The Reality of Repentance
Luke 7:36-50
October 31, 2004
Introduction
A young boy about nine years old went with his parents to Europe one summer. Part of their tour was visiting the great old cathedrals of the past. As he would visit cathedral after cathedral he saw the massive stained glass portraits of the disciples and of other saints. He was so impressed as he stood in these great empty halls looking through the beautiful stained glass windows.
Upon return, when asked by his Sunday School teacher, what about the great churches of Europe did he like the most, and what was his definition of a saint, he thought for a moment and he said, "I loved the sense of awesomeness and the hugeness of who God must be. And what is a saint?" And as his mind went back to those massive beautiful stained glass windows, he said, "A saint is a man the light shines through."
As many of you know today is Halloween but tomorrow is also a holiday for the church. It is the ancient celebration of All Saints Day. The celebration started as a way to commemorate the lives of those who had been martyred for the faith. Now in the United States the day set aside for the remembrance of believers who had died during the previous year.
As I have been reflecting on All Saints Day, I thought of all those whom I knew that had gone home to be with the Lord over the past year. It made me stop and think about what it means to be a saint.
In the early church those who called themselves Christians were given the title saints. What is a saint?
I believe that the most essential quality of a saint is to have a repentant heart. All of the transforming power of Christ flows to those who will simply come to Him and repent. Many believe that repentance is simply coming and asking for forgiveness from Christ. This is merely the first step. Repentance means that there must be a life changing experience with Jesus. It means that a person is transformed by the work of Christ in their life. It means that they cannot remain the same.
A Sunday School teacher once asked a class what was meant by the word "repentance." A little boy put up his hand and said, "It is being sorry for your sins." A little girl also raised her hand and said, "It is being sorry enough to quit."
This morning I want to look at the life of a person who brilliantly illustrates the reality of repentance and sets an amazing example for us to follow. Open your bibles to Luke chapter 7 and we will begin reading at verse 36.
Body
I. The Actions of the Woman (36-38)
The woman was unexpected
During the time of Jesus, many of the wealthy had an additional section on their homes that was used for entertaining and dining. The dining section of many of the homes was a type of porch that allowed people to watch the meal and listen to the conversations. This practice was used to flaunt important visitors to the home with the rest of the community. It is likely that Simon; the Pharisee had one of these types of homes and would have held his meal with Jesus open for the public to see.
The evening that Jesus eats with Simon would have drawn large crowds because people wanted to hear what Jesus was teaching. The woman hears that Jesus was eating with Simon and makes her way through the crowds. She then does what is totally unexpected; she leaves the crowd and enters the meal. The crowds may have gasped. They may have laughed or they may have tried to stop her. No one knows but she did what no one expected, she entered the home of a Pharisee
The woman was unwelcome
Make no mistake this woman was far from being on Simon’s guest list because she was a sinner. We are not told why this woman is “labeled” in such a way but it is likely that she was a prostitute. The moment that she stepped through the crowd and entered the dining area all eyes would have been squarely on her. The questions would have raced through everyone’s mind: What is she doing? Why is she here? Who does she think she is coming here? Where did she come from? When can she be gotten rid of?
She would have been the subject of much scorn and gossip. She would have been an outcast in every sense of the word. She would have been unwelcome at Simon’s table that night.
The woman was unsatisfied
What would have made such a woman risk everything? What would have made her enter the presence of those who would have despised her? The answer is simple; she desperately needed what Jesus was giving to those around Him; the love and acceptance of God.
This woman was unsatisfied in the things that the world around her had to offer. She needed something that money could not buy and something pleasure could not provide. She was searching for something real, she wanted something that made a difference in her life. She falls at the feet of Jesus and openly weeps over the reality of her life. She shows the depth of her heart and the sincerity of her repentance.
One of the biggest reasons that I believe people are not satisfied with their relationship with God is because they refuse to repent. They want to straddle the fence. Keeping one foot in the new life with Christ and one foot in the old life of sin.
The woman was unselfish
The woman brought with her an alabaster jar, which was filled with an expensive perfume. Alabaster was the substance that the jar was made of not the contents of the jar and so we are not told what the perfume was made of. Perfume would have been extremely expensive and was likely this woman’s most prized possession.
It would have been a major sacrifice for the woman to give up this perfume but it was one that she was willing to give to honor Jesus.
One of the greatest problems in the church today is that we want to gain the forgiveness of Jesus without giving a heartfelt repentance. We want to get the forgiveness without giving up the sin in our lives. We want to have Jesus and not have to change the way we live.
II. The Attitude of the Host (39-43)
Simon was discouraging
It is clear that Simon saw himself as being better than the woman that entered his house that evening. He saw his own life through the lens of his own personal religious actions and thought himself to be better. After all look at what he thinks of this woman, she is a sinner and he was right but he forgot the fact that he too was a sinner.
Simon was good at being religious. Simon was good at following the strict codes of the Pharisees. Simon was good at looking the part and seeming righteous. Christianity has absolutely nothing to do with being religious but instead has everything to do with enjoying a relationship with Jesus.
If we are honest with ourselves we are a lot more like Simon than we are like the woman. We look at our own religious actions and think that somehow we are better than those who are outside the church.
· I go to church every Sunday
· I help with the various activities at the church
· I don’t smoke, drink or swear
Just because you come to church and don’t do the things that we label as being unholy; doesn’t make you any more important to God. There is nothing you can ever do to make God love you any more than He already does and there is nothing you can ever do to make God love you any less than He already does. Every person is important to God and because of that fact every person ought to be important to us.
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:16-18
The true measurement of love in our lives is seen in how we treat other people.
Simon was disrespectful
Simon extended no courtesies to Jesus when He entered the home for the meal. There were three simple things that were done to make guests feel welcomed in a person’s home. First water would have been provided for the guests to wash their feet. Second, a kiss of greeting would have been given to every guest. Third, oil would have been provided for the head of the guest of honor.
There was no water for Jesus – The custom of providing water was to wash the dust from the guest’s feet because they had traveled by foot to the meal. This was a simple and common practice. This would have been done when the guests entered the home
There was no kiss for Jesus – The custom was that once a person was seated for the meal the host would formally greet the guests with a kiss on the cheek. It would have been like a handshake today.
There was no oil for Jesus – The guest of honor would have received an additional courtesy. The host would have provided oil for the head of the honored guest for both refreshment of the guest and for a public acknowledgement of the person. Without a doubt Jesus would have been seen as the guest of honor.
Why does Jesus make an issue of all of these things? Simon did absolutely nothing for Jesus. This tells us one of two things. Either Simon did nothing for any of his guests, which would have given Jesus no right to say anything or Simon was doing these things for the other guests and not for Jesus. This seems to be the case.
Let me ask you a question, do you treat Jesus like the guest of honor in your life?
III. The Acceptance of Jesus (44-50)
Jesus offers forgiveness
Jesus willingly and openly accepts the woman that no one wants to be seen with. Jesus does more than just offer her forgiveness; He gives her acceptance with God the Father. This leads to a new life for the woman. Forgiveness is a letting go of what could rightfully be held against you. God has every right to hold your sinfulness against you but because of Jesus He lets it go, wipes your slate clean and remembers it no more.
Jesus offers this woman the change that she has been searching for. The woman now has a choice to make; she can either go back to her old life or she can live the new life that Jesus has offered to her.
This is the reality of repentance; accepting the new life offered by Christ. Repentance is turning away from the old life and embracing the new life. There are some of you here this morning who have embraced Christ but turned and walked back into the old life.
Jesus responds to faith
The whole reason that Jesus responds to the woman is because of her faith. Faith is not belief without proof but trust without reservation. It is placing your life in the care of Jesus with the belief that He will do everything needed to get you through. Faith is laying every area and aspect of your life in the hands of Jesus. Have you done that completely? Are you still holding on to things and refusing to let go?
Jesus gives peace to those who come to Him in faith. The word peace literally means to weave or to bind. Jesus takes your life and all of its weakness and weaves it together with His strength. Is this the kind of life you have with Christ?
