The Radicals - A Sinful Woman Forgiven Women of Extraordinary Faith 2/15/2015 Summary: Questions: This is the sixth sermon in a series called "The Radicals - Women of Extraordinary Faith". Women throughout history and the Bible have had more difficult conditions compared to men. The women covered in this series trusted God in conditions that were brutal and boldly unfair. The hope is that you will not only learn about these women in the bible, but also appreciate and learn from women in your life - women teach us how to have courage, fortitude, and move forward in hard circumstances. This sermon studies the Sinful Woman Forgiven in Luke 7:36-50. The woman described in this passage never utters a word (contrasted to the woman at the well from the previous sermon which had more words than any other woman during the 3 years of the ministry of Christ on Earth). Even with that said, after reading this passage, you already feel that you know her. You know by her gratitude to Jesus that she is radically forgiven, radically changed, radically overwhelmed, and in so doing becomes radically undignified. Jesus was in the business of radically changing women. He didn't take from them, He wanted give to them. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little. Luke 7:47 1. Judging a book by its cover or a person is one way of being self-righteous. If this is one of your sins, how do you fight it? See Luke 7:39 2. Jesus tells us that we must change. Through His Word we are told the difference between living like a Pharisee and a Christ follower. Not just a profession of faith but a change of behavior. Are you willing to do this? Luke 7:33-35 3. Jesus sees "what we can be". How have you experienced Jesus's ability to see your potential? Are you willing to become a sinner in the past tense? Luke 7:37 4. The sinful woman pushed to get to Jesus's feet. When have you felt so strongly about Jesus that you push to the front to be closer to Him? Have you ever lost yourself in worship of Jesus? If you have been a Christian for many years, compare your worship today to when you first become a Christian. See Luke 7:38 5. What holds you back for going "all in" with Jesus? Are you radically grateful to Jesus for what He has done for you? Luke 7:44-46 6. As Christians, sometimes we can get so caught up in the "rules" of being a Christian that we lose sight of why Jesus came to the world. Why is it harder for someone to forgive and love another
who has done many wrong things versus someone who has worked hard to not break the rules? How often do you repent for your sins? How does that change your view of others? See Luke 7:47 7. Characterize the behavior of the men described in Mark 14. What happened in verses 37-42? Who betrayed Jesus (see 43-50)? What did the remaining Apostles do? What happened to the man in verses 51-52? How did Peter react to being identified as one of the Apostles of Jesus in 66-72? 8. Contrast the men's behavior in the previous question to the woman described in Luke 8:1-3, Mark 15:40-41 & 47, Luke 23:55-56 & Luke 24:1-9. What did the women provide to the ministry of Jesus? How did they react to the death of Jesus on the cross, and what were they planning to do for Him? What part of their radical nature did they display in Luke 24:10-11? Notes: Judging a Book by its Cover Matt reads lots of books - loves to read information. And judges books by the cover. How many books do you have that have great covers, but the contents are terrible? Also how many books have you turned down by judging it by its cover? Judging people by their cover: o Matt's family went to see Paddington at the movies. In line to the movies, we see people and can 'guess' which movie they will watch just by looking at them - will people watch Paddington o This is a self-righteousness that we have (a barometer). A snap judgment may tell a snapshot, but doesn't tell the whole story. o We see in the 3 years Jesus taught - we saw a lot of people that judged people by the cover. Luke: Dr. Luke is the most prolific writer in the New Testament (most # of words written in the New Testament) Luke communicates the ministry of Jesus (the Gospel of Luke) and the after-effect (Acts) o The Gospel of Luke is like a "prequel" to what is to come, he is like a reporter, he interviewed a lot of eye-witnesses o Acts is the sequel - describes what happened as a result of Jesus's ministry, death on the cross, and resurrection o In the Gospel of Luke, he highlights the tension between Jesus and the existing religious establishment Luke 7:33-35 (ESV) [33] For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, He has a demon. [34] The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners! [35] Yet wisdom is justified by all her children. The religious leadership didn't like John the Baptist or Jesus:
o o o John the Baptist - clears out the debris so that everyone is ready for Jesus, though has odd diet and clothing. Hangs out in the wilderness Jesus - message is in the city, John is in the desert. Though messages are congruent - the Gospel and the Kingdom Pharisees wanted to be idolized, and they wanted to demonize Jesus because they didn't like what He was saying The people don't like God's plan - o they are in darkness, and the light comes in and they just fight it. o No matter who the messenger is, they will be despised. Wisdom is justified by all of her children - o This is describing the real fruit of wisdom which is real transformation of the heart. Jesus's way is the truth - people are changed by what is said. The essence of the Gospel is acknowledgment of our sinful nature and Jesus takes that from us, and in gratitude we worship Jesus. Jesus is saying that if what we do bears fruit, then it will shows that Jesus's way is truly wise. The people's heart's change by the words that people say. The real fruit of wisdom is real change. Sinners turned to saints, and tax collectors stop ripping people off. Luke 7:36 (ESV) [36] 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. Pharisees were not necessarily priests - they were 6000 strong in Jesus's day, and were business owners that were loyal to the Pharisees. They had good means - successful, well-known, and exalted in the community. This Pharisee (Simon) is well known and he is inviting Jesus to dinner at his house. But this isn't to be nice - this is a setup. The Pharisees have turned against Jesus, as Jesus has been speaking out towards them throughout the Gospels. So they invited Jesus to find something that they can use against him. Reclined at the table - means that the people eating at the table would lay on the floor. This took place at the courtyard of the Pharisee's house, where the table would be in the center. Everyone lays on the ground with feet away from the table - you don't want anything dirty at the table. While they were reclining, others could come and watch by standing behind their feet. People are grind to line the perimeter to watch - they will be talking about politics and Rome. They are there to listen - they should not talk. Luke 7:37 (ESV) [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, "Woman" - remember that there was a simple Jewish prayer - men would thank the Lord that they were not a woman or a gentile - men are good with God. "Woman of the city" - Not any woman, this is a woman that walks the streets, or she is "of the streets". This Pharisee now has a prostitute at his house next to his dinner table.
"was a sinner" - vs 33 - Jesus is hanging out with tax collectors and sinners, he wants to know the "books" (not just the cover). He has been dealing with people that have had abuse and use. She may have had a previous interaction with Jesus - perhaps He has already saved her. He gripped and shaped her in a way that she experienced the forgiveness and love of Jesus. This Pharisee (Simon) doesn't realize any of this - he is too busy judging books by its cover. Her first interaction with Jesus was being released from her past. He has seen what she can be and He has taken her there. She has come there in thankfulness. She has an alabaster flask of oil that could be an heirloom or something earned through prostitution. Either way it is very expensive and she has brought it with her. She has lost her business - if she has been changed by Jesus, she doesn't have a way to make money at this point. What man would take her as a wife at this point? She is trusting in God. The only thing that she has that has value she is ready to give to Jesus in thankfulness. Luke 7:38 (ESV) [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. Standing behind him at his feet - she has already pushed through the crowd to get to His feet, she is a radically changed person. She is right up to where the border of the table is next to a Pharisee. She was weeping - she is so happy that she is changed and forgiving that she is crying Weeping so much that his feet - she is radically overwhelmed. It's hard to capture the emotion of this scene. Wet his feet - was the word for rain. Jesus feet were dusty, and now they are getting muddy. wiped them with the hair of her head - she is now radically undignified. Series of unfortunate events that is very fortunate. She is so lost in the moment because of the one that changed her life. In their culture, if a woman went out into the public with her hair down, her husband could divorce his wife. He could leave her because she was being so undignified (so sexually provocative and inappropriate). People are not thinking that she is so overcome with thankfulness, they are judging her by the cover, as a prostitute working on her next customer. kissed his feet - same word used as the father kissing his prodigal son. anointed them with the ointment- she is so overcome and captured in the moment, she can't help what she doing. She is not thinking through the scenarios or etiquette - but she is thankful and worshipful, and is so genuine and radically changed and radically undignified. Luke 7:39 (ESV) [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.
for she is a sinner - Jesus sees her as a no longer a sinner, but the Pharisee sees her as damaged goods - she will always be a prostitute in his man. So the Pharisee perceives that the Jesus is not a prophet because in his mind Jesus should have known that she was a prostitute and not allowed her behavior. Luke 7:40 (ESV) [40] And Jesus answering said to him, Simon, I have something to say to you. And he answered, Say it, Teacher. Simon, I have something to say to you - While Simon privately thinks that Jesus is not a prophet, Jesus picks up on it and immediately proves him wrong - He is reading his mind. Luke 7:41 (ESV) [41] A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 500 Denarii - 20 months of salary 50 Denarii - 2 months of salary Luke 7:42 (ESV) [42] When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more? Cancelled in Greek is "graciously forgave". The essence of the Gospel is about cancelling the debt of sin. The debt doesn't go away though - it is re-allocated. If you forgive a loan, then you are taking the "hit" of the debt in place of the other person. Jesus is saying that He is taking on her debt. This is true of anyone who follows Jesus - He takes their debt. Luke 7:43 (ESV) [43] Simon answered, The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt. And he said to him, You have judged rightly. The one, I suppose - The Pharisee reluctantly answers the question, and Jesus points out that he is right. Luke 7:44a (ESV) [44a] Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, Jesus turns to the woman but is talking to Simon - Jesus is only focused on the woman. There is likely a message there - Jesus is more riveted on the woman than on Simon at this point. Simon, Jesus, and the woman has a filter: o Simon - no matter what the woman does, she is "damaged goods". He views himself as a religious, good, faithful Pharisees. This is why he is so ice hearted when she breaks down on Jesus. He sees that she could never be different. o Woman - she likely sees herself as one that has repented and forgiven, and imperfect in some ways but perfect in others
o Jesus - sees the woman as debt forgiven. Her debt is now His, and he will pay for it for 6 hours on a Friday through the cross and the wrath of God. He sees her as debt paid. Jesus sees her as forever different. It's very likely that Jesus is wanting to get this message to her and not as much to Simon the Pharisee. Luke 7:44b-46 (ESV) [44b] 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. Jesus is saying that she has used a valuable commodity on the least desirable part of me. Simon (the host) didn't anoint him with olive oil (which is prolific in that area). Simon is not necessarily a rude host for not doing these things, but she is not a rude guest for doing these things. She is way more in than he will likely ever be because of the way he sees the world around him. She is radically grateful. Sometimes as we grow in our Christian faith, we can become more like Simon the Pharisee than the woman. Worship gets a little bit more mundane, our thankfulness begins to wane, we care about the information and the details about our morality but we don t have the overwhelming sense of joy to the point of tears. We don't delight so much that God is our great passion. We state that we follow God, we are a good Christian, we go to church, we do good Christian things, but we are not moved. Sometimes that happens so much we start to judge. Luke 7:47 (ESV) [47] Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little. No one is disagreeing that she has a lot of sin in her past. Her sins are cataloged - every time she has been used, abused, given herself away, done it for the money - every single sin Jesus knows by heart in a cataloged form because He took it on Himself and paid its penalty. He isn't holding the list against anyone, He needed it to tally to suffer for - that is atonement. In order to pay the penalty he needed to know the ledger. He is not disagreeing that her list isn't long - He is saying that her list is His, so He is asking that Simon to not hold it against her. Sins are forgiven - she has been called out in public, with Jesus looking right at her next to the cream of culture and affirming that she is forgiven. The evidence that she has been forgiven she loves much, but a person who has not forgiving much don't love much. The difference is that she knows how much she has sinned, and she has been forgiven. But Simon thinks that he is so good that he doesn't believe that he needs forgiveness. The more self-righteous we are the less apt we are to be overwhelmed by the grace of God. We are not really sure that we really need it that much. Luke 7:48 (ESV) [48] And he said to her, Your sins are forgiven.
It's a reminder - she already has been forgiven in front of the tax collectors. It doesn't matter that the others don't see you as forgiven. This is why Luke records her as "was a sinner" - because she already had been forgiven. Luke 7:49 (ESV) [49] Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, Who is this, who even forgives sins? Yep - it's God. No human being can forgive sins. People can forgive people, each other. Luke 7:50 (ESV) [50] And he said to the woman, Your faith has saved you; go in peace. Don't let this guy define you - you are not defined by Simon the Pharisee. You are defined by Jesus. There is peace in not sinning any longer. Go knowing that you are loved and forgiven. Notice that the woman during this story never utters one word - the woman at the well had more words in the 3 years of the ministry of Christ than any other woman. There is more dialog with another nameless woman at well than any other woman in his 3 year history. Even with that said, you already feel that you know her. You know her gratitude, that she is radically forgiven, and that she is radically grateful, radically changed, and proven in that she is radically overwhelmed, and so much so she is radically undignified. Jesus was in the business of radically changing women. He didn't to take from them, He wanted to give to them. Luke 8:1-3 (ESV) [1] Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, [2] and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, [3] and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means. This passage testifies not only to the role of women in the ministry of Jesus, but it also testifies to the radical nature of women. Jesus goes from this one woman who is a prostitute and who is now a treasured and prized saint of the Gospels, to series of other women. In that culture women would not have owned a lot of business or would have had a lot of wealth or means, but these women were financially supporting Jesus and the 12 apostles. These women would not have had a significant financial stream, what they had was faith. They had so much faith that they were willing to give it away. Mark 14 (paraphrased): o Jesus has just had the last supper, Judas is going to go betray Jesus, Jesus takes 3 of the apostles to pray at Gethsemane - Jesus is praying and the guys are sleeping. The 12 men are a train wreck - 1 has sold out, and the other 11 are lazy. o The authorities come and arrest Jesus - the 1 stabs him in the back, and the other 11 run. One guy is so freaked out that they grab him by the clothes, strip his clothes off and he runs away naked (verse 51) - that is scared.
o So the men have fled the scene and Jesus goes to the Cross Mark 15:40-41 (ESV) [40] There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. [41] When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem. Who is there to see Him there suffer and die, and pay the debt? Woman looking from a distance, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James. It was the men that ran and the women who stayed. It was the women that supported financially the men when they didn't have the means to support themselves. When we talk about radical women in the bible -this is some radical stuff. While we believe that the role of men and women complement one another (and these roles honor God), men would do a good job to learn from the radical faith of women. Luke 23:55-56 (ESV) [55] The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. [56] Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. o After Jesus was buried in the tomb, it's not the apostles (the 12 which is now the 11) that come to the tomb and see where Jesus's body is laid. The woman are the ones that : o Provide financial support to Jesus's ministry o Go to the cross and watch o Go to the tomb to see where he was laid and prepare spices and ointments for his burial to give him a proper burial after the Sabbath. Luke 24:1 (ESV) [1] But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They = the women Luke 24:2-9 (ESV) [2] And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, [3] but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. [4] While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. [5] And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, Why do you seek the living among the dead? [6] He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, [7] that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise. [8] And they remembered his words, [9] and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Remembers His words - this is great because there are people that won't remember so well. They were all in - they were studious too. Luke 24:10-11 (ESV)
[10] Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, [11] but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. The women told the apostles, and they didn't believe them. Faith can be more difficult for men o Men are very functional and analytical Men try to solve problems themselves Women have strong faith and rely on God Maybe the problem is there to grow our faith, and not something there that is apart from faith o The women come to tell the men something crazy - Jesus is risen from the dead These women have a Radical Faith, and model it