LOVE AND FORGIVENESS

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LUKE 7:36-50
Lesson #22
LOVE AND FORGIVENESS

• Memory Verse: Luk 7:47c “…but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.”
• In the ministry of Jesus, we see the crowds increase. His popularity is on the rise. Because of that, Jesus becomes more and more a threat to the Jewish leadership. Why?
  • The Jewish leadership was pressured by the local Roman government to keep the peace and prevent populous political uprisings. A serious political uprising would cause Rome to replace any local government leader that failed to keep the peace.
  • The Jewish leadership had concern for their religious positions of prestige, and financial gain.
    • As long as the majority of Jewish people supported the politics of the religious leadership, they could maintain their positions of influence and power.
    • Because of the increase in public interest in Jesus, the religious leaders were worried.
• Read Luk 7:36-50 The woman at Jesus’ feet
  • The first thing to notice in this passage is the location of this event. A Pharisee named Simon invited Jesus to eat in his house. Why?
    • The most important political party at the time was the religious group called the Pharisees.
      • The Pharisees were the majority in the governing religious group of the Sanhedrin.
        • The Sanhedrin continued to be in charge of all religious life in Israel even though they were ruled by Rome. Remember that Rome appointed the high priest to his position of power.
        • The Sanhedrin cooperated with the Roman government in order to maintain their powerful positions in Israel.
      • The Pharisees decided to investigate Jesus and his ministry to determine exactly what Jesus had in mind for the future.
        • Were His disciples planning a rebellion against Rome?
        • A few of the disciples used to belong to the Zealots, a radical reactionary group, interested in freeing Israel from the yoke of Rome.
        • Was Jesus rallying the general population against the Pharisees and the other religious leaders?
    • To spy on Jesus and to determine what Jesus had in mind regarding Rome and the religious leadership, Jesus was invited to eat with this Pharisee.
    • Did Jesus know this was a trap set in motion? Yes.
      • However, the motivation of Jesus was not to gain political or religious posturing.
      • Jesus’ agenda was spiritually higher and deeper than petty local politics.
  • Simon, the Pharisee and his house
    • The invited guest
      • As a host, Simon did not extend to Jesus, his invited guest, the normal custom of common courtesy.
        • A host must give his guest water, and if a servant was in that home, the servant must wash the feet of the guest. This practice began in the days of Abraham.
        • A host must anoint the head of his guest with olive oil to show welcome and honor.
      • Simon did not give Jesus a kiss of salutation that indicated He was invited in friendship and peace.
    • The uninvited guest
      • The custom of that time was that any person could enter as an uninvited guest.
      • The uninvited guest must remain on the sidelines as an observer and must not eat any of the food served.
  • The woman with the alabaster box
    • What is an alabaster box?
      • At that time in Israel, alabaster boxes, jars, and vases were popularly used for containing very expensive perfume.
      • Usually for very expensive perfume, a jar with a very narrow neck was used. Then the neck was broken to release the perfume.
      • Young women from wealthy families kept an alabaster jar of expensive perfume as part of their dowry. It was often passed from generation to generation in families as part of an inheritance.
    • The woman and her priorities
      • This woman was a recognized prostitute.
        • We do not know her name because the Bible does not tell us.
        • She is often confused with Mary Magdalene and/or Mary, the sister of Lazarus, but in reality neither of these two women named Mary were prostitutes.
      • This woman seeks out Jesus and finds him in the house of the Pharisee.
        • She obviously had heard about Jesus and believed that He was worthy of the gift she had decided to pour upon Him.
        • He was more important to her than anything of earthly value.
      • Crying profusely she dries His feet with her hair, kisses His feet, then pours the expensive perfume on his feet.
        • The phrase, “began to wash” (38) means = to water with a shower.
        • In other words, this woman was crying profusely.
        • Embarrassed thinking she had soiled His feet, she uses her hair to dry his feet.
        • Then she kissed His feet.

Remember that his feet had not been washed with water as was the custom.

The original words in verse 38 indicate that she kisses his feet again and again with great affection.

• • • • • The expensive perfume was an oil of balsam and worth a day’s wage.
  • Simon, the Pharisee’s criticism (39)
    • The pride of the Pharisee was critical of this woman because to him she was the greatest of sinners.
    • Jesus should not have permitted this sinful woman to touch him.
  • Jesus responds with a short parable:
    • Because Jesus knew Simon’s thoughts, He speaks a parable to bring to the surface Simon’s heart attitude. The parable is directed at Simon.
    • The Parable of the Creditor and Two Debtors:
      • Who does the creditor represent in the parable?
      • The creditor is Jesus Christ.
      • Why is Jesus Christ the creditor?
        • He is the Creator of this world and all that is in it belongs to Him. (Col 1:16-18)
        • He is the Redeemer that paid the price on the cross to buy back this lost world from Satan that was handed control of this world system by Adam’s sin. (Heb 5:8-9)
      • The identity of the two debtors:
        • One debtor owes 500 pence (denari). This debt amounts to about $18.00.

In Jesus’ thinking this debtor represents the Pharisee.

However, the Pharisee probably thought this debtor represented the woman. He thought she had ten times more sin than he had.

The woman also thought this debtor represented her. (47) However, Jesus tells us that He forgives her little sin. (47)

• • • • • The other debtor owes 50 pence (denari). This debt amounts to about $6.00. It is a debt hardly worth mentioning.

In Jesus’ thinking this debtor represents the woman.

Of course, the Pharisee did not recognize that he had any debt at all.

• • • • What exactly does the debt represent?
        • Everyone there that heard this parable knew that the debt represented sin in a person’s life. (49)
        • The mental illustration here is that God has an accounting ledger. Every time a person sins, God puts a black mark in His ledger next to that person’s name. Finally the ledger is totaled. The final total represents the amount of person’s indebtedness to God.
        • In reality, neither debtor could pay his debt no matter how big or how small. Why?

Man cannot sufficiently atone for his own sins no matter how many good deeds he does.

God’s ledger is never balanced by good works as many people believe.

Read Rom 4:4-5

• • • • • In God’s eyes, both debts separated the debtors from God’s presence and love. Therefore, in the parable the amount of the debt is really not important. It served only to bring Simon’s attention to his own sin and judgmental attitude toward the prostitute in his home.
      • The benevolent creditor forgives both debts equally. This act of forgiveness without regard to the amount represents God’s magnificent grace.
      • Notice that Jesus puts the burden of the interpretation on the Pharisee by asking him two questions. Then others who are observing asked a third question:
        • Question #1 = “Which of them will love him (the creditor) most? (42)

Simon answers the question correctly.

“…He to whom he (the creditor) forgave most” (43)

• • • • • Question #2 = “Seest thou this woman?..” (44)

Simon does not answer this question for obviously he sees this woman at Jesus’ feet.

Jesus wanted Simon to acknowledge her as a human being with value.

• • • • • Question #3 = “…Who is this that forgiveth sins also?” (49)

Other observers asked this question because they know that only God can forgive sins.

We have seen Jesus forgive sin earlier in the book of Luke. (Luk 5:20)

• • • • The central truth of the Parable of the Creditor and the Two Debtors:
        • Jesus gives us the central message in verse 47.
        • To whom little is forgiven, the same loves little. To whom much is forgiven, the same loves much.

The fact is that no person knows the full extent and gravity of his sin.

There are the sins of commission and the sins of omission.

We often know the sins we commit, but frequently do not know the things we fail to do correctly.

There are many people who do not acknowledge that they are sinners simply because they do not know what sin is in God’s eyes.

When we become familiar with the Word of God, it is like looking into a mirror.

With the truth of the Word of God and the conviction in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, we see clearly how far short we fall from God’s holy standard.

The more we become aware of the extent of our sinful nature through the Word of God, the more we are driven to seek the abundant forgiving grace of Christ. (1Joh 1:9)

The more we experience God’s forgiveness, the more we will love Jesus who paid our debt with his blood on the cross.

• Application:
  • Jesus pointed out Simon’s failure to provide for him a common hospitality as a guest in Simon’s house in contrast to the woman’s heartfelt honor that she gave Him.
  • “And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.” (50)
    • What do we learn about faith from this woman?
    • Faith comes from the heart and is expressed in works that follow faith.
    • Read Jam 2:17
  • What is the relationship between love and forgiveness?
    • The more we realize all that Jesus did for us on the cross, and all the sin that He forgives in us, the more we will love Him. Why is that important?
    • Read Joh 14:15

Homework

Luke 8:1-15

• Application of Luk 7:36-50
  • In the light of the parable is there some sin in your life for which you need to ask God’s forgiveness? If your answer is yes, read 1Joh 1:9.
    • Pray and ask God to forgive you by stating specifically your sin. Then, fill in the statement below.
    • Today _____________ (date) God has forgiven me for _____________________(the specific sin), and I give him my love and praise in return.
• Preparation for Luk 8:1-15
  • Read Luk 8:1-15
    • If the soils in the parable represent the human heart, which of the four soils would you say represent a person that is saved? Why?
• Memory Verse: Psa 40:8