The Sermon Text —LUKE 7:36-50

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.’ Jesus spoke up and said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Teacher,’ he replied, ‘speak.’ ‘A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more? Simon answered, ‘I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the greater debt.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You have judged rightly.’ Then turning towards the woman, he said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.’ Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’ And he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’

If we were to ask 100 people in their late teens or early twenties, "What is your goal in life?" how do you think most of them would respond? Would they talk about a vocation? Would they say, "Be successful," or "Make a good living?" Or would they say, "I want to have fun?"

If you would ask this question of Jewish young men 2,000 years ago a significant number would have answered – "I want to love and serve God." They may have put it this way, "I want to live a holy life." To reach that goal many young men joined a group dedicated to helping people to live holy lives.

This group – only men could belong – believed that most of the forces in life led people away from God. Therefore, they needed a lot of rules, a lot of regulations to help them live lives that would bring them close to God. They had rules about how to eat, how to sleep, how and when they conducted their business, and how they raised their children. If you think that sounds like a lot of laws you are right…it was 637 to be exact.

They believed that the culture, the world, tended to corrupt people. They asked themselves, what should we do about it? Shall we try to change the world or should we avoid it? This group chose the latter course. They attempted to separate themselves from all situations and people who were ungodly. They named themselves, "The Separated Ones." We know them as The Pharisees.

Simon, the man who hosted Jesus at a meal in today’s story, belonged to the separated ones. Pharisees were honest, hard working, deeply moral men who wanted more than anything in the entire world to serve God. They were also people who saw the world in black and white, right and wrong, good and evil.

We aren’t told why Simon invited Jesus to eat with him but I have a hunch it was because he and his friends had been watching Jesus from a distance and he wanted to check him out. He wanted to find out if he was one of them? Was he a teacher? Was he a prophet— a man who thinks like God and speaks for God?

During the time of Jesus most Jewish homes were small. When the weather was warm they served their guests in an open courtyard adjacent to their house, in full view of neighbors. Normally, they sat on pillows, partially reclining, as they ate.

As Jesus reclined a woman entered the courtyard carrying a flask of very expensive oil, and knelt behind Jesus. Luke tells us she is a sinner. Another translation (The Message) suggests that she is the town harlot. Whatever her sin, she was the kind of person Simon and his friends had tried to avoid. The woman began to bathe the feet of Jesus with her tears and dry them with her hair. (Normally women didn’t "let their hair down" in public). She kissed his feet and anointed them with ointment. This made Simon, and presumably his friends, very uncomfortable. Jesus appears to have enjoyed this moment immensely.

Simon said to himself, "If this Jesus was really a holy man, really a prophet he would know she was bad and would separate from her." Simon was so visibly upset that it was readily apparent to Jesus.

Jesus said to Simon, "I have a teaching for you. Two people were in debt to a businessman. One owed 500 silver pieces, the other 50. He canceled the debt of both. Which one would love him more?"

Simon said, "I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt."

Jesus said, "Right! Now, do you see this woman?"

Jesus believed that Simon had two problems – a mathematical problem and a visual problem.

The visual problem was that he had not really seen the woman. Simon looked at the woman and saw a prostitute. Jesus looked at the prostitute and saw a woman.

Simon saw someone who was disgusting. Jesus saw someone who was compassionate.

In Simon’s world the woman was a sinner who should be avoided, or shunned. In the world of Jesus the woman should be praised and copied.

Simon believed we should avoid sin and therefore sinners. Jesus believed we forgive sin, and transform sinners.

Simon and his friends thought that the goal was to be a saint, not a sinner. Jesus believed it was impossible to not be a sinner, therefore the goal was to be both a saint and a sinner – simultaneously.

If indeed the woman was a prostitute, then it is important to say that sexual sins are serious. They hurt the one who commits them, and they have an impact on others. Contrary to some popular opinion, sexual sins are not our own business; they affect others. Adultery ruins families and promiscuity ruins lives. Sex has been given as a gift to enhance life. Use this gift without commitment or love and the gift tarnishes.

Yet Jesus seldom preached against sexual sins. He was far more concerned with sins of judgment and arrogance, sins that arise out of pride. Pride, the church teaches, is the great sin. Martin Luther wrote of this story, "A sin of the flesh Jesus forgave; a sin of the spirit, Jesus reproved."

Though they saw the same woman, they drew much different conclusions. Simon concluded that the woman had broken the rules. She had a shady past and therefore should be shunned and avoided. Jesus concluded that the woman had been forgiven and was now celebrating her forgiveness by being hospitable and loving. They both agreed that she was a sinner, but Jesus figured that since she had been forgiven much, she loved much. For Jesus the math was simple -- the more you are forgiven the more you love. You don’t avoid such people; you welcome them.

In another context Jesus suggested that doctors need not spend their time with healthy folks. They focus on the sick. Jesus, the spiritual doctor focused on the sick. We are not called to separate from the world, but to transform it. We don’t serve God by retreating, but interacting. A modern saint has written, "…The road to holiness necessarily passes through the world of action." Jesus agreed.

Jesus seems to suggest that the goal in life is not to be pure, if purity comes at the expense of love. Paul, a great disciple of Jesus, taught that even the most gifted orator has a worthless gift if what she speaks is spoken without love. Heroic actions, done without love, are worthless. Pure lives, devoid of love are empty. Simon, Jesus pointed out, was a very correct host, but not a loving one. Simon greeted him politely. He probably obeyed all the rules of proper etiquette. I bet the forks and the knives were in their proper places. What was lacking was warmth and affection. The woman, though called a sinner, provided both of those. She had the true gift of hospitality. You can get all the notes rightt, but don’t play them with warmth or passion, you still don’t have a song.

What is your goal in life? Do you believe that the one with the most toys wins? Do you want to live a life with no hassles, a life where no one bothers you? Do you want to be free to do what you want when you want it?

Or is your goal to be a person of great love, a person who cares for others. Do you want to be remembered for making the lives of others around you better?

There are many things memorable about this story, but here is one. The woman did not get off to a good start. She messed up at least one part of her life. She did something bad enough to be labeled a sinner. Then she had an encounter with Jesus. We aren’t told what happened, but we know the result. She was a person of great gratitude. She was a person of extraordinary love, so much so that Jesus said of her, "Her sins which were many have been forgiven. Therefore she has shown great love." How is that for turning your life around?

It is never too late to change our goals. It is never too late to alter the course of our life. It happened to the woman. It can happen to us.

© 2007