Good evening everybody! I am so glad to see you all here tonight, at Oneighty, aka the best night of the week! Right next to whatever night the Cowboys lose on.

Let’s turn our bibles to Luke 7:36-50, and we are going to look at a parable within this story. Now, I am older than all of you, and let me speak for the other adults in the room, speaking to you guys, just a word of advice: do not get into massive amounts of debt. Now there is some healthy debt that you need, like school loans to get a high education, mortgage for a home, BUT if you can pay cash for everything do it up! Because that debt will loom over you for a long time until you pay it off. Well, if you are like me when I was your age, then you are probably listening to this and saying, “Well, yeah duh! Dont get anything that you cant afford.” But let me tell you that I had that mentality until I figured out that I can get a sweet nice laptop that I had no money for on a piece of plastic. And $1,400 later, I have gained on that card because it did not get paid off on time interest and went to $2,000. Then I spent more money on it and it kept growing and growing.

Now I say all of this to prepare our hearts for this: our spiritual lives do this same thing. We give into this sin here and there, maybe its not “big” sin, at least thats what you think, its just lying to my parents, cheating on a test. Then you get used to it and it grows into more and more sin. And our “sin credit card” racks up debt. So much that we cannot pay it off.

I want everyone following a long. Lets start into this story. Luke 7:36-38

Luke 7:36–38 (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.

Setting the scene, we have a self-righteous pharisee named Simon, who invited Jesus to eat with him. And this woman, who later we may speculate that encountered Jesus once before, comes into this pharisees house and with great love, fell at this feet and crying wiped His feet with her tears, kissed his feet and poured out this very very expensive perfume.

All while this is going on, it might have been an awkward silence. The Pharisees and everyone else at the table looked at the woman and knew what she was about and it continues on with this. Luke 7:39

Luke 7:39 (ESV)

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 Pharisee was talking to himself mind you. And telling himself, “this woman’s sin is so great!” She was probably a prostitute, and with her even being in this pharisees house, it “made” the house “unclean”.

And then Simon even specualted, if Jesus is even letting her touch Him, then this is certainly not the Messiah, for He would know what this woman is. Her sin was way too great for her to even be there. He was thinking. And case closed on this Jesus guy, he is certainly not the messiah.

Then the coolest thing happened. Luke 7:40

Luke 7:40 (ESV)

And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

Jesus read Simons mind. And did the most OG thing, Hey, Simon, I know what you are thinking, so let me tell you how wrong you are. And heres the parable. Luke 7:41-43

Luke 7:41–43 (ESV)

“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.”

500 denarii was a year and half’s salary. 50 denarii was about a month and a half. The debt of both have been equally cancelled to zero. And Jesus asked Simon the question, “Who would love more?” And I think Simon knew where Jesus was going with this because of how sarcastic he answered. “I suppose.” Well, I suppose Jesus the man that had more! I mean its kind of clear isn’t it?

Moving further. Luke 7:44-47

Luke 7:44–47 (ESV)

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.”

Simon was saying, “If Jesus could see this woman for who she is.” But Jesus said, “Do you see this woman as I see her?” She has shown Him love from the moment she came into the house. And all of these things that Jesus is telling Simon that he did not do, is stuff that in that day the host would do. And Simon didn’t do any of them.

Now heres the truth. Listen closely. Great love comes from great forgiveness.

Great Love Comes from Great Forgiveness

The woman knew she was a sinner. She knew that she was far from being called holy. She knew that she was in massive debt to a Holy God. And Christ forgave her. He wiped the balance clean, back to zero. Not because she did all of the things in verses 44, 45, and 46, but by her faith she was saved and forgiven and she could not contain these things out of the transformation that took place. It was too great for her to keep to herself!

If Simon even knew who He was having a meal with, and didn’t think of himself being a righteous man, but what he truly was, a sinner, then he to would act the way as the woman. He to would be transformed in such a way that he could not contain himself!

After reading the parable of the two debtors, they both were in debt, not the same amount, but they both could not pay it off. And it was both wiped clean. Truly, both of them were loving to the lender. But heres the reality, that debt that was forgiven, might be relieved from them, but someone has to pay it, and the lender took upon himself.

Anytime somebody forgives a debt, they themselves pay that debt in full.

I love how Paul says it in Philemon:

Philemon 18–19 (ESV)

If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self.

Jesus Paid it All

Jesus is saying, “Hey God, these sinners that are in debt to you, charge it to my account! I’ll pay it in full!” And how did Jesus pay this? On the cross. He paid the ultimate price so we may love him. He was beaten and mocked, suffered and endured the feeling of God turning away from Him, because He became our sin. He died and buried in the tomb. But it doesn’t stop there, because 3 days later he rose up from the dead, and conquered death! Romans 10:9-10

Romans 10:9–10 (ESV)

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Lets pray. God we all have fallen short. We all have a debt that we cannot pay off. But you made a way for us. Through your son Jesus, our debt is cancelled away, and He paid on the cross. I pray that I am not like the self-righteous pharisee, but more like the woman, overflowing with love and joy because of what you did. We set all of our worries and all of our sins at your feet. Thank you Lord, In your holy name, Amen. Lets stand for worship