Forgiven.

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.