Encountering Jesus will challenge us to see that the depth of our love for Jesus is related to the extent that we recognize that we have been forgiven by Jesus...

This week we are looking at an encounter that Jesus had with a man named Simon, which is recorded for us in an account of Jesus life in the Bible called the gospel of Luke. Wednesday, we looked on as Simon unlovingly judged a sinful woman who had crashed a dinner party that he and his Pharisee friends were having for Jesus.

We looked on as Jesus began to engage Simon the Pharisee with a parable that was in the form of a question. Now a parable is an earthly story that reveals a deeper spiritual truth. 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?”

We looked on as 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 Luke 7:44:

 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 that was wrong, we also need to understand some things about the culture of Jesus day.

First, in the culture of the 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. 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 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 as though Jesus was an outsider. By contrast, the sinful woman humbled herself and treated Jesus with love 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:

 "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 need 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, in this event from history from the life of Jesus involving a self righteous man and a sinful woman that we see revealed for us a timeless truth that can occur when we encounter Jesus. And that timeless truth is that encountering Jesus will challenge us to see that the depth of our love for Jesus is related to the extent that we recognize that we have been forgiven by Jesus. Just as it was for Simon the Pharisee, just as it was for this sinful woman, just as it has been for followers of Jesus throughout history, encountering Jesus will challenge us to see that the depth of our love for Jesus is related to the extent that we recognize that we have been forgiven by Jesus.

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.

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? Do you arrogantly believe that you are an insider with God because of your performance for God? Do you arrogantly believe that you are better than others because you have less sin than others? Because just because you have less sin, that does not mean that you do not need forgiveness for any sin, does it? Would those closest to you view you as being unloving, judgmental?

Would you find yourself in this event from history as this sinful woman? Do you feel like you are an outsider who is far from God because of the things that you have done in your life that have hurt God and others? Do you humbly recognize your need for forgiveness for your selfishness and rebellion? Does the recognition of the extent of the forgiveness that you have received from Jesus result in a growing love for Jesus? Would those closest to you view you as being loving and gracious to others? 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, as we see from Simon the Pharisee’s encounter with Jesus, encountering Jesus will challenge us to see that the depth of our love for Jesus is related to the extent that we recognize that we have been forgiven by Jesus. You see, Jesus came to earth on a mission to bring back to God those who were outsiders that were far from God as a result of their selfishness and rebellion. And Jesus came to earth on a mission to bring back to God those who arrogantly considered themselves insiders but in reality are really outsiders.

Jesus came on a mission to provide all humanity the opportunity to experience the forgiveness and the relationship with God that they were created for, but had been separated from as a result of their selfishness and rebellion, through His life, death, and resurrection by believing, trusting, and following Jesus as Lord and Leader.