"A SYMBOLIC ACT OF GRATITUDE"

“A SYMBOLIC ACT OF GRATITUDE”

LUKE 7:36-50

           Now one of the Pharisees was asking Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner, and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume.

           Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him that she is a sinner." And Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he replied, "Say it, Teacher."

          "A moneylender had two debtors, one owe five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them would love him more?" Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have judged correctly." 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 she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little loves little.

          Then He said to her, "Your sins have been forgiven." Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this man who even forgives sins?" And He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace" (NASB).

INTRODUCTION

            In 1997, Fortune magazine said Bill Gates, CEO of Microsoft, was the richest American in history, with personal wealth of some $35 billion. According to Carey Goldberg in the New York Times, in February of 1997 Mr. Gates spoke to 1,500 people in Seattle at the annual convention of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. After Mr. Gates' speech, Dr. John Cantwell Kiley, a medical doctor with a Ph.D. in philosophy, stood up and asked a question. If Bill Gates were blind, Kiley asked, would he trade all of his billions to have his sight restored?

          The reply of Bill Gates shows where true value lies. He said that he would trade all his money for his sight, and then he offered his email address for further discussion.

          If we have nothing else, if we have our sight, our hearing, our mobility; our hands and fingers—our health, we have much to be grateful for; because they are a priceless gift from God.

I.                  A PHARISEE’S REQUEST TO JESUS VV. 36-39

          The parables of Jesus are masterpieces when studied as isolated stories. However, in their original context they have even more power and relevance. This episode occurs early in Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, but already He is experiencing the growing hostility of the Pharisees. The same hardness of heart that has led them to reject John the Baptist is leading them now to reject the Christ. While they ridicule John for his strict asceticism, they repudiate Jesus as “a glutton and winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Luke 7:34). Luke places this incident at Simon’s house alongside that accusation to show that Jesus does indeed associate with sinners. However, the effect of that association is clear evidence that He is not a “glutton and a drunkard,” but rather the Son of God.

          It is difficult to discern the motive that led a Pharisee named Simon to invite Jesus home to share a meal. Jewish custom considered it meritorious to invite a traveling teacher for dinner, especially if he had preached in the local synagogue. Perhaps that was the reason Simon extended an invitation to Jesus. Or perhaps Simon was a celebrity hunter, infatuated with the new and the notorious. More probably, Simon wanted to have a closer look at this already infamous Jesus, and he was watching for a way to expose Him. Like many of his religious associates, Simon was searching for a flaw in this man; Jesus who he (Simon) was convinced was a religious fraud.

          What is obvious is that Simon treated Jesus with a callous disregard for the normal courtesies. He refused to wash Jesus’ feet and pour scented oil on His head. In those days, it was common for a host family to wash a guest’s feet and pour scented oil on his head because the guest might have traveled a long distance on a dusty road. However, these niceties were not part of Simon’s greeting. Here in the United States, were I to visit your home on a cold winter night, and you did not offer to take my coat and welcome me in or show me where to sit, I would soon feel very ill at ease. Was Simon’s behavior a studied insult, a deliberate downgrading of the guest of honor, so that he could show his other guests what he thought of this Jesus? Or was it cold formality? We cannot tell, but one thing is certain. The mood at the table was not one of relaxed and casual warmth. The atmosphere was stiff, the tone formal, and the feeling tense.

          Nevertheless, Jesus was there. The fact that He was a friend of sinners did not mean that He was unwilling to be a friend of the respectable and self-righteous. They also needed the gospel He had come to bring.                                                                                              

          Jewish dinner parties during the first century were unlike ours today. While the guests were reclining at the table, needy people were allowed to come and take the leftovers as they became available. In addition, those who were curious were allowed to sit against the walls and observe the proceedings. So it was no surprise when an uninvited woman entered the room. However, after Simon the host recognized who the woman was, there came a gasp of surprise. Not just a woman, but also “this woman!” Do you notice the disdain and disrespect in the two words "this woman?"This woman was known to have a questionable moral life. She was notorious throughout the town for her immoral way of life. Do not confuse this event with Mary of Bethany and the anointing of Jesus described in John 12:1-8. There are obvious similarities, but the differences are too important to ignore. This event we are dealing with occurred in Galilee; the other in Bethany. This occurs early in the Lord’s public ministry, the other towards the end of His ministry. This woman is a public sinner, Mary of Bethany, a respected member of society. Mary of Bethany is not a kind of woman who would ever set foot in the house of a man like Simon! What is this sinner doing here? The way Simon treats her shows that she is an infamous woman—perhaps an adulteress or even a prostitute. Clearly, something dramatic is about to happen.

          If her presence is not shocking enough, her behavior exceeds all the boundaries of propriety. Her visit to Simon’s house is not a spur of the moment, for she has come prepared. She is carrying “an alabaster jar of perfume,” an expensive material used for embalming a body or the anointing of a king. She quickly walks up to Jesus, intending to empty this expensive perfume on Him. She wishes to express her gratitude to Jesus for helping her, presumably by teaching her the message of salvation. Where this woman had met Jesus, we do not know. What Jesus has done for her spiritually we can only guess. She cannot control her emotions. Her emotions get the better of her, and before she knew it her tears were flowing and falling on Jesus’ feet. She has no towel to wipe the tears from Jesus’ feet. She then loosens her hair and wipes them dry. Then she kisses Jesus’ feet, and then breaks her alabaster vase and pours the perfume upon them.

          The room falls silent and the guests sit stunned. The whole series of events is unthinkable. From Simon’s point of view, this is the most embarrassing incident. If the woman had purchased the expensive perfume with money of her earnings from prostitution, the gift was tainted. According to Deuteronomy 23:18, God detested such earnings, which therefore might not be brought into his house. Gifts from immoral people were considered dirty and unacceptable by any respectable person. In addition, the woman loosed her hair in the company of men; by doing so she showed what kind of woman she was. It was contrary to all social graces for a woman to untie her hair in public. Furthermore, this is a woman, unclean, sinful woman, at that, and whose very touch is contaminating! What right does she have to intrude on men’s table fellowship? The Talmud states that a woman can be divorced for unbinding her hair in the presence of other men. That is bad enough, but to use it to wipe a man’s feet! No words are adequate to condemn such a behavior. If a streetwalker were to walk into the midst of a church service, rush to the pulpit weeping and throw herself at the preacher’s feet in uncontrollable tears, how would you respond?

          Simon can hardly believe his eyes. He is shocked by the woman’s actions and emotions, which are excessive even for such a person. Simon the Pharisee is amazed that Jesus permitted this to happen to Him. He is even more shocked by Jesus’ response. He begins to look at Jesus through different eyes. He might be saying to himself, after all, this Jesus is even less than a prophet. He reasons with himself, if Jesus were a prophet, he should have known that this woman was a moral outcast, and that she and her gifts were tainted by sin. No self-respecting prophet would allow himself to be made unclean by a woman of ill repute. For the woman did not merely touch Jesus’ feet—she continued to kiss them until, finally, she left. Did Jesus not understand? Jesus does not jump to His feet in indignation, condemn this woman, and send her away. In fact, Jesus not only does not discourage this woman, He also accepts and encourages her! How could Jesus be a man of God, possessing spiritual insight? If in fact, this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner,” Simon concludes. Simon has a narrow understanding of the ministry of a prophet. He thinks that a prophetic ministry is all about judgment and condemnation of sinners. He is like some of the self-appointed prophets in Africa today. He is ignorant that one of the attributes and nature of God is grace. He is oblivious to the mercy of God.

          Simon’s unspoken thoughts probably revolve around three things. First, he has contempt for the woman. She is an untouchable, unacceptable sinner, whose well-known sins have made her an outcast. All good people shun such a person. “It is bad enough that she is in my house, but for her to behave like this is outrageous.” Second, he has a complaint about Jesus. He knew that something about Jesus made it difficult to see Him as merely another man. He seems almost to be a prophet, or perhaps more. But how could he be a prophet and condone such behavior? Surely, a man in touch with God would have more insight, and discernment than Jesus has displayed. Everything in Simon’s experience has told him that good people protect their goodness by avoiding sinful people. Third, he has confidence in himself. Push to the wall Simon would admit that he was a sinner, but not a sinner like this woman. To him there were degrees of sins. Contact with him was not defiling, but contact with this woman was defiling, he has reached his own predisposition. He is saying, well, I might be a little sinner but this woman is a great sinner, fundamentally different from me. If Jesus could not see this, then Jesus could not be a prophet after all.

          Jesus, reads Simon’s thoughts like an open book (John 2). Simon complains that Jesus does not know “who is touching Him.” In fact, Jesus knows not only who and what kind of person the woman is, He knows exactly who and what kind of person Simon is. Therefore, Jesus tells Simon a story that explains the woman’s attitude and exposes Simon’s.

II.   THE PARABLE OF JESUS VV. 40-43

          Jesus’ parable to Simon is short and simple. Two men are indebted to the same moneylender. One man owes the equivalent of five hundred days’ wages (a denarius was a daily wage for a working man), while the other owes fifty days’ wages. Both are equally impoverished; they are both broke. In the most important sense both men are equal. When you have no resource the question of who has the most debt is purely academic. In a parallel sense, if none of us can pay the debt of sin, it does little good to determine that someone else is a greater sinner. Spiritual bankruptcy, like financial bankruptcy, is a great equalizer.

          However, this moneylender for no apparent reason “canceled the debts of both.” He graciously forgives the debts. The lender forgives their debts by assuming their debts himself. He did not explain, excuse, or extend the debts; he forgave them and ended them. It was an act of grace, because he did not require the men to work off even a portion of what they owed. It was an act of freedom, because he did not merely extend the payment period. Instead, he forgave the debtors and let them go. This is the very essence of grace.

          However, that simple act does not stand alone; Jesus ends His parable with a question: “So which of them will love him more?” The implications of this simple question are significant. There is a link between love and forgiveness. Forgiveness precedes love. The forgiven person will love the forgiver, because he has been forgiven. In fact, there will be a direct correlation between our perception of forgiveness and our feeling of love. Where there is forgiveness there will inevitably be love. Love is a response to pure grace, aroused by gratitude. It is also true that gratitude expresses love. Love is shown to the forgiver. “Who will love him more?” The implication is important. If this woman shows love to Jesus, it is because Jesus is her forgiver. He is implicitly claiming to be God. However, the chain of response of clear: forgiveness arouses love, which is expressed by gratitude. And both love and gratitude are shown to the forgiver.

          The response of Simon to Jesus’ question is rather reluctant: “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” Apparently, Simon is beginning to feel the pressure build, as Jesus’ point becomes more obvious. He reluctantly states the obvious conclusion. However, Jesus does not allow him to view this as merely an interesting story. He agrees with Simon’s answer, and specifically addresses Himself first to Simon and then to the woman.

III.           THE PARDON OF JESUS VV. 44-50

          From childhood our parents teach us not to comment on a host’s shortcomings. We eat what we are served and graciously refrain from critical statements. We give compliments; we do not express complaints. Jesus would have overlooked the shortcomings of Simon’s hospitality, had He not have a far more important lesson to teach. Simon’s lack of etiquette was trivial compared with his spiritual need. Jesus was not evaluating the Pharisee’s skill as a host so much as He was diagnosing his condition before God. The contrast between Simon and the woman is stark. For whatever reason, Simon had done the least possible for Jesus. He did not wash Jesus’ feet, which was a common courtesy of that day. He did not kiss His cheeks, and he did not anoint Jesus’ hair. The woman’s extravagance, on the other hand, had known no bounds. She had thrown convention and propriety to the wind to lavish her love and gratitude upon Jesus. Her hair had been the towel for Jesus’ feet; her kisses had covered them; her perfume had been the ointment.

          “Do you see this woman?” Jesus asks. In fact, Simon does not. He sees not a woman but a sinner. He has condemned her in her past. However, Jesus sees not a sinner but a worshiper. Jesus sees her present, not her past, and her forgiveness, not her failure. Jesus reveals the secret of this woman’s transformation in verse 47. Two things are obvious about her: her past sin and her present love for Jesus. Jesus now makes it clear that great love has followed great sin because this woman has experienced great forgiveness. It should be observed that it is love shown to Jesus that is the evidence of forgiveness. The responses of Simon and the woman to Jesus are the indicators of whether they have been forgiven much or little. To some people, forgiveness is impossibility and sin is an indelible stain. However, Jesus does not forgive sin by trivializing it. Although the basis of the woman’s forgiveness is not stated here, it is in the rest of the New Testament. This woman is not forgiven because of her repentance or faith, but because of the atoning death of Christ (Eph. 1:7). Forgiveness is not cheap. Forgiveness is costly.

          The results of the Lord’s words are revolutionary for this woman. Because of Jesus, she has found a new freedom. For the first time in her life, a man has made her feel clean instead of dirty. For the first time in her life, she can walk into the Pharisee’s house and say, no matter what anyone else may say, “That Man has set me free from what I was.” Forgiveness has also meant for her a new love. She had used her body to traffic in the act of love. However, with forgiveness came an inward cleansing, and springs of pure emotion poured forth love and gratitude. Finally, forgiveness had become the entrance into a new peace. “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” This is peace with God and therefore peace within herself.

          This parable forces us to profound self-examination. The meaning cannot be clearer: gratitude and love for Jesus are the evidence of forgiveness. Many of us might not have had a bad past as this woman’s sordid history, but the question is whether or not we have her singing heart. Not to love is not have grasped forgiveness.

          What is this parable designed to teach us? It teaches us that simply thanking our Savior and Lord is the natural response to having been forgiven by our Savior, and that our love for the Lord demonstrated in public thankfulness reveals our forgiveness by Him. There are no little sinners; there is no little forgiveness. Therefore, there can be no little love and no little gratitude. Go ahead. Break the vase! Pour it out, for He is worth it.