Luke 7:36-50

Luke 7:36. And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.

It was usually a suspicious circumstance when a Pharisee desired to be familiar with Christ; it might generally be suspected that he wished to entrap him. Yet, on this occasion, if there was no real friendliness to Christ, there was at least the appearance of it. We see what our Saviour did when the Pharisee gave him an invitation: «He went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.» The Lord saw there an opportunity for usefulness. He knew that be would have a good reason for speaking personally to this Pharisee, who, peradventure, was one of the other sort. At all events, our Lord felt that it was right for him to go into that house, even if they did watch him, and try to catch him in his talk. If there was hypocrisy there, there was the more need for his presence, as Jesus himself said concerning his eating with publicans and sinners, «They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.»

Luke 7:37. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

She was not a sinner in the ordinary sense of the word, but she was «a sinner» by trade, «a sinner» by profession. It always seems to me that, in this description of her, every word is emphatic. There is much meaning in every separate action of the woman; and even in her little mannerisms there is something that is instructive to us. Our Lord was reclining at his meal, and his feet were turned towards the door, so that she had not to come far into the house before she reached his feet; and there she stood «at his feet.» Those are blessed words: «at his feet.» That is where we also would stand and weep. That is where we would sit and learn. That is where we would wait and serve. That is where we hope to live and reign for ever: «at his feet.» This woman «stood at his feet behind him,» as if she were unworthy to be looked upon by him, but found it honour enough to be behind him, so long as she was but near him: «at his feet behind him weeping,» with sorrow for her sin, with joy for her pardon, with delight in her Lord's presence, perhaps with grief at the prospect of what yet awaited him. And she «began to wash his feet with tears.» O sweet repentance, which fills the basin better than the purest streams of earth could ever do! Then she unbound her tresses, those nets in which she had, mayhap, caught many a man when she had hunted for the precious life after her former sinful manner. But now she uses those tresses for something better, she makes a towel of her hair. That which was her pride shall now fill that humble office, and even be honoured thereby. «And kissed his feet.» Oh, the tenderness of her love, and the strength of her passion a sacred one, not born of earth at all, for that dear Lord of hers! she kissed his feet; and then she poured upon them the precious perfumed ointment which had cost so much.

Luke 7:39. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying,

Well, what did he say? I think that, if some of us, taught of God, and let into the secret of eternal love, had been there, we should have whispered to one another, «What a change has been wrought in that woman! There she is, weeping, and washing the Saviour's feet, when, but the other day, she was standing at the corners of the streets, in the attire of a harlot, plying her accursed trade.» How greatly we should have rejoiced to see her! But it is only grace that teaches us to rejoice over even one sinner that repenteth, and Simon the Pharisee appeared to know little or nothing of grace. He had, however, the good manners not to say aloud what he thought, but «he spake within himself, saying,»

Luke 7:39. This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

Yet «this man» was a prophet, and he did know «who and what manner of woman» that was who touched him. More than that, he knew what manner of woman his grace had made her, and how true, how pure, was the love which she was then manifesting to him; and he knew how deep was her repentance, how changed her heart, how renewed her entire life was. He knew all about her, but poor Simon could not know «this woman» as Christ knew her.

Luke 7:40. And Jesus, answering, said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.

Christ often answers people who do not speak audibly, he answers those who only speak in their hearts. So you, who are silently praying, may take comfort. If Jesus answers a Pharisee who speaks in his heart against him, much more readily will he answer his own people when they are speaking in their hearts to him. It was a hopeful sign that Simon used a respectful title in speaking to Christ, and that he was willing to listen.

Luke 7:41. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both.

«Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most.» Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. Now, dear friends, I hope that those of us who have had much forgiven are proving, by the warmth of our love, how right was this judgment on the part of Simon. If thou hast had much forgiven, be well to the front in every struggle on behalf of the cause of Christ. Be well to the front also with thy gift for him; bring thy alabaster box, and break it for him. With not for anyone to ask thee, much less to press thee, to give to him who gave his all for thee, but, spontaneously, out of the love thou bearest to trial who has loved thee so much as to die for thee, prove that thou lovest him most of all.

Luke 7:44. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman?

Christ knew that Simon did see her, and that he had just been sneering at her in his heart: «Seest thou this woman?»

Luke 7:44. I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and washed them with the hairs of her head.

«I became thy guest; and, therefore, as my host, the first thing thou shouldst have done was to give the ordinary Oriental hospitality of washing my feet: ‘Thou gavest me no water for my feet; but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.'» What a changing of places there is now! The Lord has made the first to be last, and the last to be first. Simon thought himself far in advance of this woman; but now that Christ had explained their true positions, I should think he began to see that the woman was far ahead of him.

Luke 7:45. Thou gavest me no kiss:

Yet that was the Eastern custom in welcoming an honoured guest.

Luke 7:45. But this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.

«At best, thou wouldst only have kissed me once, but this woman, since I came in, has never left off kissing my feet. With a sacred audacity of love, she has lifted my feet to her lips, and kissed them again and again.» So, see here again how the first is last, and the last first.

Luke 7:46. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.

«That is a common custom in the case of a guest of honourable estate, but thou didst not observe it; yet this woman has poured upon my feet the most precious form of perfume that could be procured anywhere.»

Luke 7:47. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

There I see the clear run of the argument, that she is a woman who has had much forgiven by Christ, and that is the reason why she loves him so much. But, often, when an inference is very natural and plain, the Saviour leaves men to draw that one for themselves, while he draws another. He puts the same truth in another shape: «Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.» I am afraid that there are many professed Christians, who must have had very little forgiven them, for they love Christ very little. This seems to be the age of little love to Christ. There are some few who love the Master intensely, but, oh, how few they are! Some persons think they are only very little sincere; and we are told, nowadays, what a little thing sin is, and what a little place hell is, and what a very short time the punishment of sin will last. Everything is according to scale, and it must be so in religion; as you diminish the guilt of sin, and the punishment of sin, you also diminish the sense of obligation in being saved from sin. Consequently, you diminish our love to Christ, and we shall gradually get less and less, I fear, unto the old scale, the old balance, the old shekel of the sanctuary, shall once again be used by us.

Luke 7:49. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?

«Who is this who can thus absolve from guilt?

Luke 7:50. And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

«Go home, good woman, do not stop here and be bothered by these people.» And oftentimes, that is the best advice that we can give to new converts. There is a theological controversy raging, and the jargon of the different schools of thought is being used by one and another; but, do you go home, good soul. You need not trouble about controversial matters. Your sins are forgiven you; your faith has saved you; if you know that, you know as much as you need to know just now. Go home, and be quiet and happy: «Go in peace.»