01.29.17
Intro
We are pursuing a heart of worship. We are desiring to go deeper in our worship experience with God. Last week we saw that achieving this is not so much a matter of methods and techniques, as it is the condition of the heart. In His conversation with the Woman at the Well Jesus said to her, (John 4:23) “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.”1 He was correcting her superficial understanding of worship. She wants to debate externals; he directs her to the internal interaction of spirit to Spirit, man’s adoration of God from his innermost being.
We looked at two foundations of genuine worship. One is the person’s revelation of who God is. Your worship will never rise above the level of your regard and respect for God. You may get a higher revelation of God during a worship experience. But you enter into worship based on how you know God. This is why the fear of the Lord is so fundamental to worship. The Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom—and that wisdom includes worship of God. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of worship. It is absolutely foundational to worship. The higher your view of God, the higher you can go in worship.
Secondly, we said a revelation of God’s goodness produces gratitude, and gratitude is foundational to worship. This is why a thankful attitude is so important. Psalm 100:4, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” Without thanksgiving we haven’t even gotten through the gate. Without thanksgiving we will not bask in the Holy of Holies. Thanksgiving is the entry point into worship. We talked last week about the importance of nurturing a habit (lifestyle) of thanksgiving. Dwelling on the goodness of God and talking about His generosity to us—the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.
Today we go a little deeper. Today we examine an example of worship based on those two foundations. Out gratitude for His mercy and love, a woman adores the Lord. She is not a person you would expect to know much about worship; but the worship she expresses toward Christ demonstrates what worship is all about.
Go with me to our text in Luke 7:36-50.
Jesus has been ministering in Galilee. Scores of people have been healed and delivered. The crowds have come to Him and experienced His love and mercy. In all probability, the woman in our story was in the crowd and experienced forgiveness of sin. Simon, a Pharisee, may have been in the crowd as well. He invites Jesus to his home. Follow with me as we read Luke 7:36-50.
“Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat. 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, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 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, for she is a sinner.’ 40 And Jesus answered 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 denarii, 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? 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, Your sins are forgiven.’ 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.’2
We have a contrast here between two people who find themselves in the presence of Jesus.
Simon is a Pharisee. That alone tells us a lot about him. The Pharisee sect arose during the time of the Maccabees. The word itself means “separate.” These were people who had separate themselves from the gentile invaders and were committed to the commandments of God.3 If Simon was a Pharisee, he was a religious man. He was interested in the Word of God. He was respected for his moral lifestyle. Most importantly, he considered himself a worshipper of God. We don’t know exactly what his motives were in inviting Jesus to his house. We do know that he was interested enough to do that. He was interested enough to extend that invitation to Jesus. But His interaction with Jesus is very different from that of this woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears: two worshippers responding to Jesus in two very different ways.
Jesus confronts the Pharisee about the contrast in verse 44 “…Simon, I entered your house and you gave me no water for my feet...” You didn’t give me the common courtesy that is normally afforded a guest in the culture. In contrast, this woman has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not greet me with the traditional kiss; but she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint My head with the common olive oil.” This too was customary. In contrast, this woman has anointed My feet with costly, fragrant oil. The contrast that Jesus addresses illustrates the difference between superficial worship and heart-felt worship.
When we read this story, the question we instinctively ask ourselves is this. Am I more like the woman in this story or am I more like the Pharisee. Is my worship reserved, distant, and measured or is it passionate, fervent, and intimate? Religion maintains an air of respectability without a real abandonment to God. Religious is preoccupied with appearances and is distant. Worship from the heart is preoccupied God. How it looks to other people is at most secondary.
Let’s look at this woman’s worship for a moment.
(1) It was RISKY. She knew what Simon’s attitude toward her would be. She knew she was walking into hostile territory. But her desire to get near Jesus superseded all that. I suspect she entered that house as quietly as she possibly could. She was not there to be noticed by other people. Quite the opposite; she hoped she would not be noticed. She did not plan to bust out in tears and draw attention to herself. She simply wanted to come in and do something for Jesus. Her plan was to simply slip into the room and anoint Jesus with her costly oil. She wanted to express gratitude and honor to Him in that way.
(2) Her worship was CONTRITE. We see that in everything she did. Watch her bow at the feet of Jesus, a place of submission and contrition. Watch the tears well up in her eyes as she looks at Him. Oh the gratitude that she feels for His mercy. She can think of nothing else but His love and mercy toward her. Others have despised her. Others have rejected and used her. But not Jesus. He does not see her as an object to be used. He sees her as the bruised reed that she is. He sees her brokenness and instead of rejecting her, embraces her. The tears flow gently at first, but in her brokenness she is so crying profusely her tears wet His feet. The actions that follow are not thought out, but spontaneous. She lets down her hair as a towel and tenderly washing His feet. She affectionally kisses His feet over and over, still weeping in loving gratitude. Then she does what she came to do. Then she anoints His feet with the expensive oil. Notice how the foundations of revelation and gratitude lead up to this contrite act of worship.
She sees something in Jesus that Simon can’t see. Simon questions whether Jesus is even a prophet. This woman sees Him as her Savior and Deliverer. Simon does not even see the magnitude of his own sin, let alone the mercy of God in forgiving it. This woman is overwhelmed by a revelation of God’s mercy toward her. She is broken first by an awakening to the sinfulness of her sin. She is repentant because she sees sin for what it really is—an affront to a loving God—a corruption of the human soul. She knows her sin is great. Nobody has to tell her that. Her conscience has screamed it to her over and over in the night. The torments of her defilement has haunted her day and night. How she had longed to be clean; but knew she could not make it happen. Loneliness and regret had filled her life. Her nights were filled with self-loathing for what she had done and for what she knew she would do again. There were plenty of times she saw respectful women walking with their husband and children, wishing she could be like that. Her heart cried out to be clean; but she knew one more resolution would not give her that. A thousand more resolutions would not bring the change she needed. Then she met the Master. Then she met the Savior. His eyes were full of love and compassion. Everything changed the day she met Jesus. Have you heard that old song, “Then I Met the Master”? One verse says, “Like a blind man, I walked in the darkness I had longed, I had searched for His light Then I met my Master, And now I walk Oh, I walk no more in the night.
Refrain: For all things were changed, When He found me And a new day broke through, All around me For I met the Master, Now I belong to Him. Have you met the Master? Do you know what it feels like to have a load of guilt and shame lifted off your soul? When that happens to you, you’re not looking for a deal where you can keep your sin and go to heaven. You’re overwhelming grateful to be free from the bondage, the degradation, the torment of sin. Does anybody here know what it’s like to live under the tyranny of sin? And then have Jesus lift that off your soul? Does anybody here remember the hopelessness a bondage imposes on your being? Oh how I remember the day Jesus washed my sins away. That day is edged in my heart and memory. I am forever indebted to Him! His will is my will. How can I betray such love? No, I will bow at His feet in eternal gratitude.
(3) Her worship flowed out of GRATITUDE to Jesus. The central lesson of this story is gratitude for forgiveness of sin. Jesus bring that to the forefront in the parable he speaks to Simon. Two debtors, one owed ten times as much as the other, but both were forgiven everything. Which will be most grateful? Which will love the most? Simon has not yet connected the question with this woman. Is it a trick question?4 Simon answers tentatively. "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." Simon it’s not a trick question. You have answered correctly. I asked the question to help you see something very important. Here is the lesson for Simon and the lesson for us. The lesson is profoundly demonstrated by this woman’s worship. "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.5 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.” Here is the question for Life Church and for any other church.
When Jesus enters the room, do we treat him like Simon did or like this woman did? Churches want a great worship service, but often their focus is on themselves and what they will get out of it. Jesus wants a response like this woman had. Her focus was on Jesus. Nothing else matters. Loving and honoring Him was the only thing on her mind. Jesus said to the Church at Ephesus, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (Rev. 2:4). It’s nice that you want Me in the house. Simon wanted Me in the house. But how do you respond to Me when I’m in the house? The gratitude in her heart for the forgiveness of sin issued forth in an expression of love toward Jesus. Have you felt His love for you? The logical response is to love Him in return. 1 John 4:19, “We love Him because He 1st loved us.” This woman’s love for Jesus comes out of a revelation of His love for her. In Lk 7:47 Jesus concludes, “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." Jesus is not saying she is forgiven because she loves much. When Jesus said her sins are forgiven (aphiemi), the Greek has it in the Perfect Tense indicating she is in a state of forgiveness.6 The forgiveness has occurred earlier and this outpouring of affection is in appreciation for that. Her worship toward Jesus is because of her realization that she has been forgiven much. In verses 48 and 50 Jesus speaks assurance to her of her state of forgiveness.
Whose to say whether Simon or this woman was the greater sinner. By society’s standard she was of course the greater sinner. But God does not ask society’s opinion on these matters. He looks upon the heart and judges righteously. The problem with Simon is that he does not consider himself a great sinner. He compares himself to this woman and prays something like this, “God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican” (Lk 18:11). His first problem is a limited revelation of his own debt to God. Does he think God is lucky to get him? Has he set himself up in judgement over Jesus rather than submitting himself to the judgement and conviction of God? One of the greatest disservices we have done to the emerging generation is to tell them they’re mighty good. You’re a winner! You can do whatever you set your mind to do; just go for it.7 It’s an exaltation of man. It’s a doctrine of humanism. Then the altar call is simply come join the Christian club; it will be fun; and you get to go to heaven. That produces Simons in the church. The beginning point of salvation is a deep, through realization that I am lost and without hope. The debt I owe to God is beyond my capacity to ever repay it. I am corrupted and defiled by my sin. I am justly condemned by a holy God. And if I don’t find mercy in Him, I will justly spend an eternity in hell. That is my just destiny. I am the chiefest of sinner regardless of what society’s evaluation is. My prayer becomes, “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13). When that person receives forgiveness of sin, there comes overwhelming gratitude and love toward the Savior.
(4) The worship this woman gave was COSTLY. It cost her ridicule. People looked upon her with scorn. Can you handle a little ridicule and scorn? Is your commitment to the Lord so strong, it doesn’t matter. Look at the gift she brings to Jesus. The oil she brought was not common olive oil. It was extremely costly. It may have cost her everything she had. Real love sacrifices for the object of that love. True love gives the maximum. Simon was giving the minimum. When you find yourself skimping on your giving to the Lord, you have found part of the reason your worship is not at the height you would like it to be. We receive an offering during the service as a part of our worship to the Lord. Some give generously. Some pinch the pennies. Then what happens in worship? Those that sow bountifully reap bountifully and those who sow sparingly reap sparingly.8 The stingy person thinks he’s being shrewd. He’s actually a fool. He’s trading a rich relationship with God for temporal, comparatively worthless things.
In Malachi we see Israel offering God the leftovers. God asks them a question in Mal. 1:6 “"A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the LORD of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, 'In what way have we despised Your name?'” Notice the connection God makes with respect, honor, and reverence to worship. They weren’t coming to God in deep respect and reverence. They were doing some token religion as a way to get by. Vs 8 “’And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?’ Says the LORD of hosts.” Does your financial giving reflect a deep respect for the honor of God or is it just leftovers. Does the management of your time put God first? What I am trying to demonstrate is that it is all connected.
Worship is a function of your whole attitude toward God, in all the areas of your life, 24-7. This kind of extravagant worship flows only out of a heart consecrated to God.
I read the story of a young woman who out of curiosity entered a little Presbyterian church one evening. She heard the gospel for the first time and was converted. Later she heard God’s call on her life to go to China as a missionary. She was the only daughter of a multi-millionaire. She was socially prominent and wealthy. But her parents were not Christians. When she told them of her decision to go to the mission field, they sneered at the very idea. They were sure they could quickly put a stop to her passing whim. The girl was engaged to a successful businessman who was also not a Christian. When she approached him about surrendering his life to the Lord, he took a stand similar to her parents. Sometime later her parents gave a social function to which they invited their socially prominent, wealthy friends. The parents told these friends about their problem, and asked them to help change their daughter’s mind. That evening the daughter listened in silence to the discouraging pleas of everyone at the party. She stood up, went to the piano, and began playing and singing: ‘Jesus, I my cross have taken. All to leave and follow Thee, Destitute, despised, forsaken, Thou from hence my all shall be.’ Her fiancé was deeply touched by her commitment. He walked over to her and said, ‘I did not know Jesus Christ could mean that much to any person. If He means that to you, please pray that I can become His follower too.’ Her prayer was answered. They were married and both went to China where they labored for the Lord many years.9
Conclusion
Personal consecration is foundational to worship. When God captures your heart by His love, you become a worshipper. Where are you in your love relationship with the Lord? Do you serve out of duty or has His love captured your heart? Have you left your first love or is that love still burning in your soul? I want to allow some time of personal reflection and prayer before we conclude this service. I want to ask you to come before the Lord and talk with Him about that.
Invitation
END NOTES:
1 All Scripture quotes are from the New King James Version unless indicated otherwise.
2 Do not confuse this incident with other times women anointed Jesus. Luke 7 is the only record of this event in Scripture.
3 “Pharisees” Nelson’s Bible Dictionary (Biblesoft).
4 Conversation at the table often included riddles with a surprise answer. People often gathered in the house as a form of entertainment to listen to these conversations. Perhaps Simon was wary that a riddle was being presented to him. His tentative answer might suggest something like that.
5 Laying down her glory for His glory (1 Cor. 11:15). It that culture it was considered improper for a woman to take down her hair in this manner.
6 Darrell L. Bock, Luke vol. I, Baker Exegetical Commentary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1994) p. 703.
7 This has come about in reaction against the damage that can be done by demeaning talk. But children need to be told the whole truth, not half of it. They are made in the image of God with wonderful potential; but sin corrupts and distorts that dignity and must be dealt with at the cross. It’s not possible to lead anyone to a genuine conversion unless that person first sees his/her deep need for forgiveness of sin and regeneration.
8 2 Corinthians 9:6
9 Although I got this story from a reliable source, it was many years ago and I don’t remember the source.
