A Reason to Rejoice | Sunday, November 17, 2024

Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner." (Luke 7:36–39)

A sinful woman pours out everything at Jesus's feet, while a righteous Pharisee can't see his own need—and only one of them goes home with joy.

Gratitude and the Fullness of Joy

We are currently in a series here at Cross Connection Church focusing our attention on the subject of gratitude, as this month will end, as it always does every November, with the celebration of Thanksgiving. I've shared the last several weeks that I believe gratitude is one of the keys to a happy life. Since all people seek for happiness, as the 16th-century French philosopher and theologian Blaise Pascal observed, it's a good thing for us to consider what actually leads us into experiencing fullness of joy.

Dennis Prager, in his book Happiness Is a Serious Problem, says, "Yes, there is a secret to happiness, and it is gratitude. All happy people are grateful, and ungrateful people cannot be happy." We tend to think that being unhappy is what leads people to complain, but it's truer to say that complaining leads people to become unhappy. Become grateful, he says, and you will become a much happier person.

I think he's right. And I think the God who made you desires that you would experience fullness of life—that's one of the reasons Jesus came. He said, "The thief comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy; but I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." In John 15, Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full." One reason God calls us to be grateful is because it is through gratitude that we begin to lay hold of fullness of joy.

Simon Welcomes Jesus

Last week we were in the Gospel of Luke looking at the story of ten lepers who came to Jesus for healing, and only one returned to give thanks. This week I want to stay in Luke, picking up the story in Luke chapter 7.

This is one of the truly fascinating, standout stories in the gospels. We're introduced to a Pharisee named Simon. The Pharisees were a religious sect within Judaism—some of the most committed believers you could find. They not only believed the law of Moses and sought to practice it, they sought to put into practice all the traditions of their fathers. They were hyper-committed to their faith. They get a bad rap in the gospels, and rightly so in some regards, but you have to give it to Simon: he welcomed Jesus into his home. Some people are simply not interested in Jesus; at the very least, this man was. He wanted to see if Jesus was the real deal.

If you only read the previous six chapters of Luke, you know that by this point Jesus had quite the reputation. He had healed the sick, cast out demons, healed a paralyzed man, even raised the dead son of a widow. He was preaching provocative messages, and word about Him was spreading. So Simon—one of the "super Jews," the spiritually high-class, hyper-religious ones who saw it as their job to maintain faithfulness to Judaism and within Judaism—invites Him in. But he invites Him in as a skeptic. Maybe you're here today as a skeptic of Jesus yourself.

The Worst Possible Guest

As Simon hosts Jesus, the worst possible thing happens. "Behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil."

They didn't have banks and savings accounts in the way we do today. If you wanted something to retain value, you would purchase something costly—like this very expensive oil in an alabaster flask, sealed in such a way that once you opened it, the seal was broken and it lost its value immediately. She comes with this costly oil, breaks the seal, and anoints Jesus. Standing at His feet weeping, she begins to wash His feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair. A woman's hair in this culture was highly regarded, and the feet were considered the lowliest, dirtiest part of a person. She takes her crown and something very costly, and pours it all out for Jesus.

Reading this week, a thought went through my mind: how did she even get into his house? I have a theory—I'm probably wrong, and I might get corrected when we get to heaven—but maybe she's related to Simon. Maybe she's his sister. You know someone like this in your family, the one where, when you're throwing a party, you say, "Let's not invite her." Simon is the good kid, the one who always got the good grades, always showed up at synagogue at the right time and stayed all day. And here comes the problem child to cause a scene again—standing right behind the guest of honor, weeping, wiping His feet with her hair, breaking open the costly oil you bought for her, and pouring it out.

Every other guest in the room is looking from Jesus to Simon, thinking, "What are you going to do?" The text tells us what's going through his mind: "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner." We don't have to stretch far to understand what it means that she was a sinner—she had an immoral reputation, while Simon had the good one. He concludes Jesus can't be a prophet, because a prophet would never allow her to touch him. "I would never do that. I keep them at arm's length."

Jesus Is Not Shocked by Sinners

Sometimes the super-religious, like Simon, are embarrassed by Jesus and uncomfortable around sinners. But here is something to be thankful for today. Point number one: Jesus is not shocked by sinners. That is good news. I think sometimes sinners are shocked that Jesus isn't shocked by them.

In the position I'm in as a pastor, I sometimes get the sense from people who aren't the churchy kind that they're intentionally saying or doing things to see how I'll respond. I've had the privilege for over a dozen years to serve as a chaplain with the fire department, and firefighters are an interesting breed. Some of the guys knew they weren't the churchy type, and they'd say off-the-wall things just to see how the chaplain would react. It doesn't shock me—and I'm so grateful that Jesus is not shocked by sinners.

The reason is simple: Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 1 that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." That's why He came. He came "to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). Simon is shocked by the sinner in his presence, but he's even more shocked that Jesus isn't shocked.

A Story of Two Debtors

So Jesus answered him. "Simon, I have something to say to you." And Simon said, "Teacher, say it." If I were directing this for a movie, Simon is so disgusted he can't even look at Jesus or at this pitiful scene. "All right, Rabbi, what have you got? Let's hear it."

Jesus does what He often did—He teaches with a simple but deep story. "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii"—a denarius was a day's wage—"and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?" Simon answered, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And Jesus said, "You have judged rightly."

You don't need to be a theologian or a rocket scientist to understand this. Put it in terms we understand: say one owed fifty days' wages, maybe $20,000—a significant debt. The other owed a couple years' wages, maybe $200,000. Neither could repay, and the creditor freely forgave them both. Which one would be more grateful and show more love? The one forgiven more.

"Do You See This Woman?"

Then Jesus turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?"—almost redirecting his attention back to her as he looks away in disgust. "I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss"—the common greeting of the day—"but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil"—another common practice—"but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."

Jesus has an amazing ability to hit us right between the eyes. No doubt the woman had done many bad things, and Jesus doesn't gloss over it—"her sins are many." Everybody in the room knew her reputation. But on this occasion she did the perfectly right thing. Simon, who had spent his life doing the right things, in this instance did exactly the wrong thing. The sinful woman recognized her sin and rejoiced in Jesus's presence; Simon was blind to his own errors.

The Danger of Being Blind to Your Debt

Both men in Jesus's story had a debt. One was smaller—$20,000 versus $200,000—but a debt nonetheless. The woman's debt was huge, but that didn't change the fact that Simon had a debt too. The problem was, he didn't see his. All he could see was her debt, and in comparison his looked like nothing. Because he was blind to his errors, he had disdain for Jesus's mercy and grace. The very fact that Jesus showed mercy to this woman made him angry.

Point number two: the forgiving grace of Jesus stirs sinners to overflow with thanksgiving. This woman's heart overflows with thanksgiving. Unfortunately, not every sinner recognizes their need for grace. She saw her need; everybody saw it. She understood she had no merit, nothing to earn His favor—all she could count on was His mercy and grace. Simon's good works and religious righteousness made him blind to his own sin and made him despise Jesus's mercy.

Here is one of the problems with religion. I'm not saying religion is entirely bad—there are aspects of ritual, of times and seasons, that draw us into worship and encourage our prayer. But the major danger is this: it makes you think that because you do those things, you're good. It makes it easier to look down on the people who don't do the things you do. Simon had no less need of grace than this woman, but he couldn't see his need because he was self-righteous. When we do the right things at the right times in the right places, it sometimes becomes harder to recognize that any grace we've received is grace—undeserved favor.

"Your Faith Has Saved You; Go in Peace"

Jesus turned to the woman and said, "Your sins are forgiven." Those who sat at the table began to say, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" And He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

Point number three: Christ's forgiving grace is available in abundance to those who see their need and seek His grace. Seeing the need is the challenge. The reason it's so easy to miss our need is that we see other people's sin and judge ourselves by their lives. When we do, it's easy to see their sin and not our own. We tend to think we're pretty good people.

Years ago, when I was much younger, I was taught to share my faith with a simple question: "If you died tonight, would you go to heaven?" Almost every time I asked it, people would say, "Yeah, I think so." On the basis of what? "Well, I'm a pretty good person." We tend to think we're pretty good. We can identify someone better than us, but it's far easier to identify someone worse. The darkness of their depravity makes us shine like a star against the black night. It's so easy to point the finger and say they deserve judgment—especially when they cut us off on the freeway. "Man, they're driving really fast to hell, and I look really good."

Point number four: the peace and rest of Christ await those who trust in His saving and forgiving grace. Simon couldn't see his need. The woman could easily see hers. She came to Jesus, and He said, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

Reasons to Rejoice

As we draw close to Thanksgiving, I want to give you some reasons to rejoice. "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." Paul wrote, "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance"—meaning you should hold on to this one. Many believe it was an early Christian catechism: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And then Paul adds, "of whom I am chief."

That recognition has more punch when you realize the man who wrote it was formerly a Pharisee—Saul, who in his previous life believed himself righteous and blameless according to his good deeds. In Philippians 3 he says, in effect, "If anyone has something to boast about, I had more than you. I hit all the check boxes, and in comparison to everyone else, I was blameless." What changed? Saul met Jesus. He no longer saw himself against the backdrop of other people's sin, but in the light of Christ's righteousness—and he realized, maybe for the first time, "I am a desperate sinner in need of grace."

The sinful woman reminds us that gratitude overflows from a heart that has been touched by Christ's saving and forgiving grace. Some people's debt is huge and apparent. Others' debt feels lighter, like something they could take care of themselves. But Simon was in no less need than this woman—and in reality, maybe more, because he did not recognize his need.

When Gratitude Is Difficult

If gratitude is difficult for you today, here are a few things to think about. Romans says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"—and that word all includes me and you. Romans also says, "The wages of sin is death." Paul observed in Ephesians 2 that we were "dead in trespasses and sins," walking according to the course of this world, "by nature children of wrath, just as the others." We judge ourselves by the sin of others and think we're doing pretty well next to them—but when we see ourselves in the light of Jesus's righteousness, it becomes clearer. As Isaiah 64:6 says, "We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags."

"But God"—Ephesians 2:4—"who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works." Those are great reasons to rejoice in gratitude today.

Pouring Out in Loving Devotion

How should we respond? The heart that sees the greatness of God's gift and grace in light of the depths of its own sinful depravity expresses gratitude in loving devotion to Him—pouring out worship, thanks, and praise, even when it's costly, like it was for this woman. That, I think, is abiding in the love of God.

Jesus said in John 15, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full." My hope and prayer is that your joy would be full. One of the keys that blocks that fullness of joy is failing to pour out your gratitude and praise to Christ for the good things He's done to make us His.

Closing Prayer

Father God, I thank You for the story we have here in Luke chapter 7. I thank You for the way it challenges us, and for the way it reveals that we can so easily point the finger of condemnation at sinners who are on level ground with us. God, I pray that we would approach Your cross recognizing that the standard by which we are judged is not the sin of others, but the righteousness You show forth. In light of that, we are all in such desperate need of Your grace and forgiveness. I thank You that You have an abundance of grace and mercy for those who see their need and seek Your grace. So we come before Your throne of grace this morning to obtain mercy and grace, because we desperately need it. And God, I pray that You would use us to be conduits of that grace to others, for we live in a world that is in desperate need of Your glorious grace. We praise You, we thank You, we worship You today. It's in Jesus's name we pray, and all those who agreed said amen.