The Women Jesus Loved

Jesus Loves Sinful Women

Last week we saw a woman who was desperate because of her physical situation.
Today the desperation will be spiritual!

Introduction

•  Did someone ever invite you to “go to church with them” but you didn't want to go because of the religious people?!
a. In today's lesson we see that Jesus had His own problems with the “religious people.”
1) Notice, “The Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God's purpose for themselves, not
having been baptized by John,” ( v. 30 ).
2) Jesus acknowledges He is not what they expect, “We played a flute for you and you
did not dance,” ( v. 32 ). Jesus wouldn't dance to their tune!

•  Jesus is Not the Messiah People Expect, (Luke 7:36-50)

A. The Party-Crashing Woman, (vs. 36-39)

1. “ Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to ?? dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee's
house and reclined at the table. And there was a woman in the city who was a ??sinner; and when
she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster
vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with
her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing
them with the perfume. ”
a. Into Simon's “dinner-party” rushes this woman who is known to all for her prostitution!
1) Simon is aghast!!! There are probably two things that immediately go through his mind…
a) “I hope all my religious friends do not hold me responsible for this hooker showing
up!!!”
b) ( v. 39 ), “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this
woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner!'”
2) While Simon's party is not turning out quite as he expected, it is now turning out just as
Jesus wanted.

b. Somewhere along the way this woman must have heard Jesus speak. Perhaps…, ( Matt. 11:28-30 ),
“ ?? Come to Me, all ?? who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you
and ??learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and ?? you will find rest for your souls .
For ??My yoke is ??easy and My burden is light.”
1) She saw something in Jesus she had never found in Simon's religion, “Jesus truly loves all
people!”
2) On the other hand, all of this Pharisees religion had never done this woman any good!
3) Sadly, today many folks try to convert people to their “religion,” instead of to a loving
Savior. ( Matt. 23:15 ), “Woe to you scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel about
on sea and land to make one convert; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as
much a son of hell as yourselves!”
4) Religion, for many, are the rules and regulations. But Jesus said in John 14:15 , “If you love
Me, you will keep My commandments.” Notice, it is the love that comes first! Then if they
love Him, they will do whatever Jesus has commanded!
4) The problem with religion is that it is cold, empty, lifeless and loveless! ( I Cor. 13:2 ), “If I
have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and have faith, so as
to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.”

c. *Test* Are you like this party-crashing woman or are you more like this Pharisee?!
1) Am I saved because of all the good that I have done or because of what Jesus did on
the cross? I Cor. 1:18; 2:2 , “ For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who
are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” – “ I decided to
know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
2) Do I compare myself to others, and always come out looking better for it? Lk.
18:11; I Cor. 10:12 , “God, I thank You that I am not like other men; swindlers,
unjust, adulterers, or like this tax-gatherer” -“…when others compare themselves
with themselves, they are without understanding.”
3) When you see the unsaved sinning are you glad of their eternal destiny? Rom. 9:1-4 ,
“I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself
were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen
according to the flesh, who are Israelites.”
4) Do I believe God's grace just makes up the difference of what my efforts lack? Eph.
2:8-9 , “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God, not according to works that no one should boast.”

B. The Unforgiving Host, (vs. 40-43)

1. “And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he ?? replied, ‘Say it,
Teacher.' ‘A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred ????denarii, and the other fifty.
When they ??were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love
him more?' Simon answered and said, ‘I suppose the one whom he forgave more.' And He said
to him, ‘You have judged correctly.'”
a. Simon was a rich man. Yet his religion had not taught him much, so Jesus uses as story to
teach a lesson.
1) Simon knew money but he was clueless about the economy of God's forgiveness!!
2) If we change “debts” to sins, which of these two is in the worst shape?!! (Trick
question - both are equal, Rom. 6:23 ). After the 1 st sin everyone is in the same boat.
3) This unforgiving host understands neither God nor forgiveness.

C. Jesus Compares the Two, (vs. 44-46)

1. “ 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 she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet.
You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume.”
a. Our Lord's sense of humor, “Do you see this woman?” Do you think Simon ever took his
eyes off of her???!
1) He was probably worried, “What if someone saw her come into my house? What
will they think?!!”
2) Religious people are always worried about what “others” might think. ( John 7:24;
First Corinthians 2:15 ), “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with
righteous judgment.” “He who is ?? spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged
by no one.”
3) Spiritual (not “religious”) people are concerned about what God thinks (i.e.,
righteous judgment ). They are not concerned about what others think (i.e., …is
judged by no man ).

b. Now Jesus is going to bring the story of the two debtors home, i.e., to Simon's home!!
1) “I entered your house and you gave Me no water for my feet.” = a Middle Eastern
courtesy for comfort. Usually the washing was by a servant. Jesus did not request
that. He was willing to wash His own feet ( you gave Me no water ). But even this
was not done for Jesus.
2) “You gave Me no kiss.” = This custom is similar to our “shaking hands.” While
kissing the cheek shows courtesy, kissing someone's feet? Now shows genuine
humility!!!
3) “You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume.”
Simon withheld what was inexpensive from Jesus head but she gave what was best
for His feet!
4) So the rich and religious Simon had not shown even the most common of courtesies
to his guest. But this woman, a prostitute, had paid royal homage to Jesus!

c. Don't miss the point of this incident…
1) What impresses Jesus is not the size/number of our sins but our awareness of them!
2) Example: Simon is unaware of his sins so the demonstration of his love was small.
3) This woman is aware of her sins and so she demonstrates of her love is great!
4) So the more people are aware of their sins the more they will be aware of their need
for Jesus!!!

D. The Difference Between How the Religious & the Sinner Respond to Forgiveness, (vs. 47-50)

•  “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little. Then He said to her, ‘??Your sins have been forgiven.'”
a. The reason behind this woman's arrival was not for forgiveness but to acknowledge her own
wretchedness.
1) Jesus responds to those who are broken-hearted! For it is not the size of our sins that
matters to Jesus but the size of our heart!

b. Jesus still has to deal with Simon & his religious friends.
1) Under their breath you can hear them mutter, ‘Who is this man who even forgives
sins?'
2) Isn't it strange that the very ones who should be most happy for her forgiveness are
the ones who are most angry??!
3) Just as we heard in the Reading, “We played a flute…” Jesus forgave, but on His
terms, not theirs. He didn't dance to their hard-hearted tune!
4) Here Jesus wants to have a relationship and all they want is a religion!!!

CONCLUSIONS:

•  ‘??Your faith has saved you; ??go in peace.' Without faith there can be no forgiveness, without forgiveness there can be no peace!

•  Remember, this is the same thing He said to the woman last week who was in a physically desperate situation, ( see Mark 5:34 )!

•  E veryone who comes to Jesus aware of their need for forgiveness, He saves them on His terms, ( Acts 2:36-41 ), “‘ Therefore let all the ?? house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both ?? Lord and ?? Christ—this Jesus ?? whom you crucified.' Now when they heard this , they were ??pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘??Brethren, ????what shall we do?' Peter said to them, ‘??Repent, and each of you be ??baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For ??the promise is for you and your children and for all who are ??far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.'  And with many other words he solemnly ??testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “?'Be saved from this ??perverse generation!' So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand ????souls.”