36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him. Jesus went into the Pharisee’s house and took a place at the table.
37 There was a sinful woman in that town. She knew that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house. So the woman brought some expensive perfume in an alabaster jar. 38 She stood at Jesus’ feet, crying. Then she began to wash his feet with her tears. She dried his feet with her hair. She kissed his feet many times and rubbed them with the perfume.
39 When the Pharisee who asked Jesus to come to his house saw this, he thought to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know that the woman who is touching him is a sinner!”
40 In response, Jesus said to the Pharisee, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
Simon said, “Let me hear it, Teacher.”
41 Jesus said, “There were two men. Both men owed money to the same banker. One man owed him 500 silver coins. The other man owed him 50 silver coins. 42 The men had no money, so they could not pay their debt. But the banker told the men that they did not have to pay him. Which one of those two men will love him more?”
43 Simon answered, “I think it would be the one who owed him the most money.”
Jesus said to him, “You are right.” 44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I came into your house, you gave me no water for my feet. But she washed my feet with her tears and dried my feet with her hair. 45 You did not greet me with a kiss, but she has been kissing my feet since I came in. 46 You did not honor me with oil for my head, but she rubbed my feet with her sweet-smelling oil. 47 I tell you that her many sins are forgiven. This is clear, because she showed great love. People who are forgiven only a little will love only a little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The people sitting at the table began to think to themselves, “Who does this man think he is? How can he forgive sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Because you believed, you are saved from your
sins. Go in peace.” (Luke 7:36-50, ERV)
We will follow and serve Jesus when we experience His grace, and find our worth in Him.
1.
Jesus
accepts your love no matter what
See Luke
7:37-38 above
But
the Lord said to Samuel, “Eliab is
tall and handsome, but don’t judge by things like that. God doesn’t look at
what people see. People judge by what is on the outside, but the Lord looks at the heart. Eliab is not
the right man.” (1 Samuel 16:7, ERV)
2.
The Pharisee shows the typical response.
See Luke
7:39-48 above
3.
Jesus shows us the correct response
to sin.
See Luke
7:44 above
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The people sitting at the table began to think to themselves,
“Who does this man think he is? How can he forgive sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Because you believed, you are
saved from your sins. Go in peace.”
8 The
next day, Jesus traveled through some cities and small towns. Jesus told the
people a message from God, the Good News about God’s kingdom. The twelve
apostles were with him. 2 There were also some women with him.
Jesus had healed these women of sicknesses and evil spirits. One of them was
Mary, who was called Magdalene. Seven demons had come out of her. 3 Also
with these women were Joanna, the wife of Chuza (the manager of Herod’s
property), Susanna, and many other women. These women used their own money to
help Jesus and his apostles. (Luke 7:48-8:3, ERV)
"Listening
is a magnetic and strange thing: a creative force. The friends who listen to us
are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us
unfold and expand." (Karl A. Menniger)[i]
[i] Inspired by the sermon “Conversations by Design: Living
by Design” (Installment six), Sunday June 2, 2019,
Pastor Nathan Weller (of CenterPoint Lewis Center Church), CenterPoint Gahanna
Church Gahanna, OH.
Could the
unnamed woman in this story be the same unnamed adulterous woman in John 8:3-11?
The unnamed adulterous woman was saved by Jesus from being stoned to death. Was the unnamed
woman in this story overwhelmed with Jesus’ act of kindness for saving her life? She paid Christ back the only she knew how with
her gratitude in the form of her hair, her tears, and expensive perfume. It’s
something to think about.
No comments:
Post a Comment