“And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that He was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed His feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.'” Luke 7:37-39
Devotional Thought For The Day
The Pharisee “knew.” At least he thought he did. He thought that he knew more than Jesus. He knew about this woman and supposed that Jesus did not. How sad and pathetic – he not only didn’t know Jesus, he didn’t really know the woman, he didn’t know human nature, he didn’t know himself, and he didn’t know God, His gracious mercy, forgiveness, and undying love for all people, even “sinners.”
This woman was not just a sinful human being; she was a “notorious” sinner, a woman whose sin was public, known to everyone. Was she an adulteress, or perhaps even a prostitute, a drunkard, an addict, or perhaps a convicted criminal? Yet when she humbled herself in sorrowful repentance, and expressed her faith in Jesus as the Lamb of God, the Messiah, the Savior, her Savior, Jesus received her and her worshipful adoration. What Jesus said of her is instructive for all of us: “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven – for she loved much.” Then He also said, directly to her: “Your sins are forgiven.” As it turned out, this poor woman, beaten down by life, by her own desperate sins, and by the “decent” folk, knew more than the Pharisee.
We should take care with our opinions of this Pharisee. He obviously was a man committed to a good and decent life, and he had respect for Jesus, having invited Him to his home for a meal. Table fellowship in that culture was very special, and marked a close association and mutual respect and love. Often our response to those who have fallen on hard times, or who have fallen into “notorious” sins, public sins, is much the same as this Pharisee’s response. Even when it is a close friend, or family member, a son or daughter, who has fallen into sin, we may look down on them, or ostracize them, or think that they have fallen too low for God to redeem them and pick them back up. We suffer the same ignorance as this Pharisee – we don’t know God, His magnificent and powerful love, we don’t really know what is in the heart of others – what they are really thinking, and we don’t know ourselves, that the only proper posture in front of Jesus, in view of our own deep and dark sin, is that of this woman. And because of this ignorance, this lack of genuine penitence, what Jesus said to the Pharisee is often true of us: “But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” [Luke 7:47] And this is the worst sin, graver, darker, and more dangerous than any other sins.
We need to think more clearly about these things. No, we shouldn’t abandon our desire to live a decent and good life, to show respect for God’s Word and His will, and genuine love in everything that we do. However, we need to think differently about our own sin and guilt, that unless forgiven by God’s gracious mercy, we too would be utterly outcast and downcast. We need to keep this in mind when we see those whom life has beaten down and nearly destroyed, that they are not “worse” sinners than we are, that God still loves them just as much as He loves us, and that He still wills the best for them. We should receive them, and embrace them, and do all that we can to lift them up and help them be strengthened and secured in God’s love in Christ Jesus. It is interesting, how Jesus characterized His own ministry: “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'” [Luke 7:34] What is your judgment of Jesus? Are you too good to join Him and to be where He is, and with those whom He is friends with? Perhaps the better diagnostic would be to ask, “Could the same characterization be made of me?”
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, Friend of sinners, thank You for befriending me with Your forgiveness, mercy, and salvation. Forgive me, Lord, for forgetting the real nature of our relationship, and for elevating myself above others. Forgive me, Lord, for the times when I have been too dignified and social-conscious to “eat and drink” and to be a friend of “sinners.” Keep me in the joy of Your salvation, aware of how much I have been forgiven, so that I also may love much. May that love be expressed toward those who need it most, those beaten down in sin and guilt. Amen.