There are a variety of ways in which we set expectations. Sometimes cultural norms - like a handshake or a hug - set certain expectations. Sometimes we have expectations based on tradition - for example how to set a table or what you do on holidays. You may have performance expectations set by your parents - in my house growing up homework was supposed to be done first before we could go outside. If you play on a sports team, your coach may have expectations for your diet or exercise or your effort.
Things seem to go smoothly when they happen according to expectations. But when the unexpected happens, we awaken from our stupor and are forced to take notice.
This week, we run into an experience where unexpected events become useful tools in Jesus’ capable hands.
Open your bibles to Luke 7. We will begin by looking at verses 36 and following.
Just after talking about the fact that Jesus was called a friend of tax collectors and sinners and a glutton and a drunkard, Luke shares a dining experience where Jesus is one of two…
Unexpected Guests (36-37)
It’s no secret that Jesus has already had several controversial encounters with the Pharisees. He’s never one to back down from an opportunity to engage with them. Now, one of them is welcoming an encounter with Jesus over a meal…
Luke 7:36 ESV
One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.
So, on one hand, with all of the controversy and debate that surrounded Jesus and the Pharisees, it seems odd that one of the Pharisees would invite Jesus for a meal. As a group, they had been questioning his actions and even testing the legality of His activities for months.
Luke doesn’t clue us into this man’s motives or intentions - he simply matter of factly discusses the invitation and Jesus’ acceptance.
But Jesus isn’t the only one there. It appears that there were several others at this meal (49). We don’t know who they are, but they are clearly expected.
But just as Jesus seemed to be an unexpected guest, there is another unexpected guest…
Luke 7:37 ESV
And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment,
Now, this seems quite odd to us. It seems like this woman is crashing the party. In some sense she is. But in their culture, with Jesus being a public figure, uninvited guests might be welcomed to listen in to the conversation. Maybe they would be standing around the perimeter of the room, observing, listening, learning.
In some ways, welcoming these people would be a way for a Pharisee to demonstrate the largess of his generosity through hospitality. This welcoming attitude was commanded in the law:
Leviticus 19:33–34 ESV
“When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
Luke alerts us to the unexpected nature of her presence with the word “behold.” He is essentially telling us to carefully observe the fact that she is here.
So, not only are Jesus and this woman unexpected guests, albeit for different reasons, at this meal, but we also see that Jesus receives an…
Unexpected Reception (37-46)
Luke 7:37–46 ESV
And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.
Simon, the host of this party invited Jesus to be his guest, but did not welcome him with any of the expected customs of their day - a kiss of greeting (on the cheek), water for his feet (after all, they often wore sandals and had very dusty feet), or some oil to refreshen his skin. It’s as though in his pride, he does not see Jesus as a guest worthy of receiving any of these normal gestures. On top of that, there is the scoffing nature of his judgment of Jesus - “If he were a prophet he would know what kind of woman this is who is touching him.” If we assume that this woman is ceremonially unclean for whatever reason, contact with her would make anyone else unclean - prophet or not. What’s more, prophets of the Old Testament were calling people back to holiness and righteousness so it’s quite expected that they might have encountered people like this woman. The prophet Hosea was even commanded by God to take a wife who was a prostitute in order to provide a sort of object lesson for the people of Israel (Hos. 1:2).
In a way, this man is insulting his own guest with his reception of Jesus.
Now, I now that we have different customs of welcoming someone. Maybe a handshake or a hug.
Then, there is the unexpected reception that Jesus receives from the woman. She doesn’t speak at all, but communicates volumes by her actions. We don’t know her name or the nature of her sin, just that she was sinful. And yet there is something in her that is calling out for cleansing, for forgiveness. She seems to recognize Jesus as being important and worthy of honor, which resulted in her humiliation.
So, we’ve seen some unexpected guests and the unexpected way that both the Pharisee and the woman received Jesus. Next, we get to witness…
Unexpected Love (47-49)
From the woman and from Jesus.
On the heels of Jesus’ short parable about the moneylender and his debtors, Jesus continues…
Luke 7:47–49 ESV
Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”
Jesus does not deny that she is a sinful person or that her sins seem to be manifold. It seems that she recognizes her own sinfulness. And so, in hope of forgiveness or maybe in the of faith of believing that she will be forgiven she pours out love and honor on Jesus. She essentially worships Him.
Then, in a way that only Jesus can do, he demonstrates love for her by forgiving her. Here’s the rub - did she sin against Jesus? The moneylender had loaned money to these two borrowers. Neither could pay. That was a sin against him. A sin which he forgave. But here, we see Jesus telling this woman that her sins are forgiven. What gives him the right to do so? Were those sins against him? If he is merely a human, then the answer is no. But if he is one part of the triune God, then yes - those sins were against him.
This week, as we were discussing this passage in our elders meeting, Vern pointed out that one of the things that argues for Jesus divinity is his ability to forgive sins that did not seem to be committed against him. There are a couple of times in Jesus ministry when he says “your sins are forgiven.”
When the friends of a paralyzed man lowered him through the roof of a house, Luke noted:
Luke 5:20 ESV
And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”.
He then backed up his authority to do that by telling the man to get up and walk (Luke 5:23).
Now here, with this woman…
Luke 7:48 ESV
And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
On this subject, CS Lewis wrote:
“Now unless the speaker is God, this is really so preposterous as to be comic. We can all understand how a man forgives offences against himself. You tread on my toes and I forgive you, you steal my money and I forgive you. But what should we make of a man, himself unrobbed and untrodden on, who announced that he forgave you for treading on other men’s toes and stealing other men’s money? Asinine fatuity is the kindest description we should give of his conduct. Yet this is what Jesus did. He told people that their sins were forgiven, and never waited to consult all the other people whom their sins had undoubtedly injured. He unhesitatingly behaved as if He was the party chiefly concerned, the person chiefly offended in all offences. This makes sense only if He really was the God whose laws are broken and whose love is wounded in every sin.”
(Mere Christianity, p.55)
Lewis famously goes on to say…
“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God.”
(Ibid, p. 56)
Just as the moneylender in the story forgave both the large and small debts of his debtors, Jesus demonstrates His divine authority in offering forgiveness to this woman.
Do you have things in your past that you regret? I do. Sometime those things are shameful and vile. While we may have difficulty forgiving ourselves for those things, Jesus willingly and lovingly forgives us. He took our sin on himself and placed on us his righteousness.
1 John 1:9 ESV
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Whether you consider yourself a Christian or not, let that sink in for a moment. Forgiveness is available from the One who has the ultimate authority to forgive - if we will be confess to Him.
So, friend, if you are still investigating all of this, let me ask you - who is Jesus to you? Is he merely a good teacher? Yes he taught good and ethical things, but that was not his claim. The Pharisee called him teacher. But as this encounter moves on, Jesus is subtly claiming to be more as he addresses the sinfulness of this woman. Who can forgive her sins? Only those against whom she has sinned. Jesus is tacitly claiming divine status by forgiving her sins. Do you believe him to be God? Do you believe He has the authority and the ability to forgive your sins? I do, but my faith can’t stand for yours. Just as Jesus affirmed to the woman, “your faith has saved you, go in peace” do you believe? Would Jesus say to you, “your faith has saved you”? Let me encourage you to press into that and talk through it with someone. I would guess that almost any believer around you would be happy to help you consider this! If not, I’ll be happy to open scripture with you and show you what it means to have saving faith.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, I want us to take a brief moment of assessment. What is our relationship with God like? Do we approach God in our prayers or worship or quiet times as though we deserve that access? Do we come to him in smug self-righteousness like the Pharisee? Or do we come in the humility that this woman demonstrates?
Oh, I pray that we we both rest fully secure in His love and forgiveness, but come with such humble gratitude that we never take his love and forgiveness or our standing for granted.
That should make a difference in our lives. It should make a difference in how we live. We should be less inclined toward the shiny idols that tempt us or the smug indifference that invades. It should make a difference in our acts of daily obedience, in our struggle against sin, or our joyful proclamation of His love and grace. It should make a difference in the way that we greet and welcome strangers and show love to others. It should make a difference in our time, our thoughts, our entertainment, our reading, our finances.
Which brings us to the final two unexpected things that we get to see. Fourthly, we get to notice…
Unexpected Followers (8:1-2a)
Luke 8:1–2 ESV
Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities:…
We have seen over the last few weeks that as Jesus taught, he gathered quite a following of people. It seems like there were dozens even hundreds who would hang on his words. But the twelve represented him. These were the twelve apostles. As we read a few weeks ago:
Luke 6:13–16 ESV
And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
As Jesus goes around ministering to various people, He seems to give dignity to the undignified and acceptance to the excluded. He’s not endorsing sinful lifestyles, but rewarding repentance. He’s not looking for a certain religious or academic pedigree or heritage. He’s looking for faithful followers. He’s looking for people who may be a bit salty so they can be salt of the earth (Mt. 5:13).
But outside of the twelve, we find that Jesus’ ministry is surrounded by several women. It seems like many of the leading people of that time would take women for granted, sadly in our time too. But not Jesus. He welcomed the company of these women. Certainly not because he was a womanizer, but because he showed them dignity and divine love.
should not be unexpected - God has used women in wonderful and subversive ways throughout the Biblical narrative - they may not have had official roles, but women have been and continually act in glorious ways - sometimes hidden,
as we read earlier - Ruth/Naomi -
Exodus - all of the women whom God used to protect the Israelites and Moses
Hannah
Women in the judges
Ladies, God has blessed you with some beautiful and important abilities. Your relational skills, hunger for God’s word, serving heart and so much more are vital to the Kingdom of God and to this church.
Jesus saw these women when others would ignore them. Jesus invited them to follow.
In response, they demonstrated to him…
Unexpected Generosity (8:2b-3)
Just as He did verbally and spiritually with the woman at the Pharisee’s house, so too with these women, Jesus did a marvelous work of healing and cleansing. Luke concludes this section by noting:
Luke 8:2–3 ESV
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.
These women didn’t just follow Jesus, they gave of their means to be able to support His ministry.
What’s interesting is that we don’t know much about these women and they are mentioned only a few places in other parts of Scripture. We don’t know about how wealthy or resourced they were.
Several years ago, I worked with a woman who had been a sort of manager for a high net-worth individual. She managed the affairs of the house, managed the staff, oversaw the household finances and more. She was well compensated for this work.
I can imagine that Joanna might fall into this category, with her husband being the manager of Herod’s household.
But Mary and Susanna - we know little about. What we know is that they gave. They gave generously. They let their devotion to Jesus affect their pocketbooks and their time.
I’m so grateful for the family that PBC has gathered here. I’m grateful for the way that you all give generously of your finances, of your time, of your talents.
Your generosity allows us to do a variety of things.
faithfully supporting a few missionaries specifically and thousands generally through the cooperative program.
Kids Connection - time, investment in the kids, resources, curriculum - 10-20 kids each week - while we are meeting here.
Good News Club - ministering in the school - 12-17 kids at PES.
Youth ministry - In addition to our weekly gatherings for youth and the monthly events, we will have 18 people going to Philadelphia
Food ministry - supporting dozens of people each week
Benevolence - between what you give and what we receive from the Thrift Shop, we have funds to available to meet many needs!
Supporting two F/T pastors - a church our size should not be able to do that, but by your generosity - we do.
Hosting outside groups in our facility nearly every day of the week.
Opening doors to other churches
Thank you for your faithfulness and your generosity.
I’m grateful for others as well - EMC and Hosanna.
Internally, we may call them EMC, but they are officially “Iglesia Evangelica Misionera Apostoles y Profetas” or “Evangelical Missionary Church of Apostles and Prophets” - the congregation is the Spanish speaking church that meets on Sunday afternoons and several times throughout the week. In addition to the rent they provide, they have blessed us tremendously with their other means - landscaping, painting, and more. We may rarely run across them, but when we do, I hope we can join together in expressing our gratitude for the partnership we have with them in serving Jesus.
Of course, there is Hosanna. We will get together with them a few times a year for worship or a meal. We also work shoulder to shoulder with them on various projects.
Essentially, we are three congregations working together for the Kingdom of God on this little piece of land. Thank you for your generosity and open handedness. Thank you to those who gave generously many years ago to build the family life center. Thank you for those who continue to give in the box at the back or online each week to keep this going. Just as Mary, Joanna, and Susanna were honored and appreciated in Jesus ministry for their unexpected generosity, you are honored and appreciated for the generous ways that you participate in the ministry that God has called us to here.
Thank you.
Closing
May we continue to welcome the unwelcomed, repent of our sin fully, love Jesus with bold humility, follow faithfully, and give generously in response to all the He has done for us.
Let’s pray.
Benediction
1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
Sources:
Anyabwile, Thabiti. Exalting Jesus in Luke. Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2018.
Bartchy, S. S. “Table Fellowship.” In Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, edited by Joel B. Green and Scot McKnight. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992.
Beeke, Joel R., and Paul M. Smalley. Reformed Systematic Theology: Man and Christ. Vol. 2. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020.
Bock, Darrell L. The NIV Application Commentary: Luke. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996.
Bock, Darrell L. Luke 1:1-9:50. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999.
Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity. New York, NY: MacMillan Publishing Co., 1952.
Martin, John A. “Luke.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.
McKinley, Mike. Luke 1–12 for You. Edited by Carl Laferton. God’s Word for You. The Good Book Company, 2016.
Wilcock, Michael. The Savior of the World: The Message of Luke’s Gospel. The Bible Speaks Today. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1979.
