Good Friday

Luke 7:36-47 ESV

One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. 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." And Jesus answering said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."  And he answered, "Say it, Teacher." "A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?"  Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt." And he said to him, "You have judged rightly."  Then turning toward 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 wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss 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 are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little."  And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

Rev. Dwight Yoo

This woman of the city is really a prostitute. She was a sinner. She came with expensive perfume and anointed his feet with it. She wiped her feet with her hair and tears.

In breaking this jar, she had committed everything to Jesus. Once the jar is opened by breaking the neck open, you would not be able to save any of it. She came prepared and ready to serve Jesus.

Simon was not. He believed that sinners could taint the righteous. Jesus challenged this. Simon was here to trap and ensnare Jesus. Simon offered no hospitality, no actions of respect. He was there to investigate Jesus.

The woman was a hooker and always looked down. All the religious officials would have said that she had no way to be acceptable before God. Constant shame and condemnation was her lot and when she died, she could expect nothing other than rejection by God. The gospel of free grace was very costly to Christ. She sees this at this dinner. Jesus hangs out with sinners and so, these religious authorities could not accept him. Jesus had to bear under the scorn and disrespect of these men. The woman got a glimpse of this. And she breaks out in tears. Not a little, but a torrent of years. Simon did not wash His feet. He certainly wouldn't offer a towel. So she lets down her hair to wipe Jesus' feet. This would have been shocking to people of this day and age. A woman only let down her hair for her husband. So when she let down her hair, she was saying that Jesus was deserving of everything. And seeing that Christ got no kiss of greeting, she kissed his feet in reverence. This perfume was probably the most expensive thing in her life. And she poured it out on his feet.

Jesus lays it out. He points out Simon lack of hospitality. He shares a parable of debtors. God is owed everything, but we are guilty of ignoring God. This is everyone. Even the religious owe God, but they think they can take care of their own debts. But in the parable, Jesus lets us know that neither of them can repay. So even if the debts are different, both of them are bankrupt! The amount makes no difference! The difference in amount is purely technical, it makes no practical difference. Both moral and immoral, religious and irreligious cannot repay the debt. Jesus pays the debt with His life. Simon thinks he can repay, so he doesn't care. This woman knows she cannot repay! She is in need of a savior and so she is forgiven.

Those who think little of sin, think little of Jesus. This is Simon. Those who think much of sin, think the world of Jesus. This is the woman.

Who are you?

Do you examine Jesus from afar? Is it just a somber attitude or is there something more? Or do you think of Jesus and find yourself overwhelmed by tears of joy? Is your life filled with comfort or are you willing to bear rejection/pain for Christ? Are you struck by your great indebtedness and the greatness of God's forgiveness? Do we have "acceptable sins" that we think acceptable before God and men? Anger, discontent, & complacency all point to how we have forgotten God. Jesus points to this prostitute as one who can teach us a right attitude before God. We who have been forgiven much, the remembrance of it, brings us back to love the one who paid the debt for us.