This is a story about a dinner, an upstanding citizen, a prostitute, and an itinerant preacher, and how right thinking can turn the world upside down.

Luke 7:36-50 One of the Pharisees asked him (Jesus) to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 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, 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. 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.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “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. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

This account of the dinner and the uninvited guest contains a valuable lesson for us, but it might not be what you think. Our thinking could be wrong on two points. First, that of course the woman should be grateful because she was a woman of the streets and very sinful. Second, we might think that all Simon the Pharisee needed was a little attitude adjustment; that he had no reason to show such lavish gratitude. Both ideas are wrong.

You see the temptation is to view the woman as the “other”; the one who is not like us. And to see the Pharisee as basically a good moral man who just needs a little clarification to make his relationship with Jesus right.

A crucial point of Jesus‘ parable of the two debtors is this: Neither man had the ability to pay. One owed about two month’s wages, while the other owed more than one and a half year’s wages. The amount which was forgiven was not equal, but in reality, both men were equally helpless. Maybe the man with the greater debt had reason to be more grateful. But in fact each man had a debt that he could not pay, and both received undeserved pardon from the moneylender.

If you were to interview a cross section of people in this country, you’d find that most people believe they are going to heaven and the reason they give is that they think they are basically “good people.” Survey after survey shows this. People use a moral balance scale that is always weighted in their favor when they compare themselves to the worst in our society. The problem with this attitude is that there is no bad news in it. And if there’s no bad news, then there cannot be any good news. And if there’s no good news, what is there to be grateful for? To me, this is the greatest challenge to evangelism. It is not opposition; it’s indifference. The attitude that is most difficult to overcome is one that says, “I’m not that bad so I don’t need saving. A little self help here, a good deed there, and I’ll be fine.”

Now you and I, as basically moral, upstanding, taxpaying non-criminals might find it hard to identify with the woman in the story. Frankly, we’d rather be the Pharisee, who was well thought of by most people. We secretly hope that there is in us some good that merits forgiveness for our few “missteps.” That thinking is dead wrong! Not the woman, not Simon, nor we, are able to earn forgiveness.

Here’s the truth; without Christ, you and I are filthy, broken, rebellious and dead in our sins and trespasses. We are totally helpless. There is nothing that we can say or do; there is no formula of behavior that we can learn that can keep us from the punishment and death we deserve. Here are three basic principles repeated over and over again in the bible:

God hates sin (Not just displeased or disappointed in us):

Jeremiah. 44:4 “…I persistently sent to you all my servants the prophets, saying. ‘Oh, do not do this abomination that I hate.’”

Psalm 5:4-5 “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.”

All have sinned (Everyone has sinned, whether much or little):

Romans 3:10-11 None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.

1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Saved by faith (Christ is the only way):

Romans 10:9-13 …if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Heidelberg Catechism Question 2. What must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort? (The comfort of having Jesus as Savior and Lord.)

Answer 2. Three things:

First, how great my sin and misery are;

Second, how I am set free from all my sin and misery;

Third, how I am to thank God for such deliverance.

Bad news; Good News; gratitude. 

The woman in this account has experienced all three of these things. She was known and despised by the people of the city. She had come to know how ugly her life was; without meaning and without hope. We can only assume that she had heard about Jesus, that she had probably heard him speak, and had received the good news about the kingdom of God, about repentance and forgiveness. Having been set free then, she sought out Jesus once more, and at great risk of further humiliation and rejection, she gave thanks for her deliverance.

As for Simon, the Pharisee, we can only hope that he got the message, and that he too at some point, had reason for grateful tears of joy.

Each week in worship, after we confess our sins, we read a passage of scripture that assures us of forgiveness so that we might receive the “abundance of pardon.”

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

It is no small matter, this pardon. Our sins are so great that they require a lavish outpouring of forgiveness, of pardon. Thanks be to God for his abundant mercy. It gives us full assurance and our hearts are grateful because we have received it.