“When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!” Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.” “Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.
Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, cancelling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?” Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” “That’s right,” Jesus said.
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”“
— Luke 7:39-47 (NLT)
As a Pharisee, Simon is likely to have asked Jesus to dinner to check out if what people were saying about him was true. Was this man a great profit? Was his teaching to be believed? Was he just causing trouble?
We can assume that he had some questions based on his thoughts in verse 39. “If this man were a profit, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner.” His assumption was that if Jesus knew who this woman was and how many terrible things she had done, he wouldn’t want anything to do with her. Pharisee’s believed that holiness was achieved by keeping separate from both sin and “sinners” and so Simon concluded that either Jesus wasn’t a prophet or he wasn’t holy.
But as we know to assume is to…
Well, let’s just say that Simon’s assumptions were wrong. Jesus knew exactly who this woman was, what she had done and how sinful she was. And Jesus was God himself – so he was most definitely holy! Where Simon got it wrong, however, was the assumption that to be holy we must stay away from all sinners.
Jesus came for the redemption of sinners. And we are called to follow in his footsteps. How can we be salt and light to people who desperately need Jesus if we never have even a conversation with them? The truth is that we are all sinners and in desperate need of a saviour.
Jesus called Simon out on it by telling the simple story of a moneylender who cancelled the debt he was owed by two people of differing amounts. The point he makes is that people who are forgiven most, love the most.
Now I just want to reiterate something here. The amount a person loves God doesn’t change the amount they are loved by God. God loves us unconditionally, infinitely and unchangingly. Nothing we can do can change his love for us one iota!
And I don’t even think Jesus is really trying to draw a direct correlation between the amount we sin and the amount we love. He isn’t saying that the more we sin, the better lovers we become – so don’t rush out and kick someone you don’t like because you think it will make you love God more!
I think what he is trying to say is that the response to forgiveness is love. And the greater our understanding of the need we have for forgiveness, the greater our capacity for love. He’s talking to Simon about Simon. He is putting his behaviour in the spotlight, just as Simon was doing with the woman’s. He is pointing out to Simon the flaws in his own behaviour and attitude towards Jesus, and perhaps more importantly those Simon considers “sinners”.
I don’t think Jesus is trying to say “Look at how much this woman loves me because of how much she has sinned. Isn’t sin wonderful? Maybe you should try sinning a bit more Simon, so that you can love me the way she does.”
I think he is trying to get the point across to Simon that because this woman recognises her need of forgiveness, she has great love for the forgiver.
Simon had forgotten his need of a saviour. He didn’t consider himself a “sinner” and therefore showed only little love. Despite Simon believing he was oh so holy and righteous, his hospitality toward God himself left much to be desired, whereas the woman he saw as “sinful” had outdone him in acts of worship at every opportunity.
12.
True worshippers recognise the truth of their sin
The truth is we have all fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and if we forget the forgiveness we have been shown, we will forget the love we have for the forgiver. Remembering the mercy and grace we have been shown increases our ability to love the one who is showing it.
Jesus came to save sinners, not those who think of themselves as righteous (Luke 5:32). Jesus came to bear the penalty of sin for us so any who come to him will never be turned away (John 6:37). However, those who believe in their own righteousness will never turn to him in repentance or accept that he came for them and their sin, so they will never love him the way that “sinners” do.
Just as the worship of this woman was a demonstration to others of the deep love she had for Jesus, let ours be the same. Although we may face embarrassment, ridicule, rejection by man, Jesus loves our worship when it is like that of this woman and his approval is all that matters.
“…a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” — John 4:23-24
Maybe a part of that truth is recognising the truth that without his forgiveness, we are unworthy. But through his sacrifice, and his sacrifice only, we are able to call ourselves children of God.
We don’t come thinking we are righteous in our own strength or because of anything we have done, but only through his forgiveness and mercy. If we come with this attitude, we cannot help but respond with extravagant love and worship.
Thank you God that you have cleansed all my sin and that I am able to live in freedom through Your glorious grace.
Please don’t ever let me forget my need of a saviour – the price you paid was so high.
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