Sermon Central
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Unsung Heroines-The "sinful Woman" At Simon's House
Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Aug 4, 2022 (message contributor)
Introduction: We don’t know her name, or much of anything else about her, except for one incident where she’s featured. What she did, and to whom, qualifies her to be an unsung heroine!
Text: Luke 7:36-39, KJV: 36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. 37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
Thoughts: Jesus had just finished speaking with disciples of John the Baptist and then the people who had already been there (verses 18-35). After this, a Pharisee named Simon invited Jesus to have dinner with him. No problem here, as Jesus had been invited to dinner with other people at other times (Matthew/Levi, for one, Luke 5:27-32).
But a problem was about to arise, because a woman of the city somehow got inside Simon’s house! Imagine this, Jesus was having dinner with a Pharisee, one who championed right living, and here is a “sinner”, and a female, which made thing worse!
Sure enough, Simon expressed his opinion—but privately; Luke says Simon spoke “within himself,” which may mean he was already convinced Jesus was not a prophet but he didn’t express his thoughts verbally. No matter: Jesus, being God in flesh, knew exactly what Simon was thinking, and why.
Jesus responded with the “Parable of the Two Debtors” in verses 41-42. It’s brief but powerful, and Simon’s response opened the door for a response by Jesus as well. In brief, Simon had not performed three courtesies, but the woman did, and Jesus pointed these out.
And beyond this, Jesus knew the woman had genuinely repented of her sins. She was proving this by deeds of kindness. Maybe that was all she could do, until her reputation was healed. No matter: she may have been a “sinner” before she came to Jesus, but she was saved afterwards. This tells me that nobody is beyond the grace of God and anybody can experience the salvation Jesus alone can provide.
Her past was bad, but her future was blessed.
That sounds like an unsung heroine to me!
Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV).
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