THE SINNER WOMAN

LUKE 7:36-50

  I. Supper (7:36)

1. Pharisees

•          Simon (Lk. 7:40)

•          Nicodemus (Jn. 3:1)

•          Gamaliel (Acts 5:34)

•          Paul (Phil. 3:5)

2. Party (Lk. 7:36, 11:37, 14:1)

      David Smith said, “Hitherto His entertainers had belonged mainly to the disreputable order of the Tax-gatherers, and His intimacy with them had earned Him the nick-name ‘the Friend of Tax-gatherers and Sinners’; but now it is a Pharisee that bids Him to his house.”

      A. Home (open courtyard)

•          Honored Jesus

•          Invited traveling preachers from the synagogue

•          Reclined around low table on left arm

•          Acknowledged illustrious guests–public affair with uninvited visitors

      Edersheim explained, “They were all sitting, or rather ‘lying’. . . around the table, the body resting on the coach, the feet turned away from the table in the direction of the wall, while the left elbow rested on the table.”

      Robertson wrote, “She came in by a curious custom of the time that allowed strangers to enter a house uninvited at a feast, especially beggars seeking a gift.”

      B. Host

•          Admirer

•          Trap

•          Prestige

•          Curiosity

•          Seeker

      David Smith explained, “Simon had doubtless heard of the wondrous thing which had happened to his colleague at Capernaum; and, desiring to know more about Jesus, who, he recognized, was certainly a great prophet and might perchance be more, he made a feast in his house and invited Him to it.”

      C. Hospitality

•          Kiss of peace

•          Feet washed

•          Incense burned

      Clarence E. Macartney noted the discourtesy of Simon toward Jesus, “At a frown from Simon, the servant at the first entrance did not ask Jesus to be seated so that he might wash His feet in the basin.”

      James M. Boice said, “No doubt he deliberately postponed the courtesy until he could be sure Jesus was one he really wanted to honor.”

 II. Sinner (7:37-38)

      A. Woman (sinner–class; character )

      G. Campbell Morgan noted, “The namelessness of the woman is characteristic of the Gospel stories, for no woman specifically a woman of sin, is ever named.”

•          Known sinner (Lk. 15:2; prostitute in the city)

•          Knew Savior (Lk. 7:1-11-17; preached in the city)

      Robertson said, “This sinful woman had undoubtedly repented and changed her life and wished to show her gratitude to Jesus who had rescued her.”

      G. Campbell Morgan wrote, “The reason for her going was that she was filled with adoring love for one Person.”

      B. Weep (standing weeping–tears took place of ointment; behind Jesus toward wall )

•          Emotion (Mk. 9:24)

•          Extravagance (Jn. 12:3)

      Edersheim wrote, “As she stood behind Him at His Feet, reverently bending, a shower of tears, like sudden, quick summer-rain, that refreshes air and earth, ‘bedewed’ His Feet. As if surprised, or else afraid to awaken His attention, or defile Him by her tears, she quickly wiped them away with the long tresses of her hair that had fallen down and touched Him, as she bent over His Feet.”

      C. Wash

      D. Wipe

•          Perfume–alabaster

•          One year’s wages

•          All she owned

•          Costly perfume versus ordinary oil

      Jeremias said, “It was the greatest disgrace for a woman to unbind her hair in the presence of men. . . . She entirely forgot her surroundings.” Morgan said, “Jesus accepted those evidences of affection and devotion.”

      General Booth received a message from one of the Salvation Army captains that the work was so hard and no progress could be made. The General sent back a reply in two words: “Try tears.” Success soon visited the corps.

      John R. Rice related, “When I first began preaching, I remember how I wept from the beginning to the end of my sermons.”

“Then I grew ashamed of my tears and longed to speak more logically.”

“My tears soon vanished and I found I had only the dry husk of preaching left. Then I begged God to give me again the broken heart, the concern, even if it meant tears in public and a trembling voice.”

III. Story (7:39-43)

1. Judgmental attitude (Lk. 18:11)

•          Prophet (no condemnation)

•          Prostitute (no contact)

2. Jesus’s answer (Mk. 4:11-12)

      David Smith wrote, “He said nothing, but his thoughts were written on his face, and Jesus read them there, thus proving Himself indeed a prophet and more than a prophet.”

      A. Debt

          1. Debt calculated (Rom. 6:23; unable to pay– Mt. 18:25)

•          Sins of the flesh and spirit–immorality, hypocrisy

•          Sins of commission and omission

•          Open and hidden sins

          2. Debt canceled (all paid– Phile. 18)

              a. Gift (Rom. 11:35)

              b. Grace (Rom. 3:24)

              c. Gratitude (Jn. 21:15)

          3. Debt considered (Ps. 8:4)

              a. Large (1 Tim. 1:12-15)

              b. Little (Lk. 18:14)

      David Smith said, “A man’s love for Jesus is ever commensurate with his sense of the debt he owes Him.”

      B. Discharge (“boundless gratitude for God’s inconceivable goodness” )

          1. Conscious of guilt (1 Tim. 1:15)

      Wiersbe wrote, “The two amounts represent a difference in their sense of guilt. The woman was not more lost than the Pharisee. She only felt her guilt and need for mercy far more than Simon did.”

“The people who walked closest to the Lord saw their sinfulness as the greatest.”

      Barclay wrote, “Simon was conscious of no need and therefore felt no love, and so received no forgiveness.”

      Boice stated, “In looking down on the woman, he missed seeing that he himself was a sinner and every bit as much in need of the grace of God.”

      Wiersbe said, “Simon did not see himself. He thought he was a righteous person, acceptable to God, when in reality he was bankrupt and condemned. He saw the sins of other people but could not see his own sins.”

          2. Cost of grace

•          All of grace (sinners too bankrupt to purchase salvation)

•          Forgiveness as the gracious gift of God

•          Forgiveness costly to Jesus

      Morgan said, “We are all debtors, but we have nothing to pay, not one of us.”

      Wiersbe said, “The woman’s tears did not save her, for no amount of remorse or repentance can save the soul.”

Could my zeal no respite know,

Could my tears forever flow,

All for sin could not atone,

Thou must save and Thou alone. (August Toplady)

          3. Cause of gladness

      When your conscience is awakened to the depth of sin and the cost of salvation, you will love Christ (Rees Howells described his salvation, “I too saw the cross. It seemed as if I spent ages at the Savior’s feet, and I wept and wept. I felt as if He had died just for me. I lost myself.”). The cross breaks all pretense of pride.

      Genuine love for Jesus will be expressed. Never get over what Jesus did on the cross!

       C. S. Lewis once wrote to a little girl, “If you continue to love Jesus, nothing much can go wrong with you. . . .”

 IV. Service (7:44-47)

      Robertson said, “For the first time Jesus looks at the woman and he asks the Pharisee to look at her.”

      In contrast to the woman, the Pharisee did no service for Christ.

      A. No work for Jesus

      B. No welcome to Jesus

      C. No worship of Jesus

  V. Salvation (7:48-50)

1. Perfect forgiveness (Eph. 2:8)

•          Justified (Ps. 32:1; Rom. 4:7)

•          Sanctified (Jn. 8:11)

2. Present peace (Rom. 5:1)

      A. Forgiveness

      B. Faith

      C. Freedom