worship and forgiveness. The other Jesus said was done to prepare His body for burial since it would not be done after the cross. Two different stories that some people mix up as the same stories.

A sinful woman forgiven

1.      Read 36-39

a.      Explain whats going on in these few verses.

                                                              i.     Pharisee- either to get to know him better or to find more ways to convict

                                                            ii.     Reclined at the table- feet away leaning on left arm on small couch/ usually took several hours (how I would love to eat)

b.      Re-read vs 37-38

                                                              i.     This is one of the best pcs of scripture that describe a changed life to me.

1.      A women who was evident she was a sinner

a.      A prostitute (woman of the city

b.      She learned Jesus was there

                                                                                                                                      i.     She had heard of him and been changed

c.      She walks up in the house (normal on special occasions)

                                                                                                                                      i.     Knowing this was a pharisees house and that Jesus was there it would have been against culture

d.      She worships

                                                                                                                                      i.     She sees the one who has changed her life and weeps prolly for joy and love and for her past

                                                                                                                                    ii.     She washes His feet

1.      Tears and hair

                                                                                                                                  iii.     She kisses and anoints His feet

1.      Ultimate sign of humility and superiority and worship

2.      This one is so excited about what Jesus has doen in her life that she broke norms and threw caustion out the window to worship Him

3.      Am I this excitd about what Jesus has done for me? Or am I so bored by worship and reading scripture/praying that it is more like a chore.

a.      If I am honest most times it’s the later. Why?

c.      We are a lot like the Pharisee even if we wont admit it.

                                                              i.     This man straight up judges her

1.      What is she doing here

2.      Why is he even letting her

                                                            ii.     He also thinks he is better than her

1.      Pharisee keeper of the law

2.      Read 40-43

a.      Explain

                                                              i.     Jesus says listen up boy, he says whatever go ahead.

                                                            ii.     Jesus tells parable about debtors

1.      500- 18 months salary

2.      50- 2 months

                                                          iii.     Asks simon which one will ove the one forgiving more

b.      When a debt is paid we love!

                                                              i.     Even small debts (someone in front of you buys your sammich)

                                                            ii.     Especially big debts (parents with Cade in SC)

                                                          iii.     Besides the Sunday School err CG answer when has a debt you owe been forgiven and you loved?

                                                           iv.     Jesus shows that when a debt is paid it changes people.

3.      Read 44-46

a.      Here Jesus is going to compare the woman that simon thinks he is so much better than

                                                              i.     I love that He starts off by seeing do you see this woman?

1.      So many of us walk through life and we have almost put blinders on to those that we think are beneath us

                                                            ii.     Water for my feet

1.      It was customary in this time period to offer guests a basin of water after they took their sandals off to clean the dust off. Walked every where pretty much on dirt roads, if you think roads aren’t dirty go look at what it did to the pure white snow when they pushed it up. IT turned it black. People feet were disgusting/ would not want to be podiatrist them.

a.      He gave him none, no water no towel. Didn’t show the least bit of respect for Him

2.      She comes in and wets them with her tears and wipes them with her hair. He says she humbled herself like a slave and used her won hair and tears to wash me feet. You did zero whe went all out

                                                          iii.     Kiss of greeting

1.      Customary to kiss on the cheek, especially someone who was considered a rabbi or important

a.      He gave Him none.

2.      Again the woman went above and beyond, we just talked about how nasty feet were. She kisses his feet showing ultimate honor and worship. Again he is saying you did nothing she went all out

                                                           iv.     Anointing with olive oil

1.      Also a basic custom when someone who was important you gave them their version of dry shampoo, you anointed their head with oil as a sign of respect and honor

a.      He again failed

2.      She anointed his feet. Almost saying she isn’t worthy to anoint his head but only His feet. Again another sign of humility. He did zero, she went all out. 

b.      Jesus shows us that when we love someone our actions show it.

4.      Read 47-50

a.      Jesus forgives her sin publicly, I believe she had already repented and this was all an action form repentance, but Jesus does it publically to teach a lesson to those there. 

                                                              i.     We also see that He doesn’t gloss over or excuse her actions prior, He says her many sins, it shows that she was habitually sinning, it was obvious to those that she was a big time sinner in their eyes. And He says because they have been forgiven she has loved much.

b.      But he who has forgiven little, loves little.

                                                              i.     We read this and we think okay her actions show she was forgiven more and mine show I wasn’t that bad. If you walk out of here thinking that then you are like the pharisee and missed the point completely.

1.      We all have huge debt that we can not pay.

a.      Doesn’t matter if you were or are a addict, a murderer, a prostitute, a preacher, a teacher, a salesman, a ggo ddad, a great mom, a awesome husband or wife, a terrible husband or wife….. we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and therefore we need salvation. 

2.      I think for most of us here in amaerica we think we do enough that we kind of are owed our salvation. I mean I am here at Sunday School I am teaching. I come on Wednesday nights. I help people. So salvation is kinda mine and I am little better than some so I am okay.

3.      We need to read vs 50

a.      Your faith has saved you. Not her actions. Not her coming there, not her washing His nasty feet with her hair, not her kissing His feet, not her annoitning, none of her actions. Her faith. 

b.      We have to understand that we can do nothgin to earn our salvation. 

                                                                                                                                      i.     We see salvation is that we are drowning in a sea of our sin and we treading water and waving our hands. As we are doing it we see Jesus just chilling in His boat catching some rays and swim over to Him. Not an easy swim but we work at it. Then he helps us climb in the boat and we are like Jesus you saved me. All because we stayed a float long enough and swam to Him we got up in the salvation boat.

                                                                                                                                    ii.     When in reality scripture doesn’t teach that. It teaches that we were dead in our sin, we dead on the bottom of the sea not breathing, dead. Dead folks don’t tread, they don’t swim, they don’t climb. Jesus was out in his boat actively looking for us. Not happen stance that He was there. He paddles over above us. Dives in, swims us up to the surface. Throws us up in the boat, does a freaking miracle and brings the dead back to life. And that’s how he saves us.

5.      So my question is are excited about what Jesus has done in your life that you are going to be like this un-named woman who worshipped in spirit and truth by showing its not about her at all or are we going to be like the Pharisee and continue thinking all this is about me and what I can get?