FORGIVEN MUCH—LOVING MUCH

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on May 6, 2020 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group: May 6, 2020 from Luke 7:36-50

Theme: We will love the Savior to the degree that we realize we’ve been forgiven by Him.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

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In our last time together in Luke’s Gospel, we considered the ministry of John the Baptist. We read of how sinners and tax-collectors had come to John to be baptized by him; but that the Pharisees and religious scholars of the day “rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized” by John. They considered themselves too sufficiently righteous to have need of John’s baptism. Nor would they come for salvation to Jesus, about whom John preached. And the lesson we learned from that portion of Luke’s Gospel was that in order to respond to the Savior of sinners as we should, we need to recognize how much we need to be saved by Him.

And now, as we move on in the Gospel of Luke, we find a story that, in a way, serves as an illustration of that truth by giving us a sort of ‘flip-side’ view of it. In the last portion of Luke 7, we find the story of a sinner who was very much aware that she was a sinner, and who was very grateful to have been forgiven by the Lord Jesus. She loved Him because she had a profound grasp of what He had done for her. She demonstrated that love vividly; and the Lord Jesus took the opportunity to teach an important principle from her demonstration.

Luke 7:36-50 says;

Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.” “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace” (Luke 7:36-50).

Now; let’s begin by looking at those last three verses; and particularly at how the religious folks in the dinner party asked, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” They had watched this scene and were shocked that Jesus thought of Himself as someone who had the authority to forgive sins.

Perhaps you’ll remember that there was another occasion in the Gospel of Luke when the spiritual leaders were offended at Jesus for this sort of thing. The story was told to us back in Luke 5. Do you remember when the four men lowered their friend down from the roof of a house to Jesus? The poor man was paralyzed, and they hoped for Jesus to heal him. Jesus did so; but before He did, He turned to the paralytic and told him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” The leaders were offended that He took it upon Himself to forgive the sins committed against God. Back then, they said, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Luke 5:21). And it seems that they were offended again.

But just as we learned from the story of the man who was lowered down from the roof, Jesus truly does have the authority to forgive sins. He took the guilt for those sins upon Himself, and paid the penalty for them on the cross. It must be that somewhere along the way—in a manner in which we’re not told—the Lord Jesus encountered this poor sinful woman; and He told her about Himself, and she believed on Him, and He forgave her sins. The story that we’re looking at is the story of what happened after that forgiveness had occurred.

And that leads us to the main point of this story. It is meant to show us that, to the degree to which we understand that we have been forgiven by Jesus, to that degree we will love Him.

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Now; there are three main characters in this story—the woman, the Pharisee, and the Lord Jesus Himself. And the best way to break this story up is by considering the lessons we learn from each of the three.

First, let’s consider …

1. THE GRATEFUL WOMAN.

She’s described to us as “a woman in the city who was a sinner”. In the original language of Luke’s Gospel, we’re told that she was “a woman who was, in the city, a sinner”. Now; there’s a subtle difference between being “a sinner in the city” and being “in the city, a sinner”. One way of putting it would emphasize her location; the other way of saying it would emphasize her actions in that location. And so; to say that she was “a woman who was, in the city, a sinner” was most likely a euphemistic way of saying that she was a prostitute. And if that’s the case, she herself not only sinned; but others sinned along with her. We don’t know by what tragic course of life she came to be doing such a thing; but there probably had not been a day that went by that she wasn’t filled with shame, and regret, and a sense of feeling dirty inside. But we are being brought into the story at a time when she had already become forgiven; and was now expressing her thankfulness and gratitude to the Lord Jesus for what He had done for her.

It must that, sometime after she had first encountered Jesus, she had heard that He was going to be at this Pharisee’s house. Back in those days, a meal was a public event. People would sometimes come and watch as other people ate. And the way that people would sit at the table to eat was different too. While we sit in chairs at a table today; people back then would recline on a couch, with their elbow on the table and their feet behind them. This formerly-sinful woman would have had to be very brave to have made her way to the home of an ‘outwardly righteous’ Pharisee. But she did so because she was overwhelmingly grateful to Jesus for what He had done for her.

So she came; and she had an alabaster flask of fragrant oil in her hands. Such an item was expensive—and someone would only open it and pour out its contents for a very special occasion. It may be that it had cost her all that she had. And we’re told that she came behind where Jesus was, and began to weep. They were tears of gratitude. As her tears fell onto the feet of our Lord, she began to wash His feet with those tears. Then, she did something that might have appeared shocking to those who were present—especially considering what kind of a woman she had been. She let down her hair—which was not something a woman ordinarily did in public. And she began to wipe our Lord’s feet with the hair of her head. Then, she kissed His feet; and the word that is used to describe this indicates that it was not merely a ‘friendly’ kiss. Rather it was a deeply affectionate kiss. And then—perhaps most shocking of all—she snapped open that very expensive alabaster flask, and poured out the fragrant oil upon our Lord’s feet. The room would have been filled with the scent. Jesus did not pull His feet away from her—or try in any way to stop her extreme expressions toward Himself. Instead, it seems that He received her actions toward Him kindly—and even later commended what she had done.

Now, of course, it would not have been appropriate for you or me to have done the same kinds of things. Those things were unique to her—perhaps because of the life that Jesus saved her from. The kisses, the hair, the perfume, the money that must have been spent in buying that bottle—these all may have been thought of by her as elements from her sinful past. But now, because Jesus had forgiven her sin, they were rendered to Him as holy offerings of thanks.

By the way; what have you offered of yourself to Jesus in thanks for His saving grace to you? This woman’s story teaches us that the degree to which you and I will go to express our love to Him says a lot about how much we understand ourselves to have been forgiven by Him. Have you experienced His forgiveness? If so, how do you show your gratitude to Him for it?

And now, let’s consider another person in this story …

2. THE SKEPTICAL PHARISEE.

His name, as we learn from this passage, was Simon. As a Pharisee, he was a man who was careful to live in strict obedience to the written law of God. He had heard some of the things that people were saying about Jesus—that He was a great, miracle-working prophet of God. And it may be that he invited Jesus to dinner in order to find out if what people said was true.

Now; I get the sense that Simon was a bit of cold and analytical in his attitude toward Jesus. Back in those days, when someone would come to be your guest, you would do certain things to make them welcome and comfortable. But Simon didn’t show any of those common courtesies to Jesus. He didn’t offer Him the customary welcome that he would ordinarily show to a guest in his home—and especially to an esteemed and honored guest. It was as if Jesus was being invited to a dinner—not to be welcomed and enjoyed by Simon—but rather in order to be put under a microscope.

And when this sinful woman came in and began to do these things to Jesus—to draw so close to Him, and kiss His feet, and pour expensive oil upon Him that she had probably bought with sinful money … well; that settled the matter for Simon! Luke tells us that he spoke within his heart and said, “This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner” (v. 37). As a self-righteous Pharisee, he would have expected a true prophet of God to practice better ‘moral social distancing’ that that! He assumed that a true man of God would never have permitted a sinful woman such as this one to touch him in that manner. And since Jesus was permitting it—and even appeared to be accepting it—then He must not be a prophet of God at all.

Simon was certainly gracious to have invited Jesus to dinner. But he didn’t show any gratitude toward Jesus—not in the way that this poor woman did. And this was because he didn’t think that he needed anything from Jesus. He dramatically illustrates to us that the degree to which you and I will express our gratitude to Jesus shows how much we feel the need for His forgiveness—and how much we believe He has washed us clean and set us free.

Do you feel the need to be saved from your sins? Have you placed your trust in Him? Have you experienced His forgiveness? If so, do you express much gratitude to Jesus for it? If we are truly forgiven by Him, then how could we be cold and indifferent to it—or cold and indifferent to another sinner being grateful for grace and redemption?

And that leaves one more person for us to consider …

3. THE GRACIOUS REDEEMER HIMSELF.

Do you notice that, when the woman came in and did these things to Jesus, Simon didn’t say anything verbally about it? We’re only told that he spoke his thoughts within himself. But Jesus knew what he was saying and thinking. We’re told in John 2:25 that Jesus didn’t need anyone to tell Him their thought, for “He knew what was in man”. So; we’re told that—even though Simon didn’t ask Jesus anything—Jesus “answered” him and addressed his inner thoughts.

He said,“Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.” And Jesus went on to tell him a parable: “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty” (v. 41).

A denarius was a Roman coin that was the rough equivalent of a full day’s wage. The first man owed his creditor 500 denari; which would have worked out to be about $100,000 in today’s terms. That’s an enormous debt that would have taken a long time to pay off; and this man had no means by which to pay it. The second man owed 50 denarii; which would have worked out to about $10,000. It was not as great a debt as the other man’s. But he didn’t have anything to pay it off with either. The amounts of the two debts were different; but both men were equally incapable of paying them. Jesus then said to Simon; ”And when they had nothing with which to repay, he [that is, the creditor] freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more” (vv. 42-43a).

And with Simon’s attention captured to His words, we’re told that our Lord then turned to the woman and said to Simon; “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little” (vv. 44-47). He had just—in those last words—said that Simon didn’t realize how great his debt to God truly is; and that he hadn’t yet experienced the cleansing of forgiveness, because he clearly didn’t love the ‘Forgiver of sins’ very much. Simon may have been only a ’50 denarii’ sinner, and the woman may have been a ’500 denarii’ sinner. But they were both sinners; and neither of them could pay the debt they owed to God. They both equally needed Jesus to forgive their debt of sin. The woman knew this; and so, she loved Jesus very much, and rejoiced greatly in receiving His forgiveness. The pharisee, however, didn’t grasp this; and so he expressed little or no love for Jesus at all.

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Please; let’s you and I not be like Simon. Don’t ever compare your debt of sin before God with that of others in order to make yourself out to be ‘less of a sinner’. If you don’t feel all that much of a need for Jesus to save you—or if you don’t feel all that much gratitude toward Him for His having saved you—then go to Him and ask Him to open your eyes show you the truth. Ask Him to open up the ‘record books’ as it were, and show you how great your debt before God truly is—and how you could never possibly pay it.

When you see the truth—that you are as hopeless and helpless a sinner as this sinful woman; and if you place your trust in Him and see the judgment and loss that He has saved you from—then you won’t be able to help it. You’ll earnestly long to show your deepest gratitude and love to Him. You’ll be a grateful sinner! You’ll want to thank Him joyfully with your whole life.

Don’t be like Simon, who was unthinking and ungrateful. Be like the woman, who loved Jesus much because she had been forgiven much by Him.

EA