Sweet Anointing

Luke 7:36-50

Luke 7:36–50 NLT

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat.* When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!” Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.” “Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied. Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver* to one and 50 pieces to the other. But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?” Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.” “That’s right,” Jesus said. Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?” And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

It is so good to be able to come together in this way. We have a common thread that brings us together and that is our desire to worship the Lord.

After all the lockdowns and protocols, I am so thankful for all the essential workers who worked so hard to get us through covid, but I am certainly glad that we are now seeing things relax and this allows us to be able to worship together this week.

Tonight we are going to look at the anointing of Jesus’ feet and I pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to your hearts to make this so real to us individually.

Opening story:

A few years ago, a commercial on television began with a black and white clip of Lou Gehrig being honored by Yankee fans on his last day of play.

His career was shortened by ALS, which is now called Lou Gehrig’s disease, a debilitating muscle disease that eventually stops the heart.

What would you have said in the face of this heartbreaking challenge?

Amazingly, he begins: Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” How could he say that? How could he have Gratitude? Gratitude for all the gifts he had been given, for all the love he had been shown by fans, for all the opportunities he had. He focused on the joys not the losses. That’s cultivating thankfulness!

This evening I am thankful. I am thankful for Jesus and I am thankful for His forgiveness. I am thankful for His sweet, sweet anointing.

Jesus took time to explain Himself through using stories. I am glad that He did. He explains His love so powerfully to us and proved His point and purpose to those who opposed Him in a powerful way.

The Setting

Jesus would tell stories to help people grasp something they did not understand.

Jesus uses parables to help others see his point and to show that those who are aware of their sinfulness how to demonstrate that awareness by feeling the greatest degree of grateful love.

Our text take us to the home of a Pharisee where Jesus was invited to share a meal. A woman enters who was clearly not invited and interupts the dinner.

She begins washing the feet of Jesus with her hair, her tears and an expensive oil. She weeps and kisses the feet of Christ and continues to pour out her genuine love for Him in this manner.

The Pharisees judged the woman because how she lived her life. The Pharisees labelled her & judged her.

Sometimes it is quite easy to forget where we all once were. We need to remember that we are all sinners who are saved by His grace. We need to make sure we do not look down on others because you don’t feel you were as sinful as them or that you have been a Christian longer than the next guy.

We need to love and have patience with people, ALL PEOPLE.

We need to love on others and have patience because we are all learning and walking in this relationship with God. No one is better than the other. We need to walk with each other even those who are new because that’s how we were treated on this new road. Someone walked with us and helped us get to where we are today.

Sin is sin. Forgiveness is forgiveness. We are all on equal ground at the foot of the cross.

This woman, yes was a woman with a past. A woman with sin. A woman who was not invited. But her love for Jesus was genuine and overwhelmingly beautiful.

Luke does not say why the woman weeps as she does this. But you and I can imagine that it is probably due to the overwhelming love for Jesus and the humbling act she was performing.

The Servant

The woman’s behavior was seen as socially awkward and not acceptable, especially in the current setting.

Let’s face it not everyone wants to take on this job. Some of us have a terrible problem with doing something with someone’s feet.

If I were to do such an act here this evening I am sure I would get some looks like what on earth is she doing?

The woman’s interuption was an act of worship.

Her act of worship was a bold act.

Some judged her for interrupting in a place she was not invited.

Some thought it was inappropriate behavior

Some thought it was a waste of such expensive oil.

I want you to ask yourselves these questions:

Her bold act was a way of worship - is worship an interruption or an act of love?

In doing a work for the Lord doesn’t it require bold faith in action?

Wouldn’t you say that the expensive oil was a sacrifical offering of worship to her King?

Doesn’t it symbolize that she is broken and spilled out before Her Lord?

Didn’t Jesus give His all for us? Shouldn’t we follow His example in our response?

The Pharisees thought her actions were wrong and inapproriate and they thought Jesus should have shut it down.

Jesus responded with a parable to teach the Pharisees why he did not stop the woman, why he accepted her gift of worship and why she was right to do so.

The Story

The story is told about a two debtors. Two men were loaned money.

500 pieces of silver to one

50 pieces to another

neither could pay the debt

The person who loaned the money forgave both men of their debts.

The question is then asked which debtor loved the lender more?

Simon (the host) responded with the answer - Perhaps the one who owed the greater amount

Simon realizes that there is a parallel here and that this lesson needed to be applied to the woman who was washing the feet of Jesus.

Her sin is great - her debt was great therefore her love for the lender was great.

Here she is not being inappropriate but being Grateful!

The Savior

Jesus goes on to say that when she came in she offered Him more than His hosts did.

It is customary in that day when a person in that day when entering a home that water is offered to them. Water is offered to them to wash their feet. (Just as we would offer to hang a jacket)

It is also a custom to greet a person and make them feel welcomed. In that day it was a kiss and a hug.

Which I hope you would want to make someone in your home welcomed. With a handshake or a hug.

It was also, another custom to anoint a guests head with oil it is a way of saying a blessing over them.

We should do whatever we can to ensure that those we come into our homes are made feel loved, welcomed and accepted.

Anointing a head with oil is significant all through scripture there are many references to anointing with oil and why its important.

Ps. 23 - you anointed my head with oil.

First of all oil is used for religious purposes.

Not only was a head of a priest anointed with oil but also the furnishings in the temple as well.

Olive oil was used for beautification process.

Oil signified prosperity, blessing and stability.

Oil has sanctifying/cleansing properties. Whenever someone poured oil on someone or something, they had set apart that object as a blessed object of the Lord.

Oil is a hot commdity in the Bible. They would’ve used oil to light lamps (Matthew 25), as a lotion for skin and hair, and they recognized that it had medicinal properties.

Oil is symbolism that was linked to the Holy Spirit’s presence. When a person is anointed in the Bible, the Holy Spirit descends upon that person.

The practice of anointing the head of a guest with oil is a part of hospitality like offering them a place to bathe, fresh clothes and a place to stay for the night.

The main reason is the it means the presence of the Holy Spirit. The spirit consecretes the saints, anoints us and sets us apart to do the work of God.

This is why the anointing of Jesus’ feet with the tears and love of the sinful woman is so important.

Jesus, God’s son, came to fulfill the work of His Father. The Holy Spirit is present in that of the oil, and consecration to do this work.

Jesus is set a part to do His Father’s work.

Conclusion:

This woman had nothing but she gave Jesus everything. She has shown Him great love. She had many sins but she also had big love for her Lord.

Her sins were forgiven, the love she had for Jesus was seen. The depth of her love shown in her humilty to humble herself in this manner, no towel - but her hair, no water - but her tears, and all that she had she put into a bottle of expensive rare oil that she used on the feet of Jesus.

At that point she did not know Him personally only of his reputation but her bold love caused her to receive the greatested gift - SALVATION!

Your faith has saved you go in peace.

What a beautiful response to a beautiful picture of geniune act of love.

Those who have little that need to be forgiven often shows little love and forgiveness.

This evening that same Jesus that was present at the meeting is here. You give him your all tonight. He gave His all for you on Calvary.

Receive that sweet sweet anointing of His Holy presence. Allow Him to forgive you and set you on a new path even now as we sing.

Sweet, Sweet anointing