The Gift of Lent - Love

Welcome/Series Intro

Weekend Intro

One of the most fascinating (but also one of the most frustrating) things that we as humans all have in common is this:

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We can be looking at exactly the same thing—but see it completely differently.

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It’s a fascinating but frustrating ability that we have as humans. We can be looking at the exact same thing but see it completely differently.

Let me give you some examples:

How many of you remember the great debate of 2015? Anybody? The great debate of 2015?

If that doesn’t ring a bell right away, let me give you a clue: “Blue or White?” There’s your clue. How many of you remember?

So if you don’t:

In 2015 there was a picture that went viral on just about every social media outlet. A picture of a dress—and here it is:

SHOW PICTURE OF THE DRESS

So let’s have the debate once again, 7 years later. This will blow your mind if you missed it.

How many of you see a dress that is blue and black? Raise your hands...

Look around right now. Notice: not everybody has their hand raised, right? How is that possible? But this is the debate.

Ok. Put them down. Now:

How many of you see a dress that is white and gold? Raise your hands...

Ok. There it is: the great debate of 2015. Turns out: the dress was confirmed as being in reality black and blue. But: it revealed that, at a neurological level, we can see the exact same thing—but see it completely differently.

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We can be looking at exactly the same thing—but can see it completely differently.

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Now, this phenomenon isn’t limited to just some sort of trick our minds play on us. We can see other things completely differently as well. Think about this, married people:

How many arguments have you had, or how many decisions have you tried to make, or how many discussions about your kids have revealed to you:

You know, we probably see this verydifferently.

Married people know. We get reminders of this just about every day. We can be looking at the exact same thing, but see it completely differently.

One more example:

In the last 5 years, we’ve seen (4) different Supreme Court Justice nominees.

SHOW NEIL GORSUCH PICTURE

SHOW BRETT KAVANAUGH PICTURE

SHOW AMY CONEY BARRETT PICTURE

SHOW KETANJI BROWN JACKSON PICTURE

Lots of changeover in that body in our recent history. But if you’ve ever watched those confirmation hearings, you’ll see this exact same phenomenon play out.

There’s one nominee behind the microphone. One person. Same one throughout the whole process. Same nameplate and everything.

But you wouldn’t know that if all you did was listen to what different Senators said or asked that nominee over the course of the hearings. You’d swear that they were talking to (or about) two very different people.

It’s a crazy, fascinating, frustrating ability that we humans have:

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We can be looking at exactly the same thing—but can see it completely differently.

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Transition

Now, maybe you think this phenomenon is something to be celebrated—because a diversity of perspectives is not only welcome but healthy.

Or maybe you think it’s a convenient way for people to exchange the truth or reality for their own preference or perspective.

Either way, here’s what we’re gonna say about this frustrating ability that we all have:

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There are some things that we allneed to see the same way—because eternity is at stake. (Luke 7:36-50)

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And that’s where we’re going this weekend as we conclude our series during Lent and prepare for Good Friday and Easter. There are some things that we all need to see the same way, because seeing them clearly and for what they truly are will help us take a step into eternity—which is life with God, both now and forever. That’s what’s at stake.

So, turn in your Bibles with me to Luke 7:36-50. We’ll also have them on the screen for you to follow along.

Exegesis: Luke 7:36-39

We’re going to start in verse 36:

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Luke 7:36-38 “When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.

As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.”

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So there’s the scene. A Pharisee & Jesus are having a private dinner at the Pharisee’s house, and a woman with some kind of horrible reputation, who does not have an invitation to this private dinner, interrupts.

So let’s make sure we get what’s going on here:

If you’re kinda familiar with the story of Jesus, you know that he has a bunch of run-ins with this group of people called the “Pharisees.” And you also know that Jesus is usually at odds with them. They usually don’t see eye-to-eye on most things.

Now: the Pharisees are a category of people who, for the most part, don’t really exist anymore. In other words: we don’t have very many people like them today. In our world, they would some combination of pastor… seminary professor… community leader… and Christian celebrity. Some of them had some “celebrity” to them.

But think about that combo: pastor/professor/community leader/celebrity. We just don’t have very many people like that today. But it was a pretty powerful and potent combo back then. They kinda had the corner market on influence if you were a Jewish person.

And in that role, the Pharisees saw themselves as God’s representatives.

Here’s how:

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The Pharisees thought they represented God by challenging God’s people to faithfully follow God’s waysin a world of unfaithfulness.

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That was it. That was their main message. “Be faithful.”

Here’s what God said (in his laws he’s given us… these 36 or so books of the Bible that we now call our “Old Testament.” Here’s what God said.). Here’s how God said we ought to live. And we gotta do it. The rest of the world can disagree, but the rest of the world is a broken and wicked place. For us, we gotta be faithful.

Now, just take that statement at face value. If you already know this story in Luke, and you already know why Jesus seems to be at odds with the Pharisees, kinda check that at the door for a second.

But look at this statement. And ask yourself:

“What’s so wrong with that?” What’s so wrong with that? And why would Jesus be at odds with that?

I mean, this world, even today consistentlypushes away from God’s ways. Right? Sexual immorality, greed, lust for power, self-focus… I mean, as a parent, these are the things that keep us up at night when we think about the world our kids are walking into.

So: what’s so wrong with challenging God’s people to faithfully follow God’s ways in a world of unfaithfulness? Why would Jesus be at odds with that?

That’s the question. Just sit on that for a second… because as we see this story here in Luke play out, we’re going to discover the answer.

But there’s the scene: this pastor/professor/community leader/celebrity Pharisee invites Jesus over to his house for a great meal and some conversation… but then this “sinful” woman literally crashes the party. And not only that; she does something that is very awkward and uncomfortable to watch:

She bends down and washes Jesus’ feet with her tears, dries them with her hair, kisses them with her mouth, and then pours perfume on them.

Verse 39:

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Luke 7:39 “When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

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Luke is letting us into the mind of the Pharisee right here. Here’s what he’s thinking:

“This dude Jesus can’t be all he’s cracked up to be. I mean, if he was a prophet—if he can really see with God’s eyes—he’d see who this woman was.”

Like, Jesus must not know about this woman’s reputation. Because if he did, then...”

Because if he did, then...

Then what?

We’re not exactly sure what the “then” is for this Pharisee… but we do know that Jesus wasn’t responding to her in the way that this Pharisee expected. We know that the Pharisee’s “then” is different than Jesus’ “then.” Jesus seems to be perfectly comfortable with what’s going on in this moment; the Pharisee isn’t. Because in the Pharisee’s mind, this isn’t how you interact with “sinners.”

Amazing, isn’t it—this frustrating ability we have to see the same thing, the same person, the same situation… but see it so differently?

Now in just a second we’re going to see Jesus try and help this Pharisee out. Because Jesus wants this Pharisee to see this woman how he sees her.

And he’s going to do this by telling him a story. Because in reality, Jesus really is a prophet. He really does see with God’s eyes into people’s hearts. And not only can he see what’s going on in the heart of this sinful woman who’s washing his feet with her tears...

He can also see what’s going on in the heart of the pastor/professor/community leader/celebrity Pharisee | who’s serving him dinner.

Verse 40:

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Luke 7:40-43 “Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both.

Now which of them will love him more?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.”

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So there’s the story. For reference, a “denarii” was about a day’s wages. So, if they each made $50k/year, one of them owed about $70k; the other owed about $7k.

But neither could pay the debt. Neither could. And that’s a pretty important part of Jesus’ story. Neither could pay the debt—but the lender forgave both.

And so Jesus ends his story with a pretty obvious question: “Who’s going to love the lender more?” Who’s going to be more grateful? Who’s going to go to greater lengths to say thank you, express their appreciation, shout the lender’s praises from the rooftops? Who’s more likely to give that bank a 5-start Yelp review?

Well, obviously: the guy who was forgiven the bigger debt. That was the right answer. The Pharisee could see that.

But then Jesus connects some dots for him, trying to help him see, when he says this:

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Luke 7:44 “Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you seethis woman?

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And I don’t know if Jesus paused there or not. If I’m imagining how this went down, I imagine he did. And so we’re going to pause as well.

Hey—do you see this woman?

Or maybe:

When you see this woman, who do you see?

Because here’s who the Pharisee saw: a sinner.

He saw her past - maybe her present. He saw her reputation. He saw her unfaithfulness.

And you know what? He saw those clearly. Those were real.

But he wasn’t seeing the whole picture.

Remember what we said at the very beginning:

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There are some things that we allneed to see the same way—because eternity is at stake.

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And this was true for the Pharisee that day as well. There were some things that he just plain wasn’t seeing. There were some things about eternity—life with God now and forever—that were so blazingly clear for Jesus in this moment, but so hidden for the Pharisee.

And Jesus wants him to see. He wants him to see.

And so listen to how Jesus describes what he sees to this Pharisee. Verse 44 again:

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Luke 7:44-47 “I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.

Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

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So, just one more time:

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There are some things that we allneed to see the same way—because eternity is at stake.

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This isn’t an “agree to disagree” scenario. This isn’t a “I guess we just see it differently” kind of situation. No:

Jesus saw things in this woman’s response that were there, that were real, and that the Pharisee was not seeing.

And if the Pharisee could not see these things, Jesus knew that the Pharisee would not see God. Because right before his very eyes, as this sinful woman humiliates herself before Jesus, is this blazingly clear picture of eternity: what life with God now and forever is really like.

And he was missing it. He was blind to it.

So Jesus paints this picture for him.

Let’s flesh it out. For those of us who are living life with God, in eternity, now and forever...

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We see that...

1. We don’t start on the “inside”because of our faithfulness. We start on the outside because of our sin.

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· What a contrast: Pharisee leaning in at the table with Jesus; woman down at Jesus’ feet

· Self-deception vs. self-awareness

· The ability to really look at your own life… no pretending; no minimizing; no glossing over

For those of us who are living life with God, in eternity, now and forever...

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We see that…

1. We don’t start on the “inside”because of our faithfulness. We start on the outside because of our sin.

2. We are marked by our repentancebefore our righteousness.

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· Remember the Pharisee’s main message: faithfulness in a world of unfaithfulness

o But what do you do with your own unfaithfulness? What do you do with all of those times that you and I and everyone fall short?

· For the Pharisee, the answer was try harder/do better. Put more on the right side of the scale. Push away from all of those messy sinful people.

· For the woman, it was repentance:

o Admitting to yourself and to God that you were going the wrong direction—and then going in the right direction

o This requires humility (and in her case, some humiliation)! Our pride wants us to hide.

For those of us who are living life with God, in eternity, now and forever...

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We see that…

1. We don’t start on the “inside”because of our faithfulness. We start on the outside because of our sin.

2. We are marked by our repentancebefore our righteousness.

3. God loves us—not because of what we have done for him, but because of what Jesus has done for us.

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· This woman knew she was starting on the outside, but didn’t try and work her way in; didn’t try and earn Jesus’ love

· Think about just how bold her move was here; how personally risky and vulnerable it was

· You don’t take those kinds of risks without knowing something or believing something

· So, what did she believe about Jesus before she even walked in the room that day?

· Seminary story