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Note:
The children's sermon explained that people in the first century did not sit to eat, but reclined at table for their meals.
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A little cultural context will help us better understand today's Gospel. Sabbath Day activities included time at the synagogue, but they did not end there. After the services were over, a wealthy member of the community would often invite celebrities for a meal. As they ate, they discussed the important topics of the day. The wealthy person also invited the general public to observe and learn from these discussions. The meal was sort of a first century version of "Meet the Press" or "The McLaughlin Group," or some other panel talk show. It was just such an invitation that a Pharisee named Simon extended to Jesus in today's Gospel.
As Jesus reclined at Simon's table, a woman from the crowd followed Him. This woman stood behind Jesus and wept. As she wept, she kissed his feet and anointed them with ointment. The tears of her weeping dripped on His feet and she dried them with her hair.
This woman was breaking all kinds of cultural taboos. She was kissing a man to whom she was not related and she unbound her hair in order to wipe Jesus' feet. The kissing and the unbinding of hair were both very intimate actions on the part of this woman - actions that were simply not done in public. To top it all off Luke describes this woman as a sinner.
Given that this woman had a bad reputation and was putting on this disgusting display at his dinner, the Pharisee's response is not surprising. 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." He was probably not the only person there who was thinking this sort of thing.
Of course Jesus is the ultimate prophet and He knew Simon's thoughts. Jesus responded with a short, little parable that illustrated Simon's error.
Two people owed money to a banker. One debt was ten times greater than the other. Neither could repay. The banker forgave them both.
Jesus then asked Simon to give the moral of the story, "Now which of them will love him more?" Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt." [Jesus] said to him, "You have judged rightly."
Jesus then used this parable to compare the woman and the Pharisee. "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." Jesus gave His full approval to the woman and severely criticized his host, Simon the Pharisee.
This is one of many incidents in the life of Christ that demonstrate that Christianity is for bad people. Jesus Himself said, [Luke 5:31-32] "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." This fact points out one of the greatest tragedies of our society. There are billions of people in the world today who think that they have to get their act together before they can come to church. You will actually hear remarks such as, "If I ever walked into a church, the roof would fall in." The really sad thing is that these are exactly the people who need to hear the Gospel.
Jesus left His throne and took on our humanity because, even though we are sinners, He still loves us. He knows that if He did nothing, we would all suffer the condemnation required by God's justice. Because He loves us, He took all of our sin onto Himself. Then He took the punishment of God's justice onto Himself as He suffered and died for us on the cross. With His suffering and death, He took away all of our sins. In fact, not only has He removed all our debts, but He has also deposited His holy life into our spiritual savings account as a gift. He has certified this transaction by rising from the dead never to die again. This is the Gospel for all sinners.
If this is the Gospel, why then do so many believe that they must get right before they come into the church? The problem is people like Simon the Pharisee. Jesus had this to say about the Pharisees, [Matthew 23:13-15] "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
What does Simon the Pharisee look like in our churches today? If Simon the Pharisee is a teacher or preacher, he starts out really well. He tells you the story of the forgiveness of sins in Jesus' name. He tells you how Jesus rose from the dead. He tells you how life eternal is yours. Everything is going great until he says, "Now that you are a Christian and free from the guilt of sin, here is what you have to do." Once you become a member of the church, Simon the Pharisee stops telling you about Jesus and starts telling you how to have a stronger marriage, well behaved kids, a better job, better managed finances, and so forth.
In today's Epistle, the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. Today's Simon the Pharisee says the exact opposite. He says, "Deeds, not creeds." He moves us away from faith and back to works and all the guilt that that brings.
The sad thing is that the Simons of this world actually believe that they can achieve perfection before they die. They really, truly believe that they can live a life without sin. These people not only believe this themselves but they also teach other people to believe the same thing. Compare that to the words that the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write, [Romans 7:15, 18-19] "I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Is it any wonder that people get frustrated and confused when a modern day Simon the Pharisee teaches them that they too can live a sanctified life when Paul by the power of the Holy Spirit clearly says it is impossible?
Of course laypeople can also have the attitude of Simon the Pharisee. Such people will actually go to their pastor and say, "Hey pastor, I get it. I am a sinner. Jesus saved me from my sins. I get it. Now, can we move on? I don't need to hear about the cross any more. Start telling me about the rest of the teachings in the Bible." Is it any wonder that the average person on the street thinks Christianity is all about being a good person instead of having a perfect savior?
On the other hand, people who weep at Jesus' feet say, "Pastor, I need more Jesus. Tell me again how my sins are forgiven … then give me that forgiveness. Tell me again how Jesus loved me so much that He died on the cross … for me. Tell me again how I will rise from the dead because He rose from the dead. Tell me again how He is preparing a place for me to live with Him forever. Tell me again how heaven is here on earth in the body and blood of my Jesus and then give me that body and blood. Pastor, give me more Jesus."
The modern day Simon doesn't like the people who weep at Jesus' feet any more than Simon the Pharisee liked the woman in today's Gospel. When people say they want more Jesus, the modern day Simon replies, "If we give you more Jesus, He won't be so special. Now quit being so divisive and go home!" How sad it is when modern day Simons tell people that wanting more Jesus is divisive.
Fortunately, the Simons of this world can't tell Jesus what to do. The day is coming when Jesus will take all those who weep at His feet to His eternal home. In that place, there will be no Simons who call us divisive for wanting more Jesus. Instead, we will have all Jesus all the time. Jesus will continually give Himself to us in perfect measure. The Wedding Feast of the Lamb will never end and it will always be special.
At one time or another, all of us have been Simons. We have all been arrogant and forgotten that the church is for bad people. We have forgotten that we sin every day. We have forgotten that we need more Jesus. Pray that the Holy Spirit will give us a sense of our own depravity and bring us to weep at the feet of Jesus and receive His forgiveness.
Pray also for those poor souls who have been broken by the Simons of this world and driven out of the church. Pray that the Holy Spirit will show them that the church is for bad people and that there is always room for them to weep at Jesus' feet. Pray that the Holy Spirit will change their understanding so that instead of believing they are not good enough to go to church, they will understand that they should go to church because they are not good.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will bring all people to weep at the feet of Jesus while they live in this world so that they will experience His eternal joy in the next. Amen
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