As we continue to look into the Secrets of the Kingdom, we come to the third parable in Luke's Gospel. If one word could be used to characterize this entire situation, it is the word tense. The woman of the city is tense because she is entering a Pharisees house. Simon is tense because such a woman would enter his house during a public meal. The others present are tense because Jesus is publicly rebuking Simon for his lack of love. Jesus has, in his sovereignty, used somebody who was transformed (the woman) as an instrument to give the power of the gospel to somebody else (Simon). And that's exactly what happens in the account before us. Jesus, who came to seek and to save the lost, is here seeking a lost man, a lost Pharisee, by the name of Simon. And He uses the transformed life of a woman as the testimony to Simon and all around the table. This is in essence a sermon that is acted out before everyone present. Jesus, in his sovereignty creates a situation, gives an illustration, provides an application, and even offers an invitation.
Luke 7:36-50
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. 37 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, 38 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. 39 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." 40 And Jesus answering said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he answered, "Say it, Teacher." 41 "A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?" 43 Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt." And he said to him, "You have judged rightly." 44 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. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." 48 And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this, who even forgives sins?" 50 And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
We see first, a Sovereign Situation. Luke 7:36-39 states, "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, 38 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."
A woman of the city comes into Simon's house. All that we really know about her is that she is a woman of the city: a sinner, most likely a prostitute. A woman of her reputation would not have been very welcome in Simon's house, so it took some courage to come. No people were more proud, exclusive, and self-righteous than the Pharisees. They looked with scorn and contempt on the type of woman that now appeared. But she comes in, walks past the uppity up, and the holier than thou religious leaders, and went straight to Jesus.
She fell at Jesus' feet weeping. Her tears began to fall on his feet. She began to wet (in the Greek to rain) tears on His feet. She promptly wiped them with her hair which was a significant action, for Jewish ladies did not unbind their hair in public. Letting down one's hair in public was shameful and even a ground for divorce. Then, the Word of God says that she was kissing His feet. The Greek word used is kataphileo which is an intense word. It's used in Luke 15:20 of the father's kisses when the prodigal came home and he fell on his neck and kept embracing and embracing and embracing, kissing.
Finally, she anoints Jesus' feet. She pulls out an alabaster flask. An alabaster container that was quarried and carved in Egypt. This flask was filled with costly ointment. Many Jewish women had around their neck a vial of perfume on a cord or a leather thong which they kept with them all the time. It was a sort of deodorant. It was not uncommon for women to spend a lot of money on perfume. The kind of perfume that's indicated here is not a cheap oil but a costly perfume. There is no turning back in her mind. She didn't take the lid off of the flask; she broke it. She didn't pour the contents out, she spilled them out. Talk about a situation! It was a situation that was intended to awaken Simon.
How many situations arise in our day to day lives that are meant by God to awaken us? And how many of those situations do we miss? Let us seek to discern God's will and voice, not just during morning or evening devotions, but all throughout the day. Until next time. . .
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