MUB
1-23-05
LUKE 7;36-39
36One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to come to his home for lunch and Jesus accepted the invitation. As they sat down to eat, 37a woman of the streets—a prostitute—heard he was there and brought an exquisite flask filled with expensive perfume. 38Going in, she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping, with her tears falling down upon his feet; and she wiped them off with her hair and kissed them and poured the perfume on them.
39When Jesus’ host, a Pharisee, saw what was happening and who the woman was, he said to himself, "This proves that Jesus is no prophet, for if God had really sent him, he would know what kind of woman this one is!"
INTRO; ON THURSDAY, GEORGE W. WAS SWORN INTO OFFICE. I UNDERSTAND THAT HE AND LAURA ATTENDED 10 DIFFERENT CELEBRATIONS ON THAT DAY.
I THINK HE MUST HAVE BEEN PARTIED OUT BY THE END OF ALL THAT. I HAVE NEVER BEEN INVITED TO ONE OF THESE, BUT AS I UNDERSTAND YOU GET IN ONLY IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT THING IN YOUR HAND, THE INVITATION AND A WAD OF MONEY. KNOWING HOW TIGHT SECURITY WAS IN DC FOR THIS, YOU WENT THRU SOME SERIOUS CHECKING TO BE ABLE TO GET IN. I WANT YOU TO KEEP THIS PICTURE IN YOUR MIND, AND NOW LETS TURN TO OUR TEXT.
THE RECORD OF THIS STORY, IS FOUND ONLY IN THE GOSPEL OF LUKE. THERE ARE QUESTIONS AS TO WHERE THIS TOOK PLACE, BUT PROBABLY NEAR CAPERNAUM. JESUS HAD BEEN PREACHING, TEACHING AND MINISTERING IN THE AREA, AND AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE DAY, HE RECEIVES AN INVITATION
TO THE HOME OF SIMON, FOR THE EVENING MEAL. NOW SIMON IS A PHARISEE. LET ME REMIND YOU THAT IN EVERY ENCOUNTER WITH THE PHARISEES, JESUS HAS PROBLEMS. AS WE OPEN THIS UP MORE, WE WILL SEE THE CHARACTER OF SIMON. BEFORE WE DO SO, I WANT US TO CONSIDER WHY SIMON EXTENDS THE INVITATION.
PERHAPS, SIMON IS JUST BEING POLITE, IT’S THE NICE THING TO DO. (PROBABLY NOT). MAYBE, HE GENUINELY WANTS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JESUS AND HIS TEACHING. (AGAIN, PROBABLY NOT). MAYBE, HE IS DOING SO FOR THE HONOR, NOT TO HONOR CHRIST, BUT FOR HIS OWN HONOR. TO LOOK GOOD.
MAYBE, HE IS DOING THIS TO SET SOME KIND OF TRAP FOR JESUS, TO ASK SOME QUESTION THAT JESUS CANT ANSWER. WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THE MOTIVATION IS.
WE DO KNOW SOME THINGS FROM THE SCRIPTURE THOUGH. SIMON WAS A WEALTHY MAN. HE PUT OUT A DINNER TO FEED, JESUS AND THE 12, AND OTHER FRIENDS OF HIS,. HIS HOME WAS LARGE ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE THIS MANY PEOPLE.
IN THAT DAY, YOU WOULD RECLINE AT THE TABLE, LYING ON THE FLOOR PROPPED UP ON YOUR ELBOW, YOUR FEET EXTENDED OUT AND AWAY FROM THE TABLE. LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION, WHEN YOU SET DOWN AT THE TABLE, WHAT DO YOU DO? EAT? YES, BUT THE REAL PURPOSE IS FELLOWSHIP.
I DON’T GO OUT TO EAT TO EAT, I GO OUT TO EAT TO TALK. I HAD A PROF IN COLLEGE, WE ATE IN SPLIT LUNCH HOURS, SO LUNCH COULD LAST UP TO AN HOUR AND A HALF. THIS PROF, WOULD START EATING AT THE FIRST LUNCH, AND HE WOULD NEVER FINISH UNTIL THE VERY END OF THE LAST. HE WASNT EATING ALL THAT TIME, HE WAS TALKING, LISTENING, FELLOWSHIPPING.
SO, JESUS, SIMON, THE 12, AND THE OTHER INVITED GUESTS, ARE ALL RECLINING AT THE TABLE.
INTO THE ROOM COMES SOMEONE WHO HAS NOT BEEN INVITED. SHE DOESN’T HAVE THE INVITATION CARD IN HER HAND. SHE DOESNT BELONG THERE. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN SOMEPLACE THAT AS SOON AS YOU LOOKED AROUND, YOU KNEW YOU DIDNT FIT IN? .THIS WAS NOT YOUR CROWD. THIS WOMAN DOES NOT FIT IN, SHE DOESNT BELONG THERE, OR SO WE THINK ON THE SURFACE.
WE DO NOT KNOW HER NAME. WE HAVE VERY FEW DETAILS ABOUT HER.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT HER IS THIS, "SHE WAS A SINNER". IN THE NIV, IT SPELLS OUT HER SIN, SHE WAS A PROSTITUTE, A WOMAN OF THE STREETS.
THE DINNER TABLE HAD BEEN BUSY, CONVERSATION, PERHAPS A JOKE, NOISE. NOW, SHE QUIETLY WALKS ACROSS THE ROOM, THIS UNINVITED GUEST, AS SHE CROSSES THE ROOM, THE NOISE SUBSIDES, THE CONVERSATIONS STALL IN MID SENTENCE, SUDDENLY THE ROOM IS TOTALLY SILENT. EVERY EYE IS ON HER, WHAT IS DOING? SHE HAS AROUND HER NECK ON A CORD, AN ALABASTER JAR OF VERY EXPENSIVE PERFUME. PERHAPS HER INTENT IS SIMPLY TO PRESENT IT TO JESUS AS A GIFT.
AS SHE NEARS HIS FEET, SHE IS OVERCOME WITH EMOTION. SHE IS A SINNER, AND HE IS WITHOUT SIN, WHAT A CONTRAST. TEARS STREAM FROM HER EYES, THEY CASCADE DOWN UPON JESUS FEET. HER HAIR IS DOWN, RESPECTABLE WOMEN WEAR THEIR HAIR UP, SHE WIPES HIS FEET WITH HER HAIR. SHE THEN BEGINS TO KISS HIS FEET, AND FINALLY, SHE ANOINTS HIS FEET WITH THE PERFUME. SHE CANT STOP. THIS IS WORSHIP. NOT A WORD IS SPOKEN.
NOT EVEN JESUS HAS SAID ANYTHING. SIMON, REALIZES SHE IS THERE, SHE HAS NOT BEEN INVITED, SHE DOESN’T BELONG, SHE DOESNT FIT IN. HE IS THINKING, IF JESUS WAS REALLY A PROPHET HE WOULD KNOW WHO THIS WOMAN IS. HE WOULD KNOW WHAT KIND OF WOMAN SHE IS. HE SURELY WOULD NOT ALLOW HER TO TOUCH HIM. SHE I A SINNER.
JESUS KNOWS SIMONS HEART. INSTEAD OF A CONFRONTATION, JESUS TELLS A PARABLE. THERE WERE THESE TWO MEN WHO OWED THIS MONEY.
THE DENARI IS ABOUT A DAYS WAGES. ONE MAN OWES ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF, THE OTHER GUY OWES OVER 18 MONTHS WORTH. THEY CANT PAY THE DEBT, SO THE MAN WHO THEY OWE THE DEBT TO, FORGIVES THE DEBT.
NOW JESUS TURNS TO SIMON AND ASKS, NOW SIMON, WHO OF THESE TWO WOULD LOVE THE BANKER MORE? SIMON IN KIND OF AN OFF HANDED WAY RESPONDS, I SUPPOSE THE ONE WHO OWED MORE. SIMON YOU JUDGED CORRECTLY.
THEN JESUS TURNS TO THE WOMAN BUT SPEAKS TO SIMON. SIMON, DO YOU SEE THIS WOMAN? THIS IS NOT, DID YOU HAPPEN TO GLANCE AT HER, THIS IS NOT A SIMPLE PHYSICAL RECOGNITION. THIS IS, DO YOU REALLY SEE HER? HAVE YOU GENUINELY, REALLY, DEEP DOWN, LOOKED PAST THE SURFACE AND SEE HER.
JESUS WAS THE INVITED GUEST. THERE WERE CUSTOMS TO BE FOLLOWED, AND JESUS POINTS THESE OUT. SIMON, DID YOU WASH MY FEET? NO. BUT SHE DID WITH TEARS OF REPENTANCE. SHE DRIED MY FEET WITH HER HAIR. SIMON, DID YOU GREET ME WITH A KISS? NO. BUT THIS WOMAN HAS NOT STOPPED KISSING MY FEET. SIMON, DID YOU ANOINT ME WITH OIL? AGAIN, NO.
BUT SHE HAS POURED OUT THIS EXPENSIVE PERFUME ON MY FEET.
SIMON, BECAUSE OF HER RESPONSE TO ME, HER MANY SINS ARE FORGIVEN, FOR SHE HAS LOVED MUCH. AT THE SAME TIME HE IS SAYING TO SIMON, YOU THINK YOUR SINS ARE LITTLE, BUT YOU LOVE LITTLE.
FINALLY, JESUS TURNS TO THE WOMAN AND SAYS, YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN. YOUR FAITH HAS SAVED YOU.
