By: Noah Barr
A Loving Sinner
Luke 7:36-50
36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 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, 38 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. 39 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.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 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. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
What could we do for the Savior? Is there anything in ourselves that is fit for the King of all the earth? I think not. However, God accepts and welcomes what we bring outwardly. If we have been changed by Him inwardly, then what comes out of our heart and mouth can be pleasing to Him. 2 Corinthians 2:15 says: “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” One woman understood this, after she received forgiveness from the Lord and brought what little she could to the feet of Jesus. Everything changed after she was forgiven, and her gratitude showed by her overwhelming love to the Savior.
This scenario began when Jesus accepted the dinner invitation of a curious Pharisee. We don’t know the intentions of this man but we can be sure that what took place was a surprise. “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 ointment” (Lk.7:37-38). We know this woman’s story, but what is the significance of what she did for Jesus?
This woman’s actions would have been immediately offensive. It seems that her sins were well known to those at the dinner and the audacity she had in approaching Jesus would have been scandalous. Never the less she had needed to show her love to the Savior. She did this buy cleaning His feet and pouring oil on them. In that day, everyone wore sandals or went barefoot, for this reason the feet were extremely dirty and thought to be the least honorable part of the body. When guests came it was an act of hospitality for a servant of the house to wash the feet of the guests. This was never the job of the owner of the house, but was reserved for the person thought to be least important in the home. The woman then poured ointment on Jesus’ feet. This would have been another honorable act for a host to perform for a guest. The oil would have been poured on the guest’s head to make it shine. In this case, the woman poured it on His feet. Of course, these actions caused Jesus’ host to question Jesus’ identity entirely.
“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” (V.39). Simon immediately doubted that Jesus was a prophet, because a prophet would know that he should not be touched by a sinner such as this. In this moment it seems that Simon did not believe that Jesus was a prophet any longer. This thought was known to Jesus and He told Simon a story. In this story a man was owed money by two debtors, and one owed a large amount and the other’s was quite small. Both did not have the money to cover their debts, therefore the man forgave the debt of both men (V.41-42). At the end of the story Jesus said: “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” (V.42-43). Jesus had in mind the Pharisee as well as the woman who was at his feet. However, the Pharisee had not been forgiven, and did not understand, Jesus pointed to the woman who was at His feet, and she had been forgiven a great debt that she was now showing love for.
“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” (V.44-47). The woman’s actions were so opposite Simon’s that it showed how great her love was for Jesus. Simon did not even give Jesus water for His feet, but the woman used her tears to clean His feet! Simon should have kissed Jesus on the cheeks as a sign of hospitality and welcome, but this was absent while the woman did not kiss Jesus face, but His feet! This woman also poured oil on His feet, which would have been very costly and even considered wasteful to use it in this way, but the woman saw this as a small act towards the Lord Jesus. The woman did all of this not to be saved, but to show her appreciation for what Jesus had already done for her.
The woman’s actions pointed to her unworthy self-concept. She threw herself upon His mercy and it was because she understood how much she was forgiven from, that Jesus could affirm and assure her that: “Your sins are forgiven” (V.48). Because she understood the great chasm of the sin of her soul she was able to show great gratitude at being forgiven such a debt that she had. But it seems that those who saw were grumbling and continuing in unbelief: “Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” (V.49). Their response was not wonder but agitation. “This man thinks he can forgive sins? Who does he think he is?”
If we remember back to Luke 7:29-30, it was the tax collectors and sinners who turned to Jesus. Those who recognized their sin and saw it clearly, were also those who saw a need to be forgiven. It seems that many in Simon’s house felt the same way, there was no sin on their part. It was scandalous for Jesus to forgive the woman who came to Him that night. It is scandalous that Jesus would exchange Himself for sinners like us. All men and women have fallen far beyond the grace of God and need to be forgiven. All men and women are on death row and are in need of a substitute. May you understand more the grace of God in your life and be filled with His love.