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Sunday School
Shameless Faith Will Get Your Sins Forgiven (Luke 7:36-50)
The woman here is un- known. But this woman is labeled. She lived a sinful life and Simon affirmed that she is a sinner. This label could mean she was one of the people of the land who cared little for the customs of the law or it could mean that she lived the life of a prostitute. Either way she did a brazen thing. She en- tered Simon’s house (rude to us, but more common in that world), entered the men’s dining room, spilled her tears on Jesus’ feet, undid her hair (which was her glory, 1 Corinthians 11:15), wiped her tears with her hair, and kissed his feet while pouring perfume on them. Simon blew a gasket. The worst thing to him was that Jesus let her do it. Simon, the seemingly shameless Pharisee, could conclude only one thing: Jesus was no prophet.
Jesus answered Simon’s thoughts as if Simon had voiced them. The simple three-point parable connects
the dots of grace, love, and shameless faith.
Simon’s view was about to be subverted.
In the parables of Jesus, landowners, fathers, kings, and bankers often play the role of God. The banker in this story will be filled with grace. This parable is suc- cinct. A money lender had two debtors. One owed 500 denarii (two years’ worth of salary). The other owed 50 denarii. For whatever crazy reason the money lender for- gave (literally, graced) them both. Jesus turned the story into an interrogative parable and Simon condemned him- self with his answer, “I sup- pose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” Jesus affirmed Simon’s response. It is the grace of God that makes a sinful woman an ex- ample of shameless faith.
Shameless Woman & Sinful Pharisee |
Luke 7:44-50
Jesus brought his succinct parable home in no uncer- tain terms. Simon had failed
the basic tests of ancient- world hospitality (foot wash- ing, warm greetings, and gifts). The sinful woman sup- plied all three common cour- tesies. She did not just wash Jesus’ feet; she washed them with her tears. She did not just give him the typical Mid- dle Eastern greeting of a warm embrace and kiss to the cheek; she repeatedly kissed his feet. She did not just give him a gift of oil; she poured oil on his feet. Then Jesus made a stunning pro- nouncement - one of the most significant in the Gospels.
Her sins, which Jesus ac- knowledged were many, have been for- given. In fact he stated this again to her and affirmed the forgiveness by saying, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Simon ended up being sinful because of his shrunken heart. The peni- tent woman ended up being shameless in her faith be- cause she loved much.
Love and forgiveness are inextricably linked. The rea- son that God forgives so well is because his love is gynor- mous. Love without forgive- ness is only academic. Forgiveness without love is hypocritical. In Luke 7 we move from the amazing faith of the Centurion (vv. 1-10) to the shameless faith of the penitent woman (vv. 36- 50).
Shameless Pharisee and Sinful Woman | Luke 7:36-43
Most people who invited Jesus for dinner got more than they bargained for. Jesus could make the table conversation uncomfortable
(Luke 14:7-11), and he had a tendency to rearrange the guest list (vv. 12-24). Simon the Pharisee invited Jesus to dinner. Jesus accepted. He ate with the religious leaders about as much as he ate with “sinners.”
In Jesus’ day Pharisees would have been viewed as the epitome of righteous- ness. In a culture where honor and shame was the currency, any Pharisee would have been valued as shameless. But as this dinner progressed, Simon’s true col- ors began to show. It is hard not to feel that Simon’s mo- tives were suspect in inviting Jesus.
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