If you'll turn in your Bibles to Luke, chapter seven, please. Luke chapter seven will begin in verse 36. And as you're turning there, I would like to also welcome you here. When we come to worship the living God, we're tasting reality. This world is passing away. The invisible world, or Christ Himself, is enthroned and seated at the right hand of God in worshiped by heavenly beings, that's reality, and it will last forever. This is our foretaste. Luke chapter seven, beginning in verse 36. Now, one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him. So he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him solved this, he said to himself, if this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is, that she is a sinner. Jesus answered him, Simon, I have something to tell you. Tell me, teacher, he said, two men owed money to a certain money lender, one owed him five hundred denari. The other fifty, neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more? Simon replied, I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled. You have judged correctly, Jesus said. Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, do you see this woman? I came into your house, you did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman from the time I entered has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven for she loved much, but he who has been forgiven little loves little. Then Jesus said to her, your sins are forgiven. The other guests begin to say among themselves, who is this, who even forgives sins? Jesus said to the woman, your faith has saved you. Go in peace, it's prep. Lord Jesus, you were in Simon's house that night. You knew exactly what was going on. You know it's Simon looked like. You know the way the food tasted and the air smelled. You knew this woman, and you sent your Holy Spirit to us, and you preserved this story so that we might know, would you speak to us? Lord Jesus, our Savior and friend. Amen. You would be hard pressed to find someone living in this general area, in this community, to really say something bad about Jesus Christ. Many people would say that they're his followers. You do remember that this part of the country was lovingly called Jesus Lamb, don't you remember? You can just look down while not grow. You can see all kinds of churches. There are more churches in this city than you can imagine. So you're not going to find someone even someone who doesn't go to one of those churches to say something bad about Jesus probably. Most people are probably indifferent at worst. You know a lot of those people find Jesus very interesting and fascinating character. Even those who would call themselves a followers, but why do you have to become so serious about Jesus Christ? There are some people who absolutely adore this man named Jesus. Think about that for a moment. What does it mean to love Jesus Christ? We can't even see the man. It's hard enough to love people. I can see what's with those people. What's the difference between liking Jesus and being interested in Jesus and thinking Jesus is fascinating and even going to church and singing some songs to Jesus and loving Jesus are the people that love Jesus that maybe even at the mention of his name, their eyes light up. What's wrong with those people? Is it because they're in the south we call them religious, really religious? You know, if you're not religious, maybe something wrong with you in our culture. But if you love Jesus and you go on and on about Him, you know, that's Richie. He's in the ministry. He's real religious. That's what I get. But Jesus Christ is telling us loud and clear through this story. The only way to love Jesus and to adore Jesus is to know Him as Savior, as the one who has canceled past, present, and future your dent. The people that love Jesus Christ, adore Jesus. Tell people about Jesus are those who have been supernaturally born again. Yeah, walking miracles because they've seen the depth of their sin. But they've seen this man, Jesus, who we can't see, but he's alive. Wash it mysteriously but marvelously away. That's the difference, folks, between being religious. That's the difference between morality or moralism and Christianity. Christianity is a relationship with the friend of sinners. We're going to look at three things this morning. First, the one who loves Jesus. Second, the one who doesn't love Jesus. And then finally, how can we love Jesus more? Maybe you're here this morning and you love church. But you don't love Jesus and you want to love Jesus. It is my prayer and my hope and my confidence that Jesus Christ can convict you of sin through His Holy Spirit and lead you to total and absolute forgiveness of all your sin. Let's look at the first point. The one who loved Jesus. In verses 37 and 39, we learned that this woman is a known sinner in that town. Now, what does a known sinner in that town? What does that mean? A known sinner is that person, that woman, that man, where everybody knows their story. Now, if you've ever been in a small town, you all know what I'm talking about. I remember being in small towns. In fact, in Arkansas, they're mostly only small towns. And you go into a coffee shop or to a store or often to a church, sadly enough. And when that person with that reputation that did that thing back then walks into the room, everything gets quiet because everyone knows her story. You don't look at someone like that. Make eye contact with someone like that. You whisper about someone like that. That's who this is. She's the person in that town. She's a woman of shame. She's probably a prostitute. And one can only imagine the hell that was her life. That when she walked down the street, people wanted to walk on the other side of the street. She was likely even definitely an object of abuse. You know, the difference between shame and guilt, and I've said this before, is guilt is over things that you've done. You feel guilty over specific acts. Shame is what you wear. Shame is who you are. Shame is what you can't wash off. Shame is that name. You're that person. That did that. Do you all know what I'm talking about? That's who this woman is. That's what it means to be a known sinner in that town. That's who she is. She had no prayer, no standing. What's she doing? Let's ask that question now. We know who she is. What's she doing? Look at verse 37. When a woman who lived a sinful life in that town, learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisees house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume. Now, it's pretty clear, even though Luke doesn't specifically tell us, that Jesus is in town preaching. Why do we know that? Because that's what Jesus did in every town. Jesus went from town to town proclaiming the good news of the gospel, and Simon heard the good news, and so did she. He would preach sermons like this, like he preached in his own home town of Nazareth. The spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, and recovery of sight for the blind, and to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. That was the message of Jesus Christ. And you could imagine a message like that about the release for the oppressed. If you were a woman in a town like that, could you imagine the sound of that message in your ears? Release from my oppression, recovery of sight, from my blindness, being set free from my prison, and so like all rabbis in that day when they would come and teach, they were asked to go to the local Pharisees house. Local Pharisee would invite him over for a meal, and that's what's happening at Simon's house. But no one expect the oppressed woman to show up too, because she does. Jesus and Simon and his friends and this woman in fact the way the language sounds both in the beginning of this account and especially at the end because Jesus says, since the time I came in she has not stopped, implies she got here before I did or at the same time as I did. Houses were open for feast like that, and you could come in and watch the great conversation that the Pharisees and the rabbis were having, but you were not to get involved, especially not this woman. And so what is she doing? She is at his feet because in that day you would recline at the table on your left arm, you would eat your food with your right hand, and your feet would be behind you, and here is this woman weeping at his feet. Not just crying folks, weeping in the middle of supper, but this woman weeping. But she's not just weeping, she's at his feet and doing something wildly inappropriate. She is washing her tears on his feet that are dirty. You only had open-toed shoes in that day, washing Jesus dirty feet with her tears, and she's drying them with her hair. You were only supposed to let your hair down for your husband, women, or you could tell you, you wonder what Simon was probably thinking. Everybody knows who that woman is. I mean, if I were at that party, I would be saying, you know I have an early morning, guys, and I need to go. That is a check, please moment. Why is she doing this folks? I'll tell you why. Because it was Simon's duty when he invited the local rabbi to come over. It was a rule. A custom that this Pharisee were to invite this rabbi over, and the first thing he used to do is he'd give him a kiss on the face, a greeting. Simon hadn't done that. The second thing that he's supposed to do is provide him water. Oftentimes, if he's wealthy enough, he'll have a servant. Wash the feet of the guest. Simon didn't even provide him any water to give him a towel to draw his feet with. Even to anoint his head with oil when he walks into the room. Customary. And to not do so was a slap in the face. Simon is mocking Jesus. He is. And it was public, and it was obvious. That's coming rabbi, but I'm publicly not going to treat you like I would treat any other rabbi. So what's the significance? This woman is showing Jesus the hospitality that Simon didn't. She knows what you're supposed to do. She does. So she goes straight to his feet, but she doesn't have any water. All she has are tears. She doesn't have a towel. So she lets down her hair and dries his tear-stained feet. And she would never even pretend to even come close to think that she could approach his face and kiss him on the cheek. So she kisses him on the feet. And she definitely wouldn't try to anoint his head with oil like someone like Samuel or some Ferris, like Simon. She pours very expensive perfume that she used for her stock and trade. She broke the bottle and poured them on his feet and anoints his feet. Why on earth is she doing this? I'll tell you why. Because deep forgiveness will always be followed by an outpouring of love and adoration for the one who has forgiven you. This is a picture of the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, making Christ precious to someone. It's a miracle. It is. Jesus Christ cannot be adored as a teacher only. Jesus Christ will not be adored as a conservative moral person. Jesus Christ cannot be adored as a social revolutionary. He can only be adored as a savior. Because big, big sin needs big forgiveness. And it produces big, big, scandalous, outrageous love. Jesus knows exactly what kind of woman this is, verse 39. Simon looks and says if Jesus knew who this was, then he would not let this woman touch him. Surely he's not a prophet. Do you want to know why some people just go on and on about Jesus Christ? You ever wonder that? What? Did Richie just, is he just really religious? Is he just a good guy? I can assure you that I'm not. I have been forgiven. Much. Why do people go on about Jesus? Because he's come into their darkness and he has embraced them. They have seen that they have a debt that they cannot pay. It's real simple, folks. They have a debt that they cannot pay. And Jesus takes the debt away and he pays it by his own debt for them. He wipes the debt away to not love Jesus, so not know his forgiveness. Why don't you adore Jesus? It's totally related to how much you think he's forgiven you or how much you think you need forgiveness. The people who are the biggest Jesus freaks most of the time are the ones who have been the most forgiven and experience the forgiveness the most. They have nothing else to hide, nothing else to protect. It's easy to love the church or around about the church that we can love the church and love theology. We can love history. We can love worship. We can love music and not love Jesus. That's the one who loved Jesus. That's why she loves Jesus. Let's look at the one who doesn't love Jesus. Verse 39.
I tell you what Jesus is saying. I'll put it in our words. Throughout this entire story in this parable that he tells, Jesus implying, Simon, you really have no idea who's eating supper with you right now, do you? You don't know how wonderful I am. Verse 39. If you were a prophet, he would know who's touching him and what kind of woman this is that she's a sinner. And Jesus answered him, Simon, I have something to tell you. I think maybe he would reconsider about doubting his prophethood if he read your mind. Simon, I have something to tell you. Speak rabbi. Jesus is setting the whole thing up. He knows how he's supposed to treat rabbi's. Speak teacher. Two men owed a money lender, two men owed money to a certain money lender. One owed him 500-dinnery, the other 50. Neither of them had the money to pay him back so he canceled the debts both. Now which one of them will love him more? I suppose one with the bigger debt canceled. It's the first thing you've had right tonight, Simon. I'll put it in our language. Two men owed the bank money. One owed the banker $50,000 and the other owed the banker $500,000. Neither of them could pay a dime, not a cent. So he forgave the debts of both. Which one will love him more? The one who was forgiven $500,000, of course. But then something very significant that Luke points out to us. In verse 44, the first time that Jesus turns toward the woman. And he's still speaking to Simon. He turned toward the woman. Remember, you don't look at a woman like this. You see what Jesus is doing? He's acknowledging the beauty of who she is and what she's done. And he says, Simon, do you see this woman? I came into your house and you did not give me water for my feet. But she has wet my feet with her tears and she has wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman from the time I entered has not stopped kissing my feet. In other words, Simon, the problem that you have is that you don't think you have a debt to pay. People like this woman have a debt to pay, but you don't have a debt to pay. And that's why you don't know who I am. That's why you didn't even pay me the most common courtesy, the most basic hospitality. I'm not precious because you don't need me. The commentator Nate Kenneth Bailey who points out that Simon's sin reveals pride, arrogance, hardheartedness, hostility, a judgmental spirit, rejection of sinners, insensitivity, misunderstanding of the nature of God's forgiveness and sexism. You have a lot of debt to pay, Simon. And the most dramatic criticism of all folks is that he rejected this woman as a sinner, after she has fallen at the feet of Jesus. Jesus Christ reserves his greatest wrath for those who try to compromise or shun his grace. It makes him very, very angry. He doesn't know who Jesus is and so he doesn't know the truth about himself. He believes a myth about himself. He doesn't see himself as a great sinner. And when you don't see yourself as a great sinner, you have to believe a myth. We have to rationalize our guilt, blame it on someone else or something else. And here's the way that we rationalize. Here's what we do. Me. Here's the way we deal with our guilt because you have to go somewhere, don't you? We maximize our natural gifts and abilities. So somehow, the fact that I can make a lot of money, that I'm really smart, or I can run really fast, or I have a lot of friends, or I'm a really nice person, I maximize those things that somehow, maybe somehow, those debts will go away. But the problem is, they don't. I could promise you this. Jesus Christ is in the business of destroying the myths that we create about ourselves. A friend of mine years ago told me that his dad was an abusive man, an alcoholic, but the way he lived with himself is that he created a myth. And here was his myth. I'm a hard worker. You know, some of those people out there are lazy, but I work hard for my family. Somehow, he could tip the scales in his balance if he could create this myth that his ability to work hard was good enough. That's what Simon was doing, too. And that's what we do. Is Jesus destroying the myth that you've created for yourself? So there's one who loves Jesus, one who doesn't love Jesus, and then finally, how do we love Jesus like this? Jesus comes and meets us where we really are, not where we want to be. He comes down there to the place of your real guilt and real shame. He's not interested in your myth. Jesus Christ knows more about this woman than this woman does. And Jesus Christ knows more about you than you do, and he loves you. The whole story. Walker Percy, another great Mrs. Cippy writer, once said that bad books always lie. He said that bad books always lie most fundamentally about the human condition. They lie about human beings. He said, have you ever read a good Marxist novel? Have you ever read a good behaviorist or humanistic novel? How about a good Freudian novel or a Buddhist novel? He said they don't exist because all of those religions have to lie about human beings. They have to lie about human beings and their brokenness. Only Christianity is about pilgrims who know there's deeply something wrong with them, and they set off on a journey to make it right, and they meet Jesus. That's what a good novel is. Let me ask you this question. What story are you telling yourself? Are you telling a good story or a bad one? Are you starting off with your brokenness? Are you trying to start off with the goodness or your good traits or your good attributes? The main reason that most of us in churches are not loving is because we're more interested in doing and in judging. Then we are sitting underneath the judgment of God and begging for His mercy. Real Christians are growing in their love and their charity and their patience with each other because they know the love and charity and patience that God has shown them at their worst. I say this to men. I'm directing this just to us, guys, because good Southern men, we don't want to talk about our feelings and our emotions, and this sounds like a lot of touchy, feely stuff, doesn't it? But let me promise you this. David could whip every single one of us. King David? Yeah. He was a bigger man than anybody in this room, and he cried out to God. You search me, show me my offenses, you show me my sin, you show me my brokenness, and you bring me to that great mercy. Read Psalm 51. Let me tell you practically as I close how this comes about, how we grow in our love for Jesus Christ, because I'm on that pilgrimage with you. Recently, I began a discipleship relationship with an older man, a deep mature Christian man who lives far away from here. And I thought it'd be a good idea as I become senior minister of a large church like this to get some help from someone who's been down the road. And so I start talking to him, thinking he's going to give me some good tips, some good pointers on how to be a minister. So I try to be funny and I try to get him to like me. I try to believe the myth of Richie. I love the myth. It's a good myth. It's good. You ought to check it out sometime. But he saw right through it all. I can tell, each conversation, he got a little bit closer, a little bit more serious, a little bit more quiet. He didn't laugh at my jokes. And he said Richie, I'm going to ask you a question. This is from James chapter 5 verse 16, where we're told by James the brother of Jesus to confess our sins to each other. Richie, I want you to confess your sins to me. Okay. Goal. And I don't want just these garden variety sort of good PCA pastor sins, a work too hard, a love too much, a wretch, a love too much. But since that you haven't told anybody, he says, you struggle with guilt and shame. I said, I do. I said, I want you to tell me those. I want you to just take your time. I don't want you to pray. And I want you to confess your sins to me. Because we're told to confess our sins to each other. Folks, it was like getting on a roller coaster. When you walk up the roller coaster, and I don't like roller coasters, my hands started getting sweaty. A mouth started getting dry. My heart started racing. My breathing started to pick up. I didn't want to tell this man about sins that I was ashamed of that I don't want anyone to know about. But then I did. I started confessing sins that I wouldn't tell very many people. Things that I haven't even voiced to another human being. And here's the good news. Jesus was down there. You see the reason I didn't go down there and confess those sins? Because I thought that would be the final closet. The final door where Jesus said, oh, I had no idea about that. Get out of my face. But here's the good news. This is why deep forgiveness leads to deep love. It's because Jesus is down there. And down there, I hear the voice of my friend quoting scripture to me. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Though your sins are discarded, he will make them as white as snow. Richie, you are so loved. You're accepted. And let me tell you for a brief moment I got a glimpse, I believe, of what the woman at Simon's house experienced. That Jesus loves me. And the love for him began to be born in a way that I never had it before. Here's the truth. We're going to be a mean judgmental church, unless we realize our sin is great. Unless men and women, we go down there by God's grace and confess our sins to each other. Because if we don't meet Jesus down there, we don't meet Jesus. Because he who has been forgiven much loves much. Let me ask you this. Do you want to be a church that loves much, that loves other people much? That loves Jesus much? The only way down that rollercoaster is not to go back down the ladder. We've got to go on the ride. He's so gracious. Let's pray. Or Jesus, we lift these things up to you. I pray that you would give us the boldness to confess our sins to each other. To mature Christians, tight-lipped Christians that can keep a secret and that we would feel and know your forgiveness and your name. Amen.