"Jesus answering said"

Today’s Bible Reading:

Deuteronomy 7:1-8:20, Luke 7:36-8:3, Psalm 69:1-18, Proverbs 12:1

            I love this story of Jesus at the Pharisee’s house in Luke 7:36-50 because it gives us a lot of information about God’s grace and his ability to know us better than we know ourselves.  This is a story of Jesus’ first out of three anointing’s.  It opens when Simon asks Jesus to join him for dinner at his house.  A woman enters the house and begins to lay at Jesus’ feet crying and wiping his feet with her hair and anointing them with oil.  She was “a sinner” and in our reading today out of Psalms 69, you can imagine her thoughts and attitude would be the same as David’s:

Psa 69:1-3 Save me, God! I am about to drown.  I am sinking deep in the mud, and my feet are slipping. I am about to be swept under by a mighty flood.  I am worn out from crying, and my throat is dry. I have waited for you till my eyes are blurred.

Psa 69:5  You know my foolish sins. Not one is hidden from you.

Psa 69:12-17  Rulers and judges gossip about me, and drunkards make up songs to mock me.  But I pray to you, LORD. So when the time is right, answer me and help me with your wonderful love.  Don't let me sink in the mud, but save me from my enemies and from the deep water.  Don't let me be swept away by a flood or drowned in the ocean or swallowed by death.  Answer me, LORD! You are kind and good. Pay attention to me! You are truly merciful.  Don't turn away from me. I am your servant, and I am in trouble. Please hurry and help!

            She definitely got the attention of everyone in the room.  Do we pray expecting God to pay attention to us? 

            Now, the Pharisee in verse 39 “thought within himself”, he didn’t say anything but thought this:  “This man, if he were a prophet would have known who and what manner of woman this is that touches him:  for she is a sinner”.  He was questioning whether or not Jesus was a prophet.  We need to be very careful not to have this attitude about people, because we know the rest of this story and Jesus’ attitude on this subject. 

            Jesus knew Simon’s innermost thoughts, just like he knows ours.  Did Jesus call out Simon and embarrass him about his thought?  No.  Did he say “Hey Simon I am a prophet and I will prove it to you:  This lady is a sinner!!”  No.  Jesus was very humble and corrected Simon in love didn’t he?  He told him a parable to help Simon understand love and grace.  Jesus forgives her sins in verse 48 and what do you know, in verse 49 the ones with Simon had thoughts within themselves “Who is this that forgives sins also?”  Jesus replies to their thoughts:

Luk 7:50  And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

Faith in Jesus’ name and in his blood still saves today!

Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Eph 2:8-9  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

1Jn_5:13  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Pastor Luke Willis