Forgiven.
Luke 7:36-50TM
Just about every Saturday, a man especially given to neatness, went into his barbershop for a haircut. So this one Saturday he told his barber that he was going to Rome.
The barber asked what airline he was going to take. The man responded "Delta" The barber yelled, "Delta? Are you crazy?! That plane’s food is horrible! And, you’ll never get a wink of sleep ’cause the engines are so noisy!" After a moment of silence, the barber politely asked, "What hotel are you staying at?" The man replied "The Grand Hotel." The barber again yelled, "Why are you going there? The place is infested with roaches, and the mattresses are as hard as a rock!"
Then after another moment of silence, the man said, "Oh, and guess what I’m going to do?" "What?" asked the barber. "I’m going to see the pope!" The barber literally screamed, "You’ll never get to see the pope! No one ever gets to see the pope up close!”
Two weeks later the man came back and said that the plane and the hotel were great. The barber was astonished. (Curious) The barber asked if the man got to see the pope up close. The man stretched his arms about 2 feet apart and said, "I got to see the pope and I was this far away and he talked to me personally." "No way," said the barber. "What did he say to you?" "Where’d you get that terrible haircut?" the man replied.
Today, we’re going to be looking at some historical facts about some men who, like the barber, Simon could only offer insults, but who ended up feeling worse, until Jesus showed him the way.
Luke 7:36-50TM One of the Pharisees asked him, (Jesus) over for a meal. He went to the Pharisee’s house and sat down at the dinner table. Just then a woman of the village, the town harlot, having learned that Jesus was a guest in the home of the Pharisee, came with a bottle of very expensive perfume and stood at his feet, weeping, raining tears on his feet. Letting down her hair, she dried his feet, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfume. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him.” 40 Jesus said to him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Oh? Tell me.” 41-42 “Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty. Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker canceled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?”
43-47 Simon answered, “I suppose the one who was forgiven the most.”
“That’s right,” said Jesus. Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, “Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair. You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn’t quit kissing my feet. You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume. Impressive, isn’t it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal.”
48 Then he spoke to her: “I forgive your sins.”49 That set the dinner guests talking behind his back: “Who does he think he is, forgiving sins!”50 He ignored them and said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
I might add, your faith not only saves you, it also keeps you! P.H
All four gospels, Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, Luke 7:36-39 and John 12:1-8, give the same account, but each gospel offers its reader powerful insight. I picked Luke, because the words of Jesus, struck a cord with me. Saints, I spoke on this not long ago. However, I felt a strong need to give it a new look.
I want to look for a moment at these four gospels, and how they, together, produce spiritual benefits, and blessings into your life:
Matthew’s gospel, points out that this ‘Simon’ was called, ‘Simon the leper.’ However most commentaries show that Jesus had healed Simon in the past. Matthew’s gospel states, Jesus’ disciples gathered anger and malice within, because of this waste…a years wages, they thought this should have been given to the poor. Of course, Jesus straightened them out. However, Matthew’s gospel adds that because of this woman’s action, her act of love and devotion shall become scripture, and will be preached all over the world!
Just a few verses down, we can read that this was when satan entered into Judas. Nothing Jesus said in all, 4 gospel accounts changed Judas’ mind.
Matthew 26: 14-15AMP Then one of the twelve [disciples], who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Jesus over to you?” And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver.
Mark’s gospel, points out the fact that while Jesus was in Bethany He was a guest of Simon the leper. Mark 14:3, also stresses that as Simon reclined in his chair, a woman carrying an alabaster vial of very costly and precious perfume of pure nard; (A years wages), and she broke the vial and poured the perfume over Jesus’ head. Mark’s gospel also points out that many in Simons house were angry, because of this waste. Jesus stresses the fact that you’ll always have the poor, but Me. Mary has chosen the right thing for she’s anointing my body for burial, Mark 14:9. —(Instrumental)?
Luke’s gospel, points out that suddenly this woman, the town harlot enters Simons house. Saints of God, this is a fact, Mary was a prostitute, a woman of the night.However, this woman had been converted, her whole life transformed. From that time on, this lady follows Jesus’ ministry.
John’s gospel, gives this woman-of-the-night a name, “Mary.” Most commentaries point to— Mary Magdalene. John 12:1-2NKJV Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
Fact—Mary had seven demons. Jesus cast them out of her. Mary had been broken, I mean really broken. Now Mary, Mary’s grateful. These demons drove Mary to a life of heart ache and sorrow, while all along, giving pleasure to her customers. She had nothing, nothing to live for.—After all, “Giving pleasure without receiving anything in return is always draining.” P.H
Think for a moment, a life without hope, a life filled with regret.
Suddenly, an uninvited woman hurries inside. Mary is described simply as a “sinner in the city.”
Without speaking—Mary weeps, she really weeps, she wets Jesus’ feet with her tears, wipes them with her hair, kisses them, and anoints them with perfumed oil. Oil that was worth a years wages.
In a cemetery not far from New York City is a head stone engraved with a single word— forgiven.
The message is simple and unembellished. There is no date of birth, no date of death, no other inscription on this tombstone. There is only a name and the solitary word, Forgiven.
The word ‘forgiven’ is the greatest word that could ever be applied to any man or woman.
In the first verse of the text, Simon, the Pharisee, Simon, the leper, Simon ask Jesus over for a meal. Simon was healed. But was he? Simon, the Pharisee, just couldn’t believe that Jesus would let a harlot do this to Him.!?
The apostle Paul states this about conversion: Romans 8:3TPT For God achieved what the law was unable to accomplish, because the law was limited by the weakness of human nature. Yet God sent us his Son in human form to identify with human weakness. Clothed with humanity, God’s Son gave his body to be the sin-offering so that God could once and for all condemn the guilt and power of sin.
Too many times we seem to yield ourselves over to (satan), his devices are very pleasurable from the outside looking in.
He knows how to paint his schemes up. He makes them shine.
Think for a moment, when people do wrong, they do it in the dark. Notice, He’s—master of deception!” P.H
So what does Jesus do? He gives Simon a parable, “Two men owed money, one owed thousands, the other owed little, the debtor forgave both their debt.” Jesus ask, “Who would be more grateful?”
Simon say’s, “I suppose the man with the greater debt.”
Jesus replies, “You’ve answered well.”
Then in Luke 7, Jesus sets His disciples in order. —All but Judas.
Luke 7:44-50TPT Then he spoke to Simon about the woman still weeping at his feet. “Do you see this woman kneeling here? She is doing for me what you didn’t bother to do. When I entered your home as your guest, you didn’t think about offering me water to wash the dust off my feet. Yet she came into your home and washed my feet with her many tears and then dried my feet with her hair. 45You didn’t even welcome me into your home with the customary kiss of greeting, but from the moment I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You didn’t take the time to anoint my head with fragrant oil, but she anointed my head and feet with the finest perfume. 47She has been forgiven of all her many sins. This is why she has shown me such extravagant love. But those who assume they have very little to be forgiven will love me very little.”
48Then Jesus said to the woman at his feet, “All your sins are forgiven.”
49All the dinner guests said among themselves, “Who is the one who can even forgive sins?” 50Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith in Me has given you life. Now you may leave and walk in the ways of peace.”
5 things to remember:
1. Jesus can do the unusual.
Jesus knows how to give object lessons. How will I respond? How did Simon the leper— respond?
Q&A—When something breaks, How do I respond? When something’s out of my control, how do I react? P.H
2. The second thing to remember is, Stay grateful.
2. God’s sees the big picture. You can’t see it. P.H
Proverbs 3:5-6TPT Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make. 6 Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go.
Say, “Wherever I go, He leads me.”
3. Refuse to judge, leave that to God. Refuse prejudice.
Pray. —“When I wear my Love, Prayer and Grace shirt, someone always mentions the message.”
Why? It’s what the world needs!
Simon was thinking, “If Jesus was the Son of God He would know who was touching Him.” Again, Refuse malice.
1 Corinthians 13 States, “Love thinks no evil.”
4. Be known for your love, devotion and worship of Jesus. Let that be what you’re known for.
Always remember, Jesus takes note of a soft sweet spirit.
You might say, “that’s not me.” But a heart that’s for Jesus, it has to be the norm. P.H
Mary was devoted, grateful, she became single minded. Mary’s devotion landed her in all four gospels! Her devotion will be preached all over the world! P.H
5. God will have the final say. (Again, He knows best).
If I can say some last words to you, “Let God win. Let Him win, when He wins, you win. It’s guaranteed in writing.”
Revelation 22:12-14NKJV “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. 14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
Benediction. (If you’re forgiven you should be looking for a city)!
