A Woman's Touch

Written by Tim Janiszewski
Sunday, 01 May 2005 15:19

General Sermons

Please note, due to technical difficulties, we do not have audio available for this week's sermon.

Luke 7:36-50

Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman

    ³⁶Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. ³⁷When 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, ³⁸and 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.

    ³⁹When 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."

    ⁴⁰Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."
      "Tell me, teacher," he said.

    ⁴¹"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴²Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

    ⁴³Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."
      "You have judged correctly," Jesus said.

    ⁴⁴Then 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. ⁴⁵You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven?for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

    ⁴⁸Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

    ⁴⁹The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"

    ⁵⁰Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Sermon Notes

In today's story from Luke 7, we see Jesus clashing with the Pharisees on two topics which were at the heart of the Jewish faith: forgiveness and love.

• Jesus came into Simon's home and reclined at the table. While this wouldn't stand out to a modern day reader from the western culture, this would have immediately jumped out at the first century reader. Simon, who was a Pharisee, intentionally did not follow the rules of hospitality of that day. A good host would have done these three things:
1. Provide a basin of water for his or her guest to wash their feet.
Offer a kiss of greeting on the cheek.
2. Provide ointment for refreshment.
• Simon is most likely intentionally disrespecting his guest (Jesus).
• However, the woman in the story provides the very three courtesies that the Pharisee withheld.
• Simon gets so focused on the woman's sinful past that he completely misses the evil in his own life.
• Jesus tells a parable on forgiveness and tells us that those who are forgiven much (... realize the depth of their need for forgiveness), love much in return.
• He then contrasts the Pharisee (and his self-righteousness) with the woman (and her love). Jesus then proclaims her forgiveness.

Culture pushes us to have and to project a positive self-image and self-esteem.

• The woman had low self-esteem and Simon the Pharisee had a very high self-esteem, but Jesus only had criticism for Simon.
• Jesus gave the kind of esteem to the woman, which no one could take from her - unconditional love and forgiveness.

How much has God forgiven you? How much is your love?