I love the story that we are about to study today. It is about a woman whose life was changed by Jesus. It is a dramatic story, and we must dive deep into the culture of the time to truly understand it. Read today’s text in Luke 7:26-50.
Beginning with verse 36, we are told that Jesus had been invited to dinner at the home of a Pharisee. He was reclining at the table. That may seem an odd thing, if you are unfamiliar with the culture, but they had no chairs at their tables. When they sat at the table to eat, it would have been on mats or pillows on the floor. Dinner was typically eaten in a reclining position. Many people find it difficult to picture Jesus in this scene. He was void of all prejudice and had come to save sinners. His usual company was more likely to have been among a different type of folk, not sitting at the table of important, religious people. But Jesus associated with all types. He was just as hopeful that the Pharisees of this world be saved as He was the poor and infirmed.
In order to understand what happened next, you must be familiar with the culture of the time. There was no mass media. There was no CNN. Jesus was a well-known figure eating at the home of an important man… a Pharisee. In a situation like this, the door of the home would have been left open, and people would have come in to observe. Think of it like a state dinner on CNN. Everyone can tune in and watch and is able to hear what is discussed. It is of great public interest. We are not invited to sit at the table with the heads of state, but the public can observe. This is exactly what was happening in this scenario. The house’s door would have been left open. People from around would have come in and were sitting around the outsides of the room observing.
Verse 37 tells us that what happened next was that a woman from that town who lived a sinful life also learned that Jesus was going to be eating at the Pharisee’s table. Understand who this woman was. People lived in small towns then. If she was living a sinful life, you can be sure that everyone in the area knew who she was and what she was up to. She was a woman with a reputation.
The Bible goes on to tell us that she came to where Jesus was with an alabaster jar of perfume and stood behind Him weeping. Notice that she did not go to the edges of the room with the spectators. She walked right up to Jesus, which would have been shocking to the crowd and probably turned every head in the room. To make this even more shocking, she was a woman. In that culture, at that time, women were pretty much always separated from the men in any public or social situations. Intermingling just didn’t occur.
Imagine the reaction of the crowd when she placed herself at Jesus’ feet. The Hebrew word translated here as weeping is a very strong word. This woman was sobbing. Heavy tears were flowing as she placed herself at the feet of Jesus in this very public situation where important men were gathered at a dinner. She began to wipe His feet with her tears. The Bible tells us that she dried His feet with her hair, kissed them even, and poured perfume from the alabaster bottle onto His feet. This woman knew who Jesus was, had overcome the reluctance she would have had to mingle in public because of her shame, and was pouring out her love at his feet, oblivious to everyone around her.
Read verse 39 carefully. The thoughts of the Pharisee who is hosting this dinner are exposed plainly to us. Notice that this man never speaks these thoughts out loud. These are simply his thoughts. Yet Jesus is God. He knows the man’s thoughts. The Pharisee has judged the woman, found her to be dirty, and is even judging Jesus because of her, thinking that Jesus should have known how dirty this woman was. Jesus, unlike the Pharisee, sees all of us as sinners. He sees all of our dirt. Jesus knew how dirty even an important religious leader like the Pharisee was. The Bible teaches, of course, that we are all sinners and deserve the punishment sin carries. But the Pharisee saw dirtiness in this woman where he was not able to see his own. And he even judged Jesus because of it. Again, these were just his thoughts. They were never spoken out loud.
Jesus, knowing his thoughts, said to him, “Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee.” And Simon answered Him, “Master, say on.” The Pharisee is ready to hear what Jesus wants to tell him, with no idea that the Master is aware of what has been inside his head. He is open to whatever new topic Jesus is about to bring up.
Now verses 41-42 tell us a parable that Jesus spoke to Simon at that time. And Jesus ended the parable by asking Simon, the Pharisee, which of the two people in the story would feel more love for the money lender who had forgiven their debt. The answer was obvious. It was not a hard question. But Simon’s answer, “I suppose” tells us that he was not really eager to acknowledge that truth. The Bible never tells us whether or not Simon came to forgiveness of his sins that day as a result of this encounter, but I think we can surmise that he got the point of the parable. As Simon answered the question, Jesus acknowledged that it was the right answer.
Then Jesus, referring to the woman, continued speaking to Simon. You see, Pharisees were very legalistic in their religious practices, and they were all about what one did and what one didn’t do. And this is the manner that Jesus addressed him, by discussing all the things that Simon didn’t do. Things that, in that culture, would have been expected that Simon would do for a guest welcomed into his home.
Back then, people wore sandals, or sometimes no shoes. Roads were dusty. Throughout the Bible, even as far back as Abraham, we see people offering water for guests who come to their homes to be able to wash their feet as they enter. Simon had not done this for Jesus as culture demanded, but the woman had washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.
It was customary, at that time, to greet friends and important people with a kiss on the cheek. Simon had not done this for Jesus, but this woman was repeatedly kissing Him on His feet, of all places. It was also customary to offer oil for a person’s dry skin, coming in from the heat of the day, which Simon had not done for Jesus, but this woman was pouring perfume on His feet. This perfume would have been costly and a sacrifice to her. As we have studied in previous lessons, our Lord was judging Simon by the same measure he had judged the woman… adherence to established do’s and don’ts (Matt 7:2).
Jesus then declared that the woman’s many sins had been forgiven. This is what was being shown as she poured out her great love for Jesus. But Simon, in contrast, being unaware of his own great multitude of sins, considered himself in need of very little forgiveness and therefore showed little love.
I want you to notice here that Jesus absolutely never made any kind of minimizing comment concerning the woman’s sins. Often times, when we hear gossip, or someone shares with us a mistake they have made, our tendency is to say, “Well, that wasn’t really so bad.” But sin is bad. And we all have sin and need God’s forgiveness. We must never make the mistake, when witnessing to others, of suggesting that their sin is ‘not so bad’. Sin is bad, and any sin, great or small, will send you into Hell. Don’t ever make the mistake of minimizing it. Jesus never, ever did that.
Jesus looked at the woman and told her that her sins were forgiven. The other people present began murmuring among themselves that Jesus would dare to forgive sins. That was God’s job. Jesus’ comment would have been just as shocking to the crowd as the woman of ill repute coming in and presenting herself to an important religious man.
Notice, in verse 50, Jesus’ final comment to the woman. Your faith has saved you. The woman knew who Jesus was, acknowledged her sinful status, and threw herself at His feet out of love. It was not her love that saved her… it was Jesus’ love and her faith in Him that saved her through His grace (Eph 2:8).
Responding to God: Understand that God is aware of our sins, even those others or even ourselves are unaware of. Acknowledge His great omniscience and worship Him because of it. Recognize that He counts even the thoughts in our heads and the attitudes of our hearts as sin, as He knows them, too. Ask Him to work in you to give you His love for others, His ability to see them as He sees them… people who need God’s grace. Seek to have His heart and attitudes in all things. Love others.
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