Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we remember our need for forgiveness while recognizing whether or not a person sees their need for the forgiveness that Jesus offers...

This week we are looking at an event from history that is recorded in a section of an account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible called the gospel of Luke. In this event from history one of the Pharisees, who were the self-righteous religious leaders of the day, invited Jesus over to his house for dinner.  However, as Jesus was engaging in dinner and conversation with the Pharisees, word spread through town that Jesus was in town having dinner at Simon’s house. And as word spread through town about Jesus being in town, word reached the ears of a woman who Luke describes as being a sinner.

Luke explained that when this woman who was far from God and who was viewed as an outsider heard that Jesus was at Simon's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume with her and headed over to Simon's house. Once at Simon's house, Luke tells us that this woman who was far from God and who was viewed as an outsider proceeded to approach Jesus so that she could engage Jesus. This woman who was far from God and who was viewed as an outsider then positioned herself behind Jesus, where she began to weep. And as she wept, this woman who was far from God and was viewed by an outsider by others washed Jesus feet with her tears and her hair, while kissing his feet and anointing them with the perfume that she brought with her.

           

Luke tells us that Jesus responded to this woman and her act of devotion by gladly receiving her act of love and devotion. However, Simon the Pharisee, as a self-righteous religious person, unlovingly judged this woman because he believed that he was better than her. From Simon’s perspective, as a self-righteous person, those who know God and pursue a right relationship with God will know sin when they see it and, even more importantly, will separate themselves from such sinners by staying away from them.

However, whether it was something about the body language that Simon displayed to this woman that was far from God and was viewed as an outsider; or whether it was Jesus knowing what was running through Simon’s mind, Simon’s conversation with himself was clear to Jesus. And as a result, Jesus began to engage Simon the Pharisee with a parable that was in the form of a question.

Jesus parable to Simon, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would have sounded something like this: “Simon, I have a question for you. A credit card company had two clients: one client’s credit card bill was the equivalent of 1 ¾ years salary, while the other client’s credit card bill was the equivalent of two months’ salary. However neither client was able to pay their bill. When the owner of the credit card company heard about their situation, he decided to cancel the debts that they owed so that they would not have to pay the bill. So which one of the credit cards clients will love the credit card company more?”

Luke tells us that Simon the Pharisee answered Jesus by basically saying “Well I suppose the client who had the greater debt cancelled.” Jesus then explained to Simon the Pharisee that he had provided the right answer to his question. However, Simon the Pharisees right answer to Jesus question revealed what was wrong with the heart of Simon the Pharisee. We see Jesus expose what was wrong with the heart of Simon the Pharisee in verse 44-46:

 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 she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. "You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume.

Here we see Jesus expose three specific things that Simon the Pharisee did not do for Jesus that revealed what was wrong with the heart of Simon the Pharisee. However, to fully understand why what Simon the Pharisee did not do was wrong, we also need to understand some things about the culture of Jesus day. First, in the culture of Jesus day, as we talked about earlier, a person’s feet would be covered in dirt, sweat, and whatever else they stepped in as they traveled. And because of that reality, upon arriving at a destination, it was customary for a host to have a servant available and a place available for people to have their feet washed in order to remove any dirt, sweat, urine, or feces that they had stepped in on their journey. Oil would often also be placed on the feet to provide a soothing smell. This was a way that the host would welcome and demonstrate honor to their guests.

Simon the Pharisee, however, did not show the courtesy to wash Jesus feet. Instead, it was the sinful woman who showed the courtesy to wash His feet with water and oil in a way that welcomed and honored Jesus. In addition, in the culture of the day, it was customary to greet a guest with a kiss on the cheek that served as a sign of welcome and respect. And in many cultures today, this is still a common custom. Simon the Pharisee, however, did not show any respect or friendship to Jesus by giving Him a kiss on the cheek. Instead, it was the sinful woman who was the one who showed nothing but respect for Jesus by kissing His feet.

You see, Simon the Pharisee arrogantly treated Jesus without love and without honor as though Jesus was an outsider. By contrast, the sinful woman humbled herself and treated Jesus with love and honor as though He was an insider. Simon the Pharisee arrogantly believed that he was better than this woman because he had less sin than this woman. By contrast, the sinful woman humbly recognized that she was in desperate need of Jesus because of her sin.

However, just because Simon the Pharisee had less sin, that did not mean that he had no sin. Just because Simon the Pharisee had less sin, that does not mean that he did not need to be forgiven of sin. And because of that reality, we see Jesus, after setting the trap for Simon the Pharisee, spring the trap with a statement that reveals for us a timeless truth for us today in verse 47-50:

 "For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." Then He said to her, "Your sins have been forgiven." Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this man who even forgives sins?" And He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Now notice what Jesus does not do here. Notice that Jesus does not ignore this woman’s selfishness and rebellion. Notice that Jesus does not minimize this woman’s selfishness and rebellion. Instead Jesus does the opposite: “her sins, which are many”. You see, the issue for Jesus was not the extent of her selfishness and rebellion. The issue for Jesus was her response to her selfishness and rebellion. The issue for Jesus was her recognizing her need for forgiveness of her selfishness and rebellion. The issue for Jesus was her love for Jesus that flowed from her recognition that Jesus could provide her the forgiveness and the relationship with God that she was created for.

While Simon the Pharisee viewed himself as an insider who was right with God because of his performance for God, this sinful woman recognized that she was an outsider who desperately needed Jesus because of her performance. While Simon the Pharisee placed his confident trust in the fact that he was better than this sinful women because of his performance for God, this sinful woman placed her confident trust in Jesus, because of her performance.

And as a result, Simon the Pharisee was unloving toward Jesus because he thought that he was better than Jesus and others, while this sinful woman was loving toward Jesus because she recognized the extent that she needed to be forgiven by Jesus. And because this woman recognized the extent that she needed to be forgiven by Jesus, because she placed her confident trust in Jesus to be forgiven, her love for Jesus was such that it drove her to demonstrate her love despite the risk and despite the cost.

And it is here that we discover a timeless truth when it comes to following the example of Jesus by inviting those who are far from Jesus to follow Jesus and live in relationship with Jesus. And that timeless truth is this: Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we remember our need for forgiveness while recognizing whether or not a person sees their need for the forgiveness that Jesus offers.

Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we reject the temptation toward comparison with others that leads us to view ourselves as morally and spiritually better than others. Instead, the only object of comparison is with the Lord and His perfection that leads us to view ourselves as equally in need of Jesus as others.  Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we demonstrate compassion towards those who are struggling with selfishness and rebellion, remembering that we too have areas of selfishness and rebellion that we struggle with.          

Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we reject the temptation to look down upon and separate ourselves from those who are far from Jesus to instead warmly welcome and receive those who are far from Jesus. You see, here’s the thing: selfishness, rebellion, and sin is not some disease that you catch from being exposed to someone who is far from Jesus. Instead, selfishness, rebellion, and sin is something that is already within us that is exposed by our behavior. Being around people who are far from Jesus will not pollute us, because we are already polluted. And when Jesus was told that living a holy and obedient life required that He stay away from people who were far from Him, Jesus responded by explaining the He came in to the world to save those who were far from Him.

You see, the reason why the Simon the Pharisee was unloving toward Jesus was due to the fact that he did not recognize the extent that he needed to be forgiven by Jesus. The reason why this sinful woman was loving toward Jesus was due to the fact that she did recognize the extent that she had been forgiven by Jesus. And just as it was with Simon and the sinful woman, inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we respond to those who recognize their desperate need for forgiveness by extending the good news of Jesus love and forgiveness, while responding to self-righteous people who don’t recognize their desperate need for Jesus by exposing their rebellion so that they can also see their desperate need for Jesus.

For self-righteous people who do not see their need for forgiveness and who view themselves as being right with God because they keep a list of manmade rules, the commands of Jesus in the Bible serve to expose their need for forgiveness. However, for those who already recognize their need for forgiveness, they do not need to be beaten upside the head with the Bible; Instead, they are ready to hear the good news of the forgiveness that Jesus offers.

So here is a question for us to consider: If you were to find yourself in this event from history as a character in this event from history, which character would you be? Or better yet, if those who knew you best were to put you into this event from history, who would they so you would be? Would you find yourself in this event from history as Simon the Pharisee? Would you find yourself in this event from history as this sinful woman?

If you were to find yourself in this event from history as a character in this event from history, which character would you be? Because inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we remember our need for forgiveness while recognizing whether or not a person sees their need for the forgiveness that Jesus offers...