*Note: I must give credit to Doug Small for his impact in this message
Introduction of Series
Building a Bridge to the Community
Luke 7:36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him (Religious leaders) to eat with him (Jesus). And He (Jesus) went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat (he reclined, as shown in the picture). 37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, (how did she know Jesus was in the house?) brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil (if you lived in the ancient middle east you would have lived with the door way facing the street, because of the no air you would have kept the door open, you would be the talk of the town, people would gather at your door, this is what this woman did, she comes into a house that she would not normally been welcome in, most of the time she would pass by to the other side but on this day as she was walking something was drawing her in, something or someone named Jesus, the presence of Jesus in the house, overcomes her fear of intimidation and rejection of Simeon, she comes into the house and no one notices that she is there, she begins to press her way in to get to Jesus, she takes risks here, people move around until she gets to Jesus, she is standing behind him), 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash (wet) (kneeling) His feet (nasty, dung stained feet, it would have been a necessity for a person to wash their feet, first Simeon could have done it or at least provide a servant, to the minimum provide water and a basin, he does none of those things he will not wash the feet of Jesus, he exposes Jesus and places him in a tough situation, forces Jesus to the table with dirty feet, it bothers this woman) with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head (she let down her hair, this changes the scene, she wipes the feet of Jesus); and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil (she is worshiping him, the room is filled with the fragrance of perfume). 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him (falling all over him), , for she is a sinner." 40 And Jesus answered (Simeon doesn’t say a thing out loud but Jesus reads his thoughts) and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." So he said, "Teacher, say it." 41 "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred silver pieces, and the other fifty. 42 "And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?" 43 Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have rightly judged." 44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? (Simeon’s charge) I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 "You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 "You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 "Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." 48 Then He said to her,
How Luke frames this passage
Luke 7:24 When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 "But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. 26 "But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 27 "This is he (John the Baptist) of whom it is written: ’Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ 28 "For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." 29 And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.
John’s Message:
When you look at John’s ministry you have to understand what John is preaching. Repent! The ax is laid to the root. He is preaching to Israel. Everyone of you need to be baptized.
Baptism was necessary for Gentile converts to Judeaism but it was not for Jews. John preaches a God that is so holy that even the holiest of the holy the Pharisees is not holy enough.
The Holiness of the Pharisees was not holy enough for God.
You have to embrace a new level of holiness. Repent and be baptized
They had a sense of holiness that gave them a sense of superiority over the others including the publicans and scribes.
They were too holy to repent. That is why they miss the revival of Jesus. The Pharisees can sometimes be our kind of people.
Pharasees – these were godly, laudable people, they were zealous for holiness.
They were so successful that they pushed away those around.
They looked back to the past of the 10 tribes of Isreal that broke off and were captured and compromised.
We are not going to be like our fathers.
We are going to do what this book says we will do right. Is there anything wrong with this. No this is great. It is what they should have done. They were honest, holy people set apart. Wanted to keep the commandement without living on the edge.
Required the graves to be marked and lepers to cry out so that they could not comein contact with sin.
They were so successful in purseing holiness that they were to holy to repent.
Diagram
Discipline of righteousness. Anything wrong. No. Should I embrace it. Yes. Is there some things that I shouldn’t do, is there some places that I shouldn’t go.
This God is to holy for our own holiness. My holiness is not good enough. Everybody must repent.
Everytime in scripture Holy man have an encounter with God they end up broken and contrite on their face. Isaiah and John. I am more like the one I am trying to witness to than the one whom I am trying to be like.
Yet there must be a balance between holiness and love.
John came neither eating bread or drinking wine and you say he is demonized.
Jesus came eating and drinking land you say he is too liberal, loving, tolerant, accepting.
Luke 7:31 And the Lord said, "To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like? 32 "They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying: ’We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not weep.’ 33 "For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ’He has a demon.’ 34 "The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ’Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35 "But wisdom is justified by all her children."
God I want to be loving God like you. It is the discipline of love. I chose to love those who don’t love me. If you love is no bigger than your truth then you only love people who are like you.
They had no problem loving people who were like them.
Luke 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Jesus says that you are not loving enough for God you must repent.
“It is not my love improved but his love imputed” by the Holy Spirit
We can’t do it we must be so overwhelmed by sin and that God loved us and forgave us that it comes out of our lives.
If we are not careful we will create this club where we don’t want sinners to come in.
A gospel that is more holy than our holiness and loving than our love.
Religion offers us legalism. Moral code of dos and don’ts of right of wrong. Causes us to be a tolerant people. Produces shallow morality and shallow relationships in love.
Love will muzzle truth. Yet truth without love is brutal it is hard. It leaves ugly ugly scars.
Back to the story.
Pharisee Woman
A man woman
Pharisee sinner
Moral rep immoral rep
Postures with diginity postures as a servant
Reclines first stands, kneels
Wants to go head to head with Jesus wants to be at his feet
Anaylical, wonders awed, wasted
Thinks holy, thinks shes a sinner thinks Jesus is holy, and knows she is a sinner
Considering Jesus carried away by Jesus
Jesus worth an evening worth the bank, alabaster box
Two kinds of people. Those who are intrigued by Jesus those who are wasted in Jesus.
We will wow this world when we are wowed by God
We will cause them to repent when we repent before a holy God.
Progression, ready offering, stands silently, then she begins to weep (when is the last time you wept), stoops like a servant, moves beyond service to worship and breaks the alabaster box, kiss his feet.
Transforms the very atmosphere of the house by her worship, by
Parable
41 "Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty. 42 Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker canceled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?" (ten times deeper in debt and neither could pay)43 Simon answered, "I suppose the one who was forgiven the most." "That’s right," said Jesus. 44 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. 45 You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn’t quit kissing my feet. 46 You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume. 47 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."
It is obvious that this woman is a sinner. What is the sin of Simon? Pride, right nees, hardness, unbendable nature,
Salvation by Repentance
"Your sins are forgiven." (Questions: where is the normal way of salvation that we are so used to seeing?) 49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" 50 Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."
