JESUS ANOINTED BY A SINFUL WOMAN Luke 7:36-50

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1 1 JESUS ANOINTED BY A SINFUL WOMAN Luke 7:36-50 The story of Jesus being anointed by a sinful woman has led many to speculate about who the woman was. In fact, many have argued that it was definitely Mary Magdalene. The fact is that we simply don t know who this woman was. If God wanted us to know, He would have told us. Evidently that was not important to God. But what is important is the powerful lesson this woman brings to all of us sinners, respectful, or not so respectful sinners, alike. It seems that the motive of the Pharisee in his encounter with Jesus was to entrap Him rather than to learn from Him. There were about 6,000 of them who were living in the whole region of what we call the Holy Land. Remember that the name Pharisee means separated ones. This particular Pharisee certainly lived up to his name. JESUS INVITATION (7:36) Simon at least showed some respect for Jesus since he invited Him to his house: Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with Him, so He went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table (v. 36). Although he showed some interest and respect toward Jesus, yet Simon, the Pharisee, remained unmoved. This whole time he was with Jesus he was profoundly ignorant of the nature of Christ's message. A PROSTITUTE S GRATITUDE AND LOVE (7:37-38) The story centers on a sinful woman, probably a prostitute, who came to Simon s house: When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them (vv ). This woman must have heard Jesus preach, and unlike Simon, turned to Christ in repentance and determined to lead a new life. Jesus reclined on a couch with His feet extended away from the table, which made it possible for the woman to wipe His feet with her hair and still not disturb Him. The anointing was possibly intended for Jesus head, but instead was applied to His feet. A similar act was performed by Mary of Bethany just over a week before the crucifixion (Jn 12:3).

2 2 Gratitude and love are the secrets of extravagance. The penitent woman, in the story before us, showed far more honor to our Lord than the Pharisee had done: She stood behind Him at His feet weeping. She wet His feet with tears. She wiped them with her hair. She kissed His feet and poured perfume on them. What greater proof of respect, reverence and gratitude could she have given? And the secret of such proofs was love. She loved our Lord unreservedly. She couldn t do enough to express her gratitude and love! No cost was too great! The perfume represented a year s worth of wages. Would we spill a year s hard earned money on someone s feet, even if they were the feet of Jesus? Any service for our Lord that is not done out of a heart of love is useless, worthless (1 Co 13:3). The sense of duty, the fear of punishment, the desire of reward are all good in persuading people to be holy. But they are all weak and powerless until a person loves Christ. The bible is clear: Unless the heart is captured by Christ, our works will go unnoticed by God. It is love that must motivate us. A PHARISEE S COLD-HEARTED ATTITUDE (7:39) Such love was absent in the heart of the Pharisee. Luke tells us that When the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, He would know who is touching Him and what kind of woman she is that she is a sinner" (v. 39). This is a grave warning to all of us. It is quite possible to have a form of religion, and yet not know the message of Christ. We have to watch out that we do not treat Christianity with respect, yet be utterly blind to its greatest commandment, that is, to love God with our whole being and our neighbors as ourselves. We can only enter heaven by grace side by side with the chief of sinners. JESUS LESSON (7:39-46) Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said.

3 3 Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more? Simon replied, I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled. You have judged correctly, Jesus said. Then He turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give Me any water for My feet, but she wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give Me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing My feet. You did not put oil on My head, but she has poured perfume on My feet. (vv ) What a contrast! The religious leader who was so full of himself he could barely stand the sight of this immoral woman generously lavishing her extravagant love on the Lord. Luke points out that his proud, hard heart was secretly repulsed at the sight of a poor contrite sinner being allowed to wash our Lord's feet. Even the hospitality Simon showed appears to have been cold and formal. Our Lord Himself says, "You gave me no water for my feet; you gave me no kiss; my head with oil you did not anoint." In all that the Pharisee did, there was one great defect: although there was outward civility, there was no heart-felt love FORGIVENESS AND LOVE (7:47) Notice it was this woman s sense of having her sins forgiven that was the mainspring and life-blood of her love for Christ: Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little" (v. 47). This was the lesson which our Lord wished Simon the Pharisee to learn, when He told him the story of the two debtors. "One owed his creditor five hundred pence, and the other fifty." Both had "nothing to pay," and both were forgiven freely. And then came the searching question--"which of them will love him most?" By this story our Lord told Simon of the deep love which the sinful but penitent woman had displayed. Her many tears, her deep affection, her public reverence, her anointing His feet, were all traceable to one motive her forgiveness and thus her extravagant love for the Lord. She had been forgiven much, and so she loved much!

4 4 Her love was not the root, but the fruit of her forgiveness. It was not the condition, but the consequence of her forgiveness. It was not the basis, but the evidence of her forgiveness. It was difficult for the Pharisee to comprehend this since they were bound by their own self-righteousness. He had little love to show since he had not truly experienced the forgiving love of God. Forgiveness opens up the door to holiness. We are incapable of doing anything worthwhile spiritually until we are reconciled to God. This is the first step in Christianity. The secret of being holy ourselves, is to know and feel that Christ has pardoned our sins. Peace with God is the only root that will bear the fruit of holiness. Jesus gives her the word of pardon: JESUS WORD OF PARDON (7:48) Then Jesus said to her, Your sins are forgiven (v. 48). The only kind of heart which loves Christ and strives to glorify Him, is the one which has experienced His pardoning love. THE AMAZEMENT OF THE GUESTS (7:49) And then Luke points out that the guests are amazed that someone dares to forgive sins, since only God has the authority to do so. Luke states, The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" (v. 49) THE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION AND THE BENEDICTION OF PEACE (7:50) The story ends with Jesus assuring this sinful woman of salvation and thus peace: Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace (v. 50). Jesus assures this sinful woman that her faith in Jesus brought forgiveness. Therefore she could depart in peace. GOD S MERCY AND COMPASSION (Jn 6:37) If this passage tells us anything it is that Christ has amazing mercy and compassion to all sinners, even the chief of sinners.

5 5 Jesus kindness to the immoral woman should be an encouragement to any one, however bad he may be, to come to Him for pardon and forgiveness. His invitation still stands: "whoever comes to Me I will never drive away (Jn 6:37). There is never a reason to despair of salvation, since His invitation is always open to us. Let us ask ourselves a few questions: APPLICATION What motivates us? Duty? Fear? Reward? Gratitude? Love? What kind of lives are we living? What are we doing for God s glory? What evidence or proof is there of our love to Him who loved us, and died for our sins? These are serious questions. If we cannot answer them satisfactorily, we may well doubt whether we have really experienced forgiveness. The hope of forgiveness, not accompanied by love, is no hope at all. Gratitude and love are evidences that our sins are forgiven and therefore that our faith is real. Only then can we truly depart in peace.