The size of a forgiven debt matters. If a buddy of yours gives you a ride to the game this Friday, that’s a small debt. If you pay for your nephew’s college education, that’s a little bigger. In the Gospel Lesson this Sunday we see Jesus enjoying a meal with a Pharisee named Simon. Jesus had a tall order to fill trying to show mercy to a sinful woman and judgment on his host. Both were loving. Let’s break down just one of the people in our story.
A sinful woman – most likely a prostitute – isn’t something that many of us would enjoy comparing ourselves to. I want you to do more than that for a moment. Just into her sandals! It might seem like the last place we would want to be. After all, everyone knew the kind of life that she led. He reputation was ruined. How could she walk into a house full of people that not only knew her, but they despised her.
For this story to make sense we have to understand a thing or two about dinner parties during Jesus’ day. First people didn’t sit around a table enjoying a meal and each other’s company. They reclined at a table and enjoyed each others company. This helps alot when we see what the sinful woman does.
Why would you, remember you’re in the sinful woman’s sandals, walk into that house full of people that despised you? You would go in if you couldn’t sleep at night, if you couldn’t concentrate on work, if you were crushed by guilt – and then you weren’t. Your forgiven debt was in your rear view mirror!
But what would you say to God when you walked in? Would you simply cry? Cry at Jesus’ feet? Then, the only clean thing you have is your hair. Maybe you spent your life’s savings to pour perfume on Jesus’ feet? What would you do to say thank you to God?
Want to hear more? Watch this Sunday’s sermon taken from Luke 7.
Book(s): Luke
Tag(s): Faith, Unrepentance, Work Righteousness
Speaker(s): Fred Guldberg