The right attitude for redemption
Luke 7:36-50 (NIV)
Run the story
Here is Jesus he is sitting at the house of a Pharisee named Simon.
- He is sitting at the table probably eating or getting ready to because it was customary of the time to invite a religious leader who is traveling through to your home and feed him.
- This wouldn’t be done the way we see it today. No on this time there would be a low table and small couches that would surround the table and the people would recline on the table with their feet pointed away from everyone. Feet were considered nasty and dirty then and would have defiled the meal.
- Here they would lie and eat with their right hand as their left hand would prop them up. They would eat and then talk.
- They would talk and discus many things it was customary to do so. It was also customary for the door to be left open so anyone could come and listen to the discussion.
So here is Jesus in the house of Simon the Pharisee
- Who must have been sitting there all smug and self righteous.
- We can deduce this because the scripture tells us that Simon had not offered to have his servants wash Jesus feet. It was also customary to have the feet washed of your guests to get the dirt off of them. Otherwise they would be sitting there like Jesus with dirty feet on the couch for all to see.
- It would have been humiliating and insulting to not have your guests feet washed. But Simon didn’t do so. He didn’t consider Jesus someone special enough to even offer this simple service. He also didn’t have him anointed with oil which was also customary for the host to do for the guests and it was also customary to great them with a kiss as they entered the home.
- Now since Simon didn’t do any of these thing as Jesus says he was definitely haughty and looking down on Jesus and knew it and didn’t care. He didn’t invite Jesus over because he wanted to meet him and respect him. He might have just wanted to put him down or whatever.
Jesus sets an example of humility
- The king of kings and the lord of lords being disrespected and he is still there.
- That’s love.
- That’s a heart that I wish we can all have.
- To be disrespected and to be able to still stare in the face of the offender with compassion is a hard thing for us to do.
- But Jesus sets and great example of humility.
Window: We would flip out. We would be like “Who are you to think your better then me.” And go into a rage. But humility is a trait we all need. Not to consider ourselves better then someone else but not look after our own interests but also the interests of others.
In runs a sinner
- Then as they are together in runs as the scripture says a sinner.
- Now I don’t know why she was called a sinner there are all different thoughts.
- Some say she was just a regular sinner some say she was actually a prostitute.
- But either way she is just like the Pharisee needing God even though he didn’t know it.
- She comes running in and does for Jesus what Simon the self righteous didn’t do.
- She see his feet are dirty she sees he wasn’t anointed with oil or greeted with a kiss and she can’t stand it. SO she does it for him. But she doesn’t do it with water she does it with perfume.
Can you picture the scène here is this sinner who no one would accept.
You can just picture how no one would accept her. If they wouldn’t accept Jesus think how bad they must have treated a prostitute if that’s what she was. She must have felt ostracized, unloved and uncared for. Here she is washing his feet with her hair
She must have heard Jesus in the past.
- Now we don’t know how she knew Jesus but we can assume that sometime in the past she met him and heard him preach or talk and he must have accepted her.
- She must have heard someone that He wouldn’t push her away but that redemption for her predicament was offered by him.
Window: There are many hurting and deign people who need help. Afraid God won’t accept them. They know in their hearts they need God. They know that their life has not been the way it should be. They know that when compared to God they owe a whole lot.
But I have good news for you. Jesus will never turn you away. Jesus will never ever turn a repentant heart away. It doesn’t matter what you have done not does it matter what the religious leaders say. Jesus is always standing there with open arms ready to accept anyone back home.
She washes his feet / oily mess
- She washed his feet with the oil and I can picture the effect of it.
- It must have turned the dust into an oily muddy mess.
- Think of the dust on the feet and then now you introduce it to a perfume oil type substance. It probably got muddy.
- She most likely never gave it any thought that this would happen so she didn’t bring a towel to wipe them down.
- So in her excitement she unties her hair and cleans them off with it.
This was a big deal / not acceptable to let her hair down
- It wasn’t acceptable to untie your hair then.
- This would have been humiliating to her.
- For a woman to let her hair down was a shameful thing. But she don’t care her saviors feet are dirty and they are disrespecting him and she won’t stand for it.
- So she cleans them off with her hair and kisses them repeatedly.
- Be mindful this is what Simon should have done. He didn’t care. He didn’t need Jesus. He was ok with God he was above this man
Simon still can’t see / rebukes Jesus
Now seeing all this instead of being ashamed of what he failed to do. Instead of feeling well uncomfortable for not doing it he finds fault in Jesus and the women. He says if he was a prophet he wouldn’t let her touch him.
Window: Isn’t that like the self righteous. You know if you ever point out where they are wrong they never accept it but they find fault in the one point out there problem. The self righteous never want to hear about their faults. Has anyone ever met anyone like this? They think they have it all together and just try and say something. To them. Especially about their behavior they always have an excuse they are never wrong.
You hear things like who are you to tell me.
He who is without sin
Or I did it because of what he did.
They always point the blame somewhere else.
Jesus responds / parable
He tells them a parable about two men owing a debt
- One owes a lot
- On owes a little
- But they both owe
- He asks who would love more.
- Simon answers properly he must
Then Jesus explains a heart needed for forgiveness
He says she is doing what you wouldn’t. Because she knows she is in need of me
You didn’t was my feet, you didn’t kiss me or pour oil on me
But she did because she loves me for what have for her. She knows she was a sinner. She knows that her life was messed up.
She knows she needed something better.
She knows. She’s been living it. She was in dire need for God.
So because of here humility and dire need for forgiveness and heart of gratitude he forgives her sins.
47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." 48 Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 49 The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" 50 Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
The reality we live in
We are all in dire need of God. Whether you realize it or not.
Whether you can admit it or not.
We all have fallen short of God glory.
We all have shaken our fist at him
We have all turned from his ways.
Some see this and some don’t.
When we come to Christ we can come in two different ways
We can come with a broken and contrite heart or self righteousness
The self-righteous approach to God...
• has only a little sense of sin; therefore senses only a little need for forgiveness.
• is blinded to man’s state of sin, to man’s true being, that of being short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). The presence of God
• has little sense of the need for special mercy and grace, is blinded to God’s Sovereign Majesty and Person.
• Has only a formal, distant relationship with God, has little personal relationship with God.
No need for bible study…no need for church.
• gives little honor to God, makes little sacrifice for God.
The person who comes to Christ must come with a broken and contrite heart.
Question: which one are you? Self righteous? Or broken and contrite? Do you see the need for constant Christ in your life? When was the last time you fell before Christ feet? When was the last time you were humble before God willing to do whatever it took to glorify him. This lady was will to wash his feet with her hair. What are you willing to do?
Jesus sits at the right hand of the father, with open arms anyone who is willing to accept his forgiveness with a broken and contrite heart
Isaiah 66:2 (NIV)
2 Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?" declares the LORD. "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.
Psalms 51:17 (NIV)
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Isaiah 57:15 (NIV)
15 For this is what the high and lofty One says-- he who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.
Jesus says
Luke 7:36-50 (NIV)
48 Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 49 The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" 50 Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
They all are amazed who is this that can forgive sins. This wasn’t normal. A priest could only pronounce forgiveness of sins after the sacrifice was made at the altar, here Jesus is saying the right sacrifice is made. Her heart was right
He says your faith has saved you.
She believed so much she was willing to run into a Pharisees house which being a sinner she wasn’t allowed in, she was willing to do what Simon wouldn’t do and wash his feet
She was willing to humiliate herself and let her hair down
That’s faith.
Question: What are you willing to do for Jesus? Where is your heart today?
