March 2002 chaplain's corner

The Chaplain's Corner is a monthly message for chaplains.

Chaplain's Corner - March 2002

Rev. Rich Hines

This message is primarily for those serving as correctional chaplains within the United States, and who call upon the name of Christ as their own Lord and Savior.

This month I want to bring you another passage that is unique to Luke's gospel. It certainly belongs in any Biblical study of New Testament Evangelism. Tragically, it shows us another example (and there are many in the Bible) of the difference in attitude between the religious - yet lost, and the Lord God who came to save sinners.

The passage is Luke 7:36 - 50, look at it with me.

36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.

37 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,

38 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.

39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself (lit. 'within 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."

40 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." So he said, "Teacher, say it."

41 "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.

42 and when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"

43 Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."

44 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.

45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.

46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.

47 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."

48 Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"

50 Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

This passage is definitely about spiritual salvation, about being saved and forgiven of sins against God.

Here we see some things about God, about human beings, about Jesus Christ and about saving faith in Him.

About God:

1. Only God can forgive sins - verse 49 - He alone has the ultimate authority to forgive sins.

2. Only God can read and know the thoughts of human hearts - reflected in verses 39,40,44,49.

About Human Beings:

1. The woman was a sinner - verses 37,39,47,48

2. Furthermore, this passage suggests all humans are sinners - verses 41,42,47. Compare this to 1 Kings 8:48

"For there is no one who does not sin," and Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

3. Many, maybe even most humans, don't see or realize their sins - verses 39,44-47

About Jesus Christ:

The woman was completely forgiven by Jesus, who is God, the only Savior available for sinners - verses 47 - 49

About Saving Faith In Christ:

The text shows the woman worshiping Jesus. The Lord said that she "loved much," (verse 47) and then Jesus spoke about her "faith" (verse 50). Therefore there must be a connection between love and worship towards Christ and saving faith in Him.

To get more into this passage and break it down a bit, there are five sections. The FIRST SECTION is verses 36 - 38

Here the emphasis is on Jesus (Who is God) and a sinful woman. The background is the meal at the Pharisee's house.

36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.

According to Acts 26:5, the PHARISEES were the "strictest sect of the Jews religion." The Pharisees were intense legalists. They did have some truth. They got some things right. They believed in one God. They believed in a supernatural God. They believed in a future judgement. They believed in a resurrection for judgement and rewards. They believed in a future life. They believed in a heaven. But sadly, where they were wrong, they were dead wrong.

Someone has said, "It doesn't matter how much of the Bible's message you get right if you're wrong about Jesus and God's true way of salvation from sin, whatever else you have right won't help you." In fact, it will condemn you even more.

We need to remember this truth in our age of civil religion and the thinking that every belief system man has invented will get it's followers to heaven. We live in a time when "god" (defined by whatever subjective feelings and thinking each individual has) is "IN" but "Jesus" is definitely "OUT." You need to think about this when cults or those that teach a different Jesus come into the facility and spread their own doctrine.

The Pharisees thought (as so many, even claiming to be Christian today) that heaven could be earned by good works and keeping laws. God's law was not given to save us but to show us our sin (Romans 3:19,20 and Galatians 3:22,24). Being legalists, to the basic laws of God they added 614 man-made laws of their own. These were the Sabbath Day laws. They were proud and were also lovers of money. Like all legalists, they looked at the sins of others while they were overlooking their own. That's what happens when you make your own external laws that you can keep, but in reality overlook the law and truth of God.

So this Pharisee invited Jesus to a meal - probably to see if He would do something against the code the Pharisees had made. When this verse tells us Jesus "sat down to eat," actually the verb is "to recline," the way some Far-Eastern Asians do today (like in Japan or China).

They reclined propped up on pillows facing the food, with their feet behind them. This makes the passage easier to understand and visualize the word picture of what happened. While Jesus and the others were eating, we read in verse 37:

37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner,

Here the clear implication is that she had been a prostitute. Often, many confuse this woman of Luke 7, with Mary Magdalene. There are ministries to streetwalkers and other prostitutes that use the name Magdalene, but we do not know for sure that Mary Magdalene was ever a prostitute. All we know about Magdalene's sin is that she had been demon possessed and that Jesus cast seven demons out of her (Mark 16:9).

Because of the same personal name "Mary," the one known as Magdalene, gets confused with Mary of Bethany, who did another anointing of Jesus similar to this one in Luke 7. Mary of Bethany's act was at the end of Jesus' ministry just before His death, in John 12:1-8. We simply do not know the name of the woman in Luke 7:37.

So here, this prostitute:

37 ...when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil,

38 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.

The oil she brought was not the normal olive oil based, anointing solution, but a very costly myrrh ointment. Remembering Jesus' physical position, reclining at the meal, it's easy to understand how standing behind Him she would be at His feet.

There she was, weeping. The word for "weeping" is actually to "wail loudly" as opposed to crying silently. I think she was broken over her sin. It says "she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head." Then we read "she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil." This was an act of intense worship.

Remember this woman was a sinner. See verse 37, see it again in verse 39, where the Pharisee said to himself "she is a sinner." Look again at verse 47 where Jesus said her sins were "many." Verse 48 talks further about her sins and in verse 49 the other Pharisees thought about her sins. She definitely had been a notorious sinner, but here in verse 37, she comes to worship Jesus.

The kissing of the feet of Jesus was not a romantic or erotic thing, but rather in that culture, it was worship. She was broken over her sins, she went to the One she believed could save her (Jesus) and worshiped Him. So that's the word picture of Jesus and the sinful woman.

The SECOND SECTION is in verse 39. Here we learn more about this Pharisee, who verse 40 tells us was named Simon.

39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself (lit. 'within himself'), saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, (in other words, really a messenger from God, really from God) would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."

Here we get the hint of the Pharisee's self-righteousness. He felt himself better than the rest of the people. Likewise, so many people today try to find people who, in their estimation, are morally worse than themselves, so that they can feel better about themselves, rather than dealing with their own sins.

The THIRD SECTION is in verses 40 - 43, where the passage shifts our attention from Jesus and the woman, to Jesus and Simon the Pharisee.

In these verses Jesus gave Simon the Pharisee a parable, a spiritual truth taught by an everyday life example.

40 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." So he said, "Teacher, say it."

Simon is an example of a person who doesn't realize his own sinfulness. All he could see and think about was this woman's sins. When Simon answered Jesus in verse 40, I can well imagine he was expecting some complimentary words from Jesus. He didn't know Jesus had just read the thoughts of his heart "within himself." Remember, only God can read hearts. What does that say about Jesus? Think about it. Jesus' parable begins in verse 41.

41 "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.

42 and when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"

A denarius (plural - denarii) was one day's wage in that society. So 500 denarii would be close to two years' wages but 50 denarii would be more like two months wages. Verse 42 says they had nothing with which to repay the one to whom they were in debt. Implied in this is the fact that all men are sinners, some more grievously so outwardly than others, but all are sinners, and all have nothing to offer God to pay for their own sins.

42 and when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore which of them will love him more?"

43 Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."

Then in the FOURTH SECTION in verses 44 - 47, Jesus explained and applied this parable of the two debtors to Simon, and to the woman. We read again:

44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?

Did he see her?!! Jesus knew Simon couldn't get her off his mind. He knew that Simon was thinking what a terrible sinner she was. Then, continuing Jesus said:

44 ...I entered your house;

We must interpret this in the context of ancient Middle-Eastern culture and the commonly expected hospitality. In that culture, when you invited someone to dinner it was considered only polite to show them intense hospitality.

You were expected to provide a foot-washing, and a common greeting which was a kiss on the cheek. You were also expected to offer them some olive oil based, refreshing scented compound - like a cologne. Note how Jesus reasons from the lesser, which Simon rudely did not do - to the greater, which the sinful woman did.

44 ... I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she (the woman you look down on as a 'sinner') has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.

45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss (repeated ongoing action) My feet since the time I came in.

Simon did not even give Jesus the greeting or salutation kiss, but a totally different word is used for this woman's kiss. It was the kiss of true worship, of intense devotion.

46 You did not anoint My head with oil, (common, oil based cologne) but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil (extravagant, expensive myrrh).

Again, the lesser to the greater, and then Jesus made His point:

47 Therefore I say to you, her sins which are many, are forgiven, (lit. have been forgiven) for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."

No love for Jesus, no worship of Jesus, in this context, means no forgiveness. The implication to Simon the Pharisee, was that he was not forgiven of his sins, whereas the woman's sins had been forgiven.

The final or FIFTH SECTION is in verses 48 - 50 and shows Jesus and the new woman. It also shows the other Pharisees that Simon had invited, and Jesus. What a contrast! Verses 48 and 50 are about Jesus and the woman He made new. Verse 49 is a reflection on the other Pharisees' thoughts of Jesus.

48 Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." (Again, literally, your sins have been forgiven).

The woman was completely forgiven. Jesus did that. God is the only Savior for sinners. "Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name (than Jesus) under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

(Acts 4:12 quoted, but compare 1 Timothy 2:5, John 14:6 and Titus 2:13)

48 Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

He said this out loud so that all could hear it. Then, note the reaction of the other guests at the dinner, who were also Pharisees. Note it in verse 49:

49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"

Daniel 9:9 says "To the LORD our God belong mercy and forgiveness."

To God alone belongs the right and authority to forgive sinners of their sin against Him. In a sense, if you do not believe Jesus is fully God, you are right to criticize Him for forgiving someone's sins. But He is God. He is the only one who can forgive sinners. He provided that forgiveness through His substitutionary death on the cross and His resurrection from the tomb.

How did He forgive this woman's sins? On credit. In human history, He hadn't died for her sins yet, but from God the Father's point of view He was the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world (see Revelation 13:8).

Although this passage makes no reference to Christ's redemptive act of dying in the sinner's place at the cross of Calvary, it does talk about this woman's faith in Him to ultimately be her Savior. Her salvation was fully accomplished when He died for her sins and guaranteed when He rose victoriously and triumphantly over all believers' sin. So, in verse 50 we read:

50 Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

Isn't that interesting? Nowhere does this passage tell us of any words from the woman that expressed saving faith in Christ. Yet Jesus said she had saving faith, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace." The woman "loved much" and worshiped Jesus. Therefore, we must conclude when true saving faith in Christ exists, it must lead to worship and love and devotion to Him. In fact, her love and devotion and worship was the unspoken, outward statement of her personal faith in Christ as her Savior and Lord.

What a message to bring to those whom society looks down on as "sinners!" To inmates and people from the streets

that end up in rescue missions and shelters. The people you chaplains serve!

So, take a lesson from this passage in Luke 7:36-50, and bring them the message of the God-Man who came to save them from their sin. Don't care what others, especially those that are lost in their own man-made religion, like the Pharisees, may think or say. Only care about what God thinks of you and your thorough presentation of the gospel. May He truly bless you as you do it.

Rev. Rich Hines

Minister To Chaplains