WWUTT 2343 She is Forgiven Much (Luke 7:36-50)

Jesus was reclining a table at a Pharisee's house when a sinful woman came in and began to anoint his feet.

The Pharisee was disgusted, but Jesus said to this Pharisee, This woman has been forgiven much.

When we understand the text. Many of the

Bible stories and verses we think we know, we don't. When we understand the text is committed to teaching sound doctrine and rebuking those who contradict it.

Visit our website at www .wutt .com. Here once again is Pastor Gabe.

Thank you, Becky. Well, greetings, everyone. When it comes to ministry, there are two things that I hate to miss a week of.

I hate to miss a week of preaching in the pulpit. And I hate to miss a week of the podcast.

But we're back. And picking up where we left off last time. We've got one more section to finish up in Luke chapter seven.

What we've read about in this chapter thus far, we've seen some miracles that Jesus performed.

He healed a centurion servant. He raised a widow's son from the dead. He responded to John the

Baptist disciples by doing many miracles in front of them. And now we are going to read of him forgiving a sinful woman in the house of a

Pharisee. Let me begin reading here Luke 7 36 through 50.

Hear the word of the Lord. One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him.

And he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 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 wipe them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.

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.

And Jesus answering said to him, Simon, I have something to say to you.

And he answered, say it, teacher. A certain money lender had two debtors.

One owed 500 denarii and the other 50. When they could not pay, he canceled the debt of both.

Now which of them will love him more? Simon answered, the one

I suppose for whom he canceled the larger debt. And Jesus said to him, you have judged rightly.

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.

Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.

But he who is forgiven little, loves little. And he said to her, your sins are forgiven.

Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, who is this who even forgives sins?

And he said to the woman, your faith has saved you. Go in peace.

Now this account here really is the culmination of everything that we've read in chapter seven.

This is all pointing to the fact that Jesus has authority to forgive sins.

And we have seen that previously in Luke, all three synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke record

Jesus healing a paralytic and healing that paralytic. He says so that you may know that the son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins.

We read about that in Luke's gospel back in, in chapter five. And so here we see the same sort of thing happen in Luke chapter seven.

We see these miracles that Jesus performs so that you will see that he has authority to forgive sins.

The crowd that's there at the table, they asked this question, who is this who even forgives sins?

And Luke puts that in there as though to answer that question for the sake of the reader.

Who is this who forgives sins? Well, this is Jesus who has authority to heal so that you may know he has authority to forgive sins.

It's the same thing we saw previously in chapter five. We see it in a larger narrative form here in chapter seven,

Jesus heals a centurion servant. And when he heals the centurion servant, he heals him because the centurion had faith, right?

The centurion believed that all Jesus had to do was speak a word and his servant would be healed.

He said, I'm not worthy to have you come under the roof of my house, but I know if you just say the word, my servant will be healed because I'm a man of authority and I tell my army to do something and they do it.

I tell my servant to do something and he does it. So if you just say the word, I know it will be done.

And Jesus marveled at this and said, I have not seen faith like this anywhere else in Israel.

And then Jesus healing the widow's son. In that particular instance, the widow doesn't even have faith.

There's nothing. She does not go to Jesus and say, hey, would you raise my son from the dead? Remember, they just kind of happened to be passing one another.

Now I say happened to be, but Jesus knew what he was doing there. Coming to the town called Nain and that there would be this encounter and that he would raise this man from the dead.

There's this widow. Her son has died. Mysteriously, we're not given a reason why, but he's obviously died young and Jesus raises him from the dead and gives him back to his mother.

No one's asked him to do that. He simply does it by grace because he was merciful.

He was moved with compassion toward this woman and raised her son from the dead.

Not even the son could have faith in Jesus because he was dead, had no ability to have faith.

Jesus simply did it as an act of mercy by God's grace for these people, for this woman and for her son.

So there you don't even see Jesus doing something because of an act of faith. He just does it as an act of mercy.

And then you have John the Baptist disciples that come to Jesus asking him if he is the

Messiah who is to come or should they be looking for another. And Jesus says to the disciples, go back and tell

John what you have seen. The lame walk, the blind see, the mute speak, the deaf regain their hearing.

The lepers are cleansed. The dead are raised up. Go and tell John what you have seen.

And that demonstrating there too that Jesus raised more people from the dead than just this widow's son, though that's the first time in Luke's gospel that Jesus raises somebody from the dead.

But he's doing it there even before the disciples of John that they would see that Jesus has authority even to raise the dead.

And then John would know that he is indeed the fulfillment of everything that had been prophesied regarding this

Messiah and what he would do, what he would accomplish. Jesus reveals that John the

Baptist is the fulfillment of what scripture said about the one who would come preparing the way of the

Lord. And the reason why Jesus does that is so the people would see that he's the one that John was preparing the way for.

And so now we get to this account where Jesus forgives this woman's sin.

No miracle is done in this particular occasion, verses 36 to 50, but this woman has faith and Jesus forgives her of her sin.

And so everything we've read here in chapter seven is kind of building up to this moment so that we would see that Jesus has authority and he has compassion to forgive the sins of those who are brokenhearted, who come to him seeking to be washed, to be cleansed.

She washes his feet, she anoints his feet, but it's Jesus who cleanses her.

So let's come back to verse 36. One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him and Jesus went into the

Pharisees house and reclined at the table. Now we've talked about the Pharisees before. The Pharisees were part of the

Sanhedrin. They, along with the Sadducees, made up the main body of judges and teachers in Israel.

And anything that needed to be tried, anything that had to go to court would come to the Sanhedrin. Now the

Pharisees were kind of the people's teachers. So they would come from the people and then they would be appointed teachers in the synagogue and in other places.

The Sadducees, though, were of the upper echelon of people. They were rich and powerful and had been appointed to those positions by the

Romans a lot of times. It would be from the Sadducees that the high priest would be chosen. And usually it was the

Roman governor who would choose the high priest because he wants to select somebody that's going to be on the

Roman government side. Somebody that is friendly to the Roman government, not somebody who's going to rouse up the people to rebel against Rome.

And there was not a lot of agreement between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. There was squabbling between them. The people generally liked the

Pharisees, but were not so keen on the Sadducees. So when you have this conflict that exists between Jesus and the

Pharisees, the Pharisees obviously do not like him and Jesus rebukes them. The people would have been quite torn over this because many of them sought

Jesus to heal them. But then they, you know, they kind of like the Pharisees, too, because the

Pharisees are our teachers. Who else is going to teach us if we're not listening to the Pharisees? Now, of course, there were a good number of people that were very much on the side of the

Pharisees because you've seen crowds of people. We've seen it thus far, even here in Luke's gospel, wanting to kill

Jesus because of some of the things that he teaches. So the Pharisees are able to rouse the crowd and gain them to their side.

But a lot of the people were very torn as to where their loyalties lie. But here in this particular case, you have this woman fully devoted to Jesus and willing to do anything and everything for him, even make a fool of herself at dinner.

That's surely what everybody at dinner thought of her. What is this woman doing? And Simon himself, with disgust, thinking what he thought to himself, let's keep going here.

Behold, a woman of the city who was a sinner. It doesn't say what kind, but most likely she was sexually immoral, was likely a prostitute because that word would be synonymous with a woman who was a prostitute to call her a sinner, especially with the way that the

Pharisee regards her. When she learned that Jesus was reclining at table in the

Pharisees house, she brought an alabaster flask of ointment. Now, an alabaster, that's a kind of stone you might be familiar with, a soft stone.

And an alabaster flask would be like one unit. There wasn't a lid that you would take off of it.

If you use the ointment that was on the inside, you would break the whole thing. So it was sealed together like that.

So she brought an alabaster flask of ointment, would have likely been very expensive.

And standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wipe them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.

That's a powerful sentence right there. For her to be wetting his feet with her tears, wiping them with her hair and kissing them.

Feet are dirty. You don't get down and kiss someone's feet. It was customary for the host, whoever owned the house, to wash the feet of his guests.

Or he wouldn't do it himself. He might have one of his servants do it. Most likely, he's got a servant doing it.

But it's customary for the host to provide a washing for the feet of his guests.

And in this particular case, and you know this from the way Jesus responds to Simon, Jesus' feet weren't washed when he came in.

But here this woman is washing them with her tears and anointing them and even kissing them.

Verse 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.

So the Pharisee is doubting Jesus' legitimacy here. And that's key to what's coming up at the end of this account, of course, because the people are looking at what he says, and they're saying, who is this that has the authority to forgive sins?

So the Pharisee is doubting who he is, even that he's a prophet, because he doesn't seem to know who this woman is.

Now this is an odd posture. It's probably difficult for us to picture because we're used to eating at tables sitting up, right?

High tables, we're sitting in chairs, we're sitting upright. But here reclining at table, the table was low.

And reclining meant that your upper body was more toward the table and your feet were away from the table, because again, your feet are dirty.

And so your body is probably lifted up on pillows or whatever else as you're kind of leaned toward the table.

Your feet are away from the direction of the table because you don't want to have your dirty feet around the food.

So because his feet are away from the table, then the woman has come to his feet.

She's not at the table. She's away from the table as his feet are away from the table. And she's kissing them and weeping upon them and anointing his feet with this ointment that she has brought.

And so the Pharisee, again, he's like, if this man really were a prophet, then he would know.

Nobody would have to explain to him who this woman is, what her reputation is.

You kind of have to wonder if the Pharisee even had it in his mind. Jesus should at least know what her reputation is.

But if he was truly a prophet, he would know who she is, that she's a sinner. She shouldn't even be in here.

And that's a curious scenario, too. How is it that she's in the house and anointing

Jesus' feet? It could be that it's like not really indoors.

It's at the Pharisee's house, but maybe it's like out on a patio of some kind or something like that doesn't necessarily have to be under the roof within closed doors or something like that.

Or it could just be that the Pharisee has invited so many people that it's kind of an open house. I've seen that even within my own neighborhood.

Somebody is just throwing a party at their house. Anybody can walk right in, grab a beverage, get some hors d 'oeuvres or whatever else, sit around and talk and go out in the backyard and chat with people.

Things like that could be that kind of a scenario. So the woman was able to just get in with everybody else.

The rest of the people that are enjoying themselves or listening to Jesus or have even been invited to the meal.

And so this Pharisee thinks that Jesus should know she's a sinner and wouldn't allow her to be there.

But Jesus said to him, Simon, and now we know his name, Simon, I have something to say to you.

And he answered, say it, teacher. And Jesus gives this parable, a certain money lender had two debtors, one owed 500 denarii, which is about two years wages, and the other 50 denarii, which is about two months wages.

When they could not pay, he canceled the debt of both. Now, which of them will love him more?

And Simon answered, the one, I suppose, for whom he canceled the larger debt.

And Jesus said to him, you have judged rightly now, as as, of course, Jesus is comparing this with the woman's sin versus the

Pharisee's sin. I mean, he doesn't necessarily say Simon there, but that seems to be the implication, right?

Jesus is not necessarily saying that the woman has way more sins than you have. You haven't sinned as many sins as she's sinned.

She's sinned way more sins. That's not really what Jesus is coming at here. But she knows her sin.

And she knows that she needs forgiveness. She wants to be cleansed of this filth.

She doesn't want to be known for this, especially doesn't want to be recognized for this before God.

She knows that she needs to be cleansed. No one is aware of her sin more than she is, no matter what the

Pharisee may think of her. She has more of a personal acquaintance with her own sin than anyone else does.

No one needs to tell her who she is. She knows who she is in this particular moment.

And so knowing her sin, how deep her sin is, what

Jesus will forgive in her will be like canceling the debt of the one who had 500 denarii.

Now the Pharisee may have in himself sins as great and as deep as hers, if not deeper than hers.

He's a hypocrite, first of all. And it could be that he's filled with greed, false teaching, blasphemy.

There are many things this Pharisee could be guilty of. He too could receive forgiveness and feel the weight of 500 denarii of debt lifted off of him.

He could feel that as well as this woman who has done so wickedly in her past.

But the Pharisee is unwilling to acknowledge that he is a great sinner in need of a great savior.

And so Jesus said to Simon, you have judged rightly. And then turning to the woman saying 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.

Like Simon did not even do what was generally expected of a host of a home to do.

And this woman is sacrificing herself, giving of herself, humbling herself before Jesus and everyone in order to wipe his feet with her tears and her hair.

Jesus says, you gave me no kiss, no sign of affection, no welcome, no greeting.

From the time I came in, though, she has not ceased to kiss my feet.

You didn't even do the basic thing that was required of you or expected of you, expected of a host and how to treat his guests.

But she's doing what most people will never do. She's kissing my feet.

You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.

And that's much more expensive than oil would have been. This fine perfume, which is even filling the house with its fragrance.

Therefore, Jesus says, verse 47, I tell you, her sins, which are many.

Are forgiven for she loved much now, her loving much is not the reason that she is forgiven.

Her loving much is because she's forgiven. That's the point of the parable, right? Which of them will love the debtor more or the money lender?

Which of the debtors will love the money lender more? The one who was forgiven most.

So she loves much because she's forgiven much.

So her love is not the reason why she's forgiven. She's loving because she knows that in Christ, she'll be forgiven.

But Jesus says, he who is forgiven, little loves little.

That's the Pharisee. And again, it's not because he hasn't committed enough sins. It's because he's even unwilling to acknowledge his sins.

So being forgiven little, he loves little. And Jesus turns to the woman and says, your sins are forgiven.

What a phrase, what a sentence. What joy and elation she must have felt to hear the

Savior say that to her, to hear God in flesh.

Say to this woman, your sins are forgiven. And those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, who is this?

Even he forgives sins. The party stopped here, the feast, the banquet, whatever this is, like mid -bite, everybody's just standing there, sitting there in awe.

They don't know what to make of this. Are you serious? What did he just say?

Who is this that forgives sins? You know what we got to do to have our sins forgiven? I got to grab one of my best lambs and go to the temple and have a priest slaughter it for me.

And here you are just forgiving our sins? Who is this that can do such a thing?

And he said to the woman, your faith has saved you. Go in peace.

And we see here in this statement that Jesus makes to the woman, this wonderful gift, this wonderful grace that he gives to her.

This is both of the miracles at the start of chapter seven combined. The centurion had faith.

His servant was healed. The widow didn't even believe. Nobody in that crowd believed.

And yet Jesus, by his grace and mercy, raised her son from the dead anyway. And here you have both.

You have this woman's faith has saved her. And you have Jesus by a word of grace, just simply saying to her, your sins are forgiven.

Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.

You know, the old hymn by Robert Lowry, nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can wash away my sins?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus. He is the one who forgives our sins.

And when we know, when we know what great sin we have done against God, that forgiveness is all the sweeter.

And my friends, it doesn't mean that you go out and you sin a lot. Let me go sin a bunch of time.

The more sins I can sin, well, then the greater this grace is going to feel. That's not the point.

You've sinned plenty. As Jonathan Edwards said, even the smallest sin is cosmic treason against the creator of the universe.

Know your sin. And you will know the grace of God that is given to us in Christ our savior.

And nothing can compare. Nothing can amount to it. None of your works will save you.

Nothing that you can do will save you. This woman, her works don't save her. Her faith saves her.

Your faith has saved you because you believed. Then she has been forgiven her sins because she trusted in the one who could forgive her sins.

And likewise, we, when we turn to Christ, no amount of works can make up for the filthy, awful, wretched things we've done.

If you think it can be by your works that you'll receive the forgiveness of your sins, you're just like the

Pharisee. You really don't know how serious your sin is, how grave it is, and how much it has separated you from God.

If you think you can work your way back into God's good graces, and in that case, you're not even talking about grace anymore.

If it's not God's unmerited favor toward you, then it's not grace.

You think you can work yourself back into God's favor. You're never going to get there.

You'll never arrive, and you never have any understanding of your sin or what it is exactly that you've done.

The one who knows his sin, who knows the gravity and the greatness of what it is that he has done and what he deserves because of his sin is the one who rejoices much in the forgiveness that only

Christ gives. And so, my friends, if you have been forgiven much, you know you've been forgiven much.

Then turn from that sin. Go in peace. Don't go back to your sin anymore.

Walk in the righteousness of Christ that he has given to you, for you've been forgiven much, and your reward in heaven is great.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for what we've read. Sometimes, simple reminders we need like this.

We need gospel reminders that we had sinned against a holy

God. What we deserve is death, even eternity in hell. But because you gave your

Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins, all those who believe in him will not perish.

Our sins are forgiven. We'll be clothed in his righteousness. We have the promise of everlasting life.

So let those things be our joy as we go throughout our day today, knowing our sins are forgiven.

And may we walk in righteousness for your name's sake. It's in Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. You've been listening to When We Understand the Text with Pastor Gabe Hughes. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, Gabe will be going through a

New Testament study. Then on Thursday, we look at an Old Testament book. On Friday, we take questions from the listeners and viewers.