Forgiven much: Luke 7:36-50
Thoughts about serving others
This link includes a list of posts about Serving the Least, the Lost, and the Lonely.
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Let the Word evoke words. May your life encourage lives.
Interesting to note that 1) a Pharisee invited Jesus and 2) Jesus accepted the invitation. For all the discussion about the Pharisees’ inability to understand the meaning behind their laws and the harsh words that Jesus has for the Pharisees in general, nothing prevented him from going to the Pharisee’s home for dinner.
This is something I really want to glean from the reading this morning. How can Jesus be so critical of the Pharisees and still get an invitation to dinner? I believe the incredible truth is this: Jesus simply told the truth and while truth can be painful, it doesn’t lie. It’s more important to speak truth than sugar-coat words and avoid conflict. Perhaps this is why my empathy meter is so low! But if Jesus, in his most critical moments, didn’t express empathy for the Pharisees, why would he be invited to anything, let alone dinner? Somehow Jesus is able to be critical and empathetic at the same time. Lord, please teach me this skill!!
Each of the Gospels has a story of a woman anointing Jesus with oil–this one is apparently unique. A sinful woman, one who had led a sinful life, must have heard Jesus preach and felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit move within her. She found Jesus visiting the home of a Pharisee and chose that place to demonstrate her repentance and desire for forgiveness. To begin with the end in mind:
Incredible words simply spoken, not shouted from a balcony for all to hear, yet more powerful than anyone could imagine. Those in the home of this Pharisee wonder, “who is this who even forgives sins?” The Pharisee that invited Jesus might have felt a bit awkward. I wonder if he back-tracked with his Pharisee friends by saying something like, “I thought I could speak some sense to him…”
Jesus provides a parable to clarify that those who have been forgiven much are even more thankful for their forgiveness. It’s interesting that Jesus uses a comparison of money to make his point, both significant sums of money (if we agree that one denari is a day’s wage), but one ten times more than the other. To be forgiven such a debt is a visceral example that all could relate to then as well as today. I read this as a side-note: money gets people’s attention! While this is nothing to be proud of, we should recognize some have lived lives of great sin, far from the friends and family that honor God, and appreciate the great difficulty that this repentance would usher into her life. We should welcome this new sister with great joy and love that will help her move away from whatever and whoever caused her to grieve so much that she would wash the feet of Jesus with her tears.
Lord, thank you for providing this example of great faith in this unnamed woman.