The Right Attitude For Redemption

The right attitude for redemption

Luke 7:36-50 (NIV)

Run the story

Here is Jesus he is sitting at the house of a Pharisee named Simon.

- He is sitting at the table probably eating or getting ready to because it was customary of the time to invite a religious leader who is traveling through to your home and feed him.

- This wouldn’t be done the way we see it today. No on this time there would be a low table and small couches that would surround the table and the people would recline on the table with their feet pointed away from everyone. Feet were considered nasty and dirty then and would have defiled the meal.

- Here they would lie and eat with their right hand as their left hand would prop them up. They would eat and then talk.

- They would talk and discus many things it was customary to do so. It was also customary for the door to be left open so anyone could come and listen to the discussion.

So here is Jesus in the house of Simon the Pharisee

- Who must have been sitting there all smug and self righteous.

- We can deduce this because the scripture tells us that Simon had not offered to have his servants wash Jesus feet. It was also customary to have the feet washed of your guests to get the dirt off of them. Otherwise they would be sitting there like Jesus with dirty feet on the couch for all to see.

- It would have been humiliating and insulting to not have your guests feet washed. But Simon didn’t do so. He didn’t consider Jesus someone special enough to even offer this simple service. He also didn’t have him anointed with oil which was also customary for the host to do for the guests and it was also customary to great them with a kiss as they entered the home.

- Now since Simon didn’t do any of these thing as Jesus says he was definitely haughty and looking down on Jesus and knew it and didn’t care. He didn’t invite Jesus over because he wanted to meet him and respect him. He might have just wanted to put him down or whatever.

Jesus sets an example of humility

- The king of kings and the lord of lords being disrespected and he is still there.

- That’s love.

- That’s a heart that I wish we can all have.

- To be disrespected and to be able to still stare in the face of the offender with compassion is a hard thing for us to do.

- But Jesus sets and great example of humility.

Window: We would flip out. We would be like “Who are you to think your better then me.” And go into a rage. But humility is a trait we all need. Not to consider ourselves better then someone else but not look after our own interests but also the interests of others.

In runs a sinner

- Then as they are together in runs as the scripture says a sinner.

- Now I don’t know why she was called a sinner there are all different thoughts.

- Some say she was just a regular sinner some say she was actually a prostitute.

- But either way she is just like the Pharisee needing God even though he didn’t know it.

- She comes running in and does for Jesus what Simon the self righteous didn’t do.

- She see his feet are dirty she sees he wasn’t anointed with oil or greeted with a kiss and she can’t stand it. SO she does it for him. But she doesn’t do it with water she does it with perfume.

Can you picture the scène here is this sinner who no one would accept.

You can just picture how no one would accept her. If they wouldn’t accept Jesus think how bad they must have treated a prostitute if that’s what she was. She must have felt ostracized, unloved and uncared for. Here she is washing his feet with her hair

She must have heard Jesus in the past.

- Now we don’t know how she knew Jesus but we can assume that sometime in the past she met him and heard him preach or talk and he must have accepted her.

- She must have heard someone that He wouldn’t push her away but that redemption for her predicament was offered by him.

Window: There are many hurting and deign people who need help. Afraid God won’t accept them. They know in their hearts they need God. They know that their life has not been the way it should be. They know that when compared to God they owe a whole lot.