INTRODUCTION
Opening Statement: 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.
Transition: Today, we’re going to be looking at a story about a man who, like the barber, could only offer insults, but who ended up feeling the worst after it was all said and done.
Text: Luke 7:36 – 7:50
Notation: In Luke’s gospel we’ve got babies, teenagers, shepherds, widows, mother-in-laws, persons of mixed race, lepers, the money-hungry, blue-collar workers, the quadriplegic, enemies, women, the demon-possessed, the guilty, and the lost, all finding a place at Jesus’ banquet. Luke shows that those who had been marginalized by society find a place in Jesus’ ministry. This is true of our story today.
Background: Jesus had reached celebrity status with the crowds by this time in His ministry. The common people loved being with Him. Jesus would have received many invitations for dinner among them. However, the leadership did not like him. Only occasionally do we see a prominent religious leader investigating Jesus without a hidden agenda. On this occasion, this particular leader seems to have had an agenda, but the setting needs to be described to see it. It was normal, when a guest arrived in a Palestinian home in the first century, to make the guest feel welcome by going through certain common courtesies.
First of all, his feet would be washed. A guest’s feet would be caked with dirt after walking in sandals on the dusty roads. So a servant would greet him at the door with a basin of water, and would wash and dry his feet.
After his feet had been cleansed, the host would come and greet him with a kiss to make him feel welcome, and let him know that he was an honored guest.
Then it was a matter of courtesy to anoint the head of the guest with some cooling oil. Maybe it was because of the hot oriental sun. Maybe some of the men were thin on top and slightly sunburned. I’m not sure exactly why, but it was customary to use oil to anoint the head of a guest.
All of these things went together to say, "You are welcome in our home." But when Jesus visited the home of this Pharisee, none of these things happened. He got nothing but a cold shoulder! Luke says that Jesus sat down at the table, without His feet being washed, without the customary kiss, or the anointing of oil. So this Pharisee invited Jesus for dinner, then snubbed Him once he was there. He intended to offend Jesus. The whole thing was a set-up. Discussing theology was secondary; he wanted to offend and insult Jesus more! They were always trying trap Jesus in some political game. But Jesus always managed to show tenderness to those who really needed it. It reads like this in Luke…
Recitation: Luke 7:36 Now one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. First century Middle Eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.
7:37 Then when a woman of that town, who was a sinner, learned that Jesus was dining at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfumed oil. A jar made of alabaster stone was normally used for very precious substances like perfumes. It normally had a long neck, which was sealed and had to be broken off so the contents could be used. Evidently, Jesus had impacted her in some way, perhaps forgiving her and setting her free. We’re not told how Jesus impacted her; we’re only able to see the degree of her thankfulness. I think she probably just intended to give Jesus the perfume. But when she got there and saw Him, she was overcome by her emotions.
7:38 As she stood behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. She wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfumed oil. The series of verbs in this verse detail the woman’s every move, much as if the onlookers were watching her every step. That she attended the meal is not so surprising, as teachers often ate an open meal where listeners were welcome, but for her to approach Jesus was unusual and took great nerve, especially given her reputation. I love the sense of smell in this passage. Studies indicate that there is a definite connection between smells and memory. Whenever she smelled that fragrance every day thereafter, her mind undoubtedly went back to that day at Jesus feet where she felt forgiven for the first time in her life. She never spoke an audible word, but her body language indicates that her heart had received a gift.
7:39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” Simon the Pharisee was watching. He was greatly offended and embarrassed by what was going on. Because all the things that he had failed to do to make Jesus welcome, this lady was now doing. Simon knew what kind of woman she was. So as he judges her, he also judges Jesus. He assumes that Jesus, in encouraging her, is encouraging immorality. Simon thinks, "If this man really were a prophet, He would know that this is an immoral woman."
7:40 So Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” He replied, “Say it, Teacher.” 7:41 “A certain creditor had two debtors; A creditor was a moneylender, whose business was to lend money to others at a fixed rate of interest.
one owed him five hundred silver coins, and the other fifty. The silver coins were denarii. The denarius was worth about a day’s wage for a laborer. The debts were significant: two months’ pay and one and three quarter years’ pay (20 months) based on a six day work week.
7:42 When they could not pay, he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 7:43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.” Jesus said to him, “You have judged rightly.” In the business world, this is absolutely crazy! You can’t just write debts off the books. Has ENRON left any doubt about that? But in God’s economy, this has already happened! Your debt has been written off of the books; now your job is to believe that and live differently.
7:44 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. 7:45 You gave me no kiss of greeting, but from the time I entered she has not stopped kissing my feet. 7:46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with perfumed oil. 7:47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which were many, are forgiven, thus she loved much; but the one who is forgiven little loves little.” 7:48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Jesus never ignored her sin. In fact, he acknowledges that she had many sins. But, they were forgiven.
7:49 But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 7:50 He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Jesus’ point is that the person who realizes how great a gift forgiveness is (because they have a deep sense of sin) has a great love for the one who forgives, that is, God. The woman’s acts of reverence to Jesus honored him as the one who brought God’s message of grace.
Title: Forgiven
OUTLINE
APPLICATION
Key Word / Proposition: The parable of the two debtors in the context of Simon, the woman, and Jesus, yields four tributaries of thought which flow into the one great truth of forgiveness.
I. JUST LIKE THE WOMAN AND SIMON, EVERYONE IS SPIRITUALLY IN DEBT - EVERY ONE OF US IS A DEBTOR
Explanation: Every person in this room is in debt to our God. We all are debtors, and in some cases, debtors with short-memories. An important asset when you’re in debt is a good memory. Because if you don’t remember to whom you owe money you’re going to have all kinds of trouble. And Simon’s problem was that he had a poor memory. What Simon forgot was that he was a sinner too – a 500 denarii sinner who owed God just like the woman. His sins were sins of the heart, and he didn’t recognize them as sins. It was easy for him to forget that he stood in need of forgiveness.
Illustration: A Sunday School teacher had just concluded her lesson and wanted to make sure she had made her point. She said, “Can anyone tell me what you must do before you can obtain forgiveness of sin?” There was a short interval of silence and then, from the back of the room, a small boy spoke up, “Sin,” he said.
Application: That comes easy for us and isn’t it so easy for us to forget how indebted we are to a Savior who has been crucified? We owe a great debt to our God who has redeemed and forgiven us. We are all debtors. We all owe a debt. In light of this, we need to have a spirit of inclusion, just like Jesus. We are in this debt-thing together, positioned at Jesus’ feet. Looking at Jesus and what He did is a good indication what we should do and be with those who feel outside the church.
II. JUST LIKE THE WOMAN, WE CAN NEVER REPAY THAT DEBT
Illustration: If the US government decided to make you responsible for the national debt of more than a trillion dollars, and they decided that they were going to collect everything we owe all at once, we would be in deep trouble because we owe more than we can pay all at once. We can whittle away at it, but we couldn’t pay it all back. And when we think of the debt that we owe God in heaven for the price that He has paid for our sins, we realize that we can’t pay that either.
Observation: This woman came to Jesus and fell at His feet. She wet His feet with her tears and tried to dry them with her hair. Then she anointed Him with oil. It was an expression of gratitude and love. You say, "Well, that’s the way to pay God back." But she wasn’t paying Him back. All she was doing was saying, "Thank you, Lord. Thank you for forgiving my sins." Comprehend the debt and then you begin to understand what forgiveness is all about.
Quotation: How can we understand forgiveness if we haven’t recognized the depth of our sin?” — John Henry Newman
Transition: With this understanding of the degree and depth of our sin, let’s go on to the good news.
III. JUST LIKE THE WOMAN, FORGIVENESS IS AVAILABLE TO YOU
Recapitulation: First of all, I stated that all of us are spiritually in debt. Secondly, I said we could never repay the debt. Now I am saying, "Since we can’t pay it, therefore we stand in need of forgiveness."
Observation: And the good news is that forgiveness is available to everyone, but forgiveness is not free. Forgiveness always costs something. For the moneylender it cost 550 denarii to forgive those who were indebted to him. A small amount perhaps when compared to the debts we’re talking about. But forgiveness always costs something. When God said, "I forgive you of your sin," then it cost God something because before the forgiveness there had to be the suffering and pain and agony of Gethsemane. Before the forgiveness there had to be the death on the cross and the burial and the resurrection. That price had to be paid. The ledger had to be clear before forgiveness could become a reality. But now that it has been paid it’s available to all.
Illustration: Dr. Karl Menninger, the famed psychiatrist, once said that if he "could convince the patients in psychiatric hospitals that their sins were forgiven, 75 percent of them could walk out the next day."
Application: Today, God’s forgiveness is available to you. He offers it to you through Jesus Christ His Son. He challenges you to look once more at the cross and realize that the price has been paid for your sins and for mine. He invites you to come and know Him as Lord and Savior and to receive His forgiveness as His gift. When you come before God broken and in need of forgiveness that’s like a freshly broken alabaster vase, a sweet aroma to God.
IV. JUST LIKE THE WOMAN, WHEN WE KNOW THAT WE ARE SINNERS SAVED BY GRACE, WE BECOME LOVERS / FORGIVERS COMMUNICATING HOPE TO OTHERS
Explanation: We are in debt. We can never pay that debt back. We are forgiven. Now, we can become lovers / forgivers ourselves. The woman was. She had to find some kind of sacrament to express her love. Nothing was too demanding. The danger of ridicule or the fear of judgment, or the thought of public exposure of her past, could not overcome her need to thank the Master. That’s what we must do too.
Application: We can never pay God back. But we can roll up our sleeves and go to work. We can worship and we can serve and we can cry a little bit together and we can pray a bunch. And we can get out and reach people for Jesus. We can do all that not to be forgiven, but because we are forgiven.
Conclusion: This woman broke a vase that day. When God sent his son, He broke a vase. He sent heavens finest to express the forgiveness that God has in His heart for you. In light of this, who do you need to break a vase for today?
CONCLUSION
Application: My adoration of my Savior comes in direct proportion to my awareness of my sins, and my appreciation for my salvation. Two men owed money to a certain money-lender. Both owed a lot of money$. Neither had the money to pay him back, so he freely cancelled the debt of both. Which of us would love him more? We, too, stand at the feet of Jesus owing far more than we could ever pay. Standing there, we are sinners. We are broken. But we are forgiven.
Illustration: A mother once approached Napoleon seeking a pardon for her son. The emperor replied that the young man had committed a certain offense twice and justice demanded death. "But I don’t ask for justice," the mother explained. "I plead for mercy." "But your son does not deserve mercy," Napoleon replied. "Sir," the woman cried, "it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for." "Well, then," the emperor said, "I will have mercy." And he spared the woman’s son.
