The Anointing of Jesus by a Sinful Woman

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Luke 7.36-end

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September 1st 2019
So last week we left off with John the Baptist being described and discussed by Jesus with the people. This brought us to a whole new scene in the narrative described in Luke chapter 7 beginning at verse 36. Let’s read:

Luke 7:36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. 37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. 40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? 50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

Jesus and the Woman at the Pharisee's House

So let’s jump back to verse 36.

36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.

We know from verse 40 that this Pharisee was named Simon. We know nothing more about him. And of course we know that when it says that Jesus “sat down” to meat, that the custom of that day was not to sit at a table and eat but to recline around a table on the ground for their meal (termed meat here).

And while they were reclined (verse 37)

37 . . . behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,

What do we know of this person.

She was a woman. She was from a city – perhaps Nain, perhaps Capernaum – they were the closest – of maybe from some other city, even Jerusalem. She was a sinner. She knew somehow that Jesus was in the Pharisees house, And she came with the premeditated purpose of blessing him with a gift in her possession.

The Woman's Act of Devotion

There is no evidence that this woman was Mary Magdalene as some suggest. Nor is there evidence of what type of sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace. she was guilty of committing though people love to suggest it was sexual and that she was a prostitute. Could have been, but maybe not. But verse 38 takes us deeper into the heart of this woman, saying:

38 And (she) stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

This was a sinful woman who was broken. She knew something about the Lord – something that caused her to seek him out with this alabaster box and to be overwhelmed with emotion in his presence.

I suggest that what we are reading here is the confrontation of one's

The Story of Repentant Sinner's Love

Personal sin to the only solution to sin – the Lord Jesus Christ – a meeting where remorse and shame and emotion overwhelm the contrite sinner. Because of the way they reclined at the table, on their left side, with their feet either extending straight back or sort of under them bent at the knees, his feet were the most accessible part of the Lord to the woman. Because of the custom to remove one's sandals prior to entering a home, Jesus' feet were readily exposed to her, and in an act of common hospitality and kindness, she began to wash the feet of this guest.

This was simultaneously an act of love, adoration, humility (of a servant), and penitence for her crimes against God and man, evidenced by her tears. This was her way of showing her love to the one who she trusted could grant her forgiveness.

Differing Accounts of Anointing

Now, we come to a bit of a question – which in the end is not a question at all – however, if you are gifted with the spirit of cynicism, this could trouble you. What is it?

Matthew 26:7 says: “a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.”

Mark 14:3 says: “While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.”

And then Luke 7:37 says: “A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.” And we read that she pours it on his feet.

Now, because there are similarities in these stories – even down to the alabaster box and the fact that it’s a woman who pours its contents onto some part of Jesus, and that he was reclining at the time to eat, some people have suggested that these are the same stories – and therefore that Mary from Bethany, Martha’s and Lazarus’s sister – was a vile sinner.

I am going to quote from someone far smarter than me on the topic – a long deceased Brit known as Robertson who wrote regarding Matthew's version: The anointing (in Matthew and Mark) has nothing in common with that given by Luke, except the fact of a woman anointing the Savior’s feet, and the name Simon, which was common.

Robertson's Analysis

The former (Luke’s account) was in Galilee, this (Matthew and Mark’s account) is at Bethany near Jerusalem. There (in Luke) the host despised the woman who anointed, here her brother is one of the guests, and her sister an active attendant. There the woman was “a sinner,” a notoriously bad woman, here it is the devout Mary who “sat at the Lord’s feet and heard his word” months before. There the host thought it strange that Jesus allowed her to touch him, here the disciples complain of waste. There the Savior gave assurance of forgiveness, here of perpetual and world-wide honor. Especially notice that here the woman who anoints is anticipating his speedy deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God. and burial, of which at the former time he had never distinctly spoken. In view of all these differences, it is absurd to represent the two anointings as the same, and outrageous on such slender ground to cast reproach on Mary of Bethany.

Of course, some could suggest a collusion of stories among the Gospel writers, and in the end, it comes down to what you choose to believe. To me, the fact that this was common in that day and among women toward others as a sign of respect tells me that there certainly could have been a number of occasions where the Lord received such a greeting. But that is how I choose to see it.

In the end, the story here in Luke is one that shows the heart of the repentant sinner – in and through her actions and attitude. We note that Luke does not include any words from the woman. Apparently, she did not speak. She didn’t need to. Her approach and presentations of humility and love spoke the contents of her contrite heart – which is what God looks upon – the heart.

39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, “This man, if he were a prophet, would

Jesus and the Woman: A Lesson in Judgment and Forgiveness

Because this Pharisee appears to know that this woman is a sinner it seems that she was from the local area or perhaps she was evidencing some sort of sign (clothing, jewelry, makeup) that signaled this to him. Perhaps he was straight up judging her? Or perhaps he knew her to be a sinner in a more intimate manner? (I doubt that) Nevertheless, the Pharisee did exactly what Pharisees do – he made a negative assessment of both Jesus and the woman in the face of this exchange.

Luke tells us that he did this in his own mind, saying “he thought within himself.” What did he think? That, “If Jesus was a prophet he would have known who and what manner of woman this is.” It’s sort of ironic, isn’t it, because if he was a true and living prophet, a Savior, he would have known what manner of woman this was and he would have invited her to touch him as a means to be forgiven! This is the rub between what the Law had become to the Jews and what the Messiah came to show – the external touching, what goes into the mouth – is not what defiles a person – it's all about the heart. And this Pharisee was shining condemnation into his own heart here as he wrongly judged both the Lord and the woman!

Gosh, how we can get so far off the mark of what God’s heart is on things. The word prophet here apparently means the power to know the moral condition of others and not necessarily someone who predicts future events. The Pharisee assumes that if Jesus really been sent from God he would be equipped with knowing these things about this woman. The irony here is that this Pharisee did not say this, and Jesus discerned his thoughts – which appears to have escaped his notice.

The Custom of Separation

So the assumption on the Pharisees part was because Jesus did not rebuke her he did not discern her and he of course assumed this because it was customary not to touch or be touched by unclean souls in that day. Of course, we know that Jesus did not refuse to associate with the guilty which is one of the charges against him, but we can’t really blame the attitude some of the Pharisees had toward remaining distant from unclean people. This was commanded of them relative to lepers and to women menstruating and was part of the Nazarite Vow – so to them it WAS important to keep oneself physically separate from people known to be unclean.

Jesus came illustrating a new way to see and think but He had to teach it, and exemplify it to others – it would not have come naturally to them. Even Paul in 2nd Corinthians cites Isaiah who cited God as saying:

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,”

So, the idea of refraining from contact with unclean people was known and understood by people who may have otherwise been followers and lovers of God.

Lesson on Love and Forgiveness

I say this because I am not so sure that the lesson here is in the attitude of the Pharisee toward Jesus allowing a sinful woman to touch him. His response was expected in that time and age. The lesson, in addition to what Jesus teaches in this setting about love and forgiveness, was that Simon was blind to the fact that Jesus read his thoughts and addressed them, proving He was a prophet sent from God – but this was completely overlooked by Simon at the time. (verse 40)

40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.

41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.

So there was a man who lent money to others – “a certain creditor” and he had lent to two others – debtors – in the amount of 50.00 dollars and five dollars because I think the point in not in the exact exchange rate from pence to dollars but in one sum was ten times larger than the other.

(Verse 42)

42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? The word for love here is agapao,

Unconditional Love and Debt Forgiveness

Meaning who will love him most unconditionally and without reservation?

Neither were in a position to repay their debt but one was in ten times as much debt as the other – and he “CHAR-IDZOMAHEE” forgave them both – wiped the slate clean of their entire debt. Now, put yourself in the shoes of the debtors. I’ve been in debt before and some debts – like the five dollars owed – are manageable to most people as we can scrounge up five dollars with a little effort to make the payment.

And because it is manageable, we tend to look on the debt as no big deal. If you are conscientious about money and transactions, it’s a big deal but due to the principle of the matter – you were loaned a five and you feel the compulsion to repay the five. But if based on the amounts alone repaying five does not typically stress a debtor out – it's manageable – and because it is manageable, there is little worry or regard for the lender. Again, not a huge deal.

The Weight of Larger Debts

But ten times that amount? That is a little more daunting – especially when Jesus taught this because we are talking about a large sum of money. And when you are broke and have nothing to pay, someone a large sum looms like a backpack of rocks. So the two debtors cannot repay on their loans and the lender frankly forgave – openly and without price forgave – them both. To the one owing five, this was a gift of 5.00 to him. To the one owning fifty, this was a gift of 50.00 to him.

Because I have been all around downtown working in public places (and now live there) I have been engaging with the destitute for nearly 14 years on close to a daily basis. Those who are truly destitute appreciate anything and everything, but hand a twenty to an entitled, expectant, I-deserve-this-because-I-am-a-human-being person and the gratitude is often barely there. This is what we are facing, of course, in this story of Jesus.

One man – Simon – sees himself as deserving of God’s goodness and grace. This has placed him not only in a position of little love, but he, lacking outward sin in his life, has become indifferent, even deaf and blind, to the presence of the Messiah in his house. On the opposite end is a sinful woman, who without words and only tears, performs an act of humble, servile devotion toward Jesus in whom she recognizes great value – He can forgive her sins which are many.

Moral Crime and Forgiveness

His response to Jesus and what he can offer him is akin to a man who owes another a five and is forgiven. Hers is like a man who owes another a fifty and is forgiven. So the illustration here is obviously to Jesus propitiation and gratitude for it. Remember, we are not likening this example to God forgiving a monetary debt. He could easily do that as easily as a lender can. But in the case of sin, it is an actual “moral crime” that is being forgiven, one that affects others and their rights, and their lives, and their well-being – not to mention that which offends the holiness of God.

When God pardons as a moral governor it is on behalf of a universe of cause and effect. People unwittingly say: “He’s God, why can’t he just forgive everyone? Why the need for a blood payment from His Son?” My response is it is because He is God that He cannot just forgive everyone without a payment of life from His Son. That would make Him arbitrary, indifferent to the pains of others, and unjust.

Our sins, against God and man, are called debts because they cause a moral imbalance in the world. A good and holy God cannot discount the pain and suffering of a person robbed and raped by ignoring the cost and price – therefore His Son and His sacrifice of blood – wherein the life of a person dwells – to pay for the moral imbalance on behalf of the world. That repayment for any sin or crime on our behalf would be an impossibility. We don’t have the moral ability to atone for a five, let alone a fifty. So, without the payment of life for the imbalance of life, humankind would forever remain alienated from God. Just as the lender frankly forgave both debtors, which amounted to…

A Lesson in Gratitude and Forgiveness

a direct loss in his estate – that of a five and that of a fifty – so Christ, in flesh, without sin, God with us – offering up himself, paid the moral imbalance to His personal detriment.

Now, who will love Him most – those for whom he forgave a little or those for whom he forgave a lot? (verse 43)

43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he (Jesus) said unto him, “Thou hast rightly judged.”

We can’t be sure if Simon was aware that he was being set up here for his inner thoughts by the Lord – we can’t tell if he knew that he was part of the example of not – for the simple reason, Simon probably had no idea that Jesus discerned his thoughts about Him allowing a sinful woman to bless him. But that is about to change.

(Verses 44-46)

44 And he (Jesus) turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, “Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.

Awareness and Gratitude

And right before them we have a living example playing out of those who LOVE much because they have been forgiven MUCH, and those who love LITTLE because they have been either forgiven LITTLE or because they do not understand how much they have actually received. See, to me, even though the parable speaks to being forgiven lots or little, the fact of the matter is Simon was unaware that he was a great debtor too. To me this teaching is as much about awareness as it is differing amounts of sin.

Because while Simon was in all probability not guilty of the same type of crimes as this woman, we was guilty of a hard heart toward a sinner, of being blind to the person of Christ, and of great failures for which he too needed Jesus. The woman, certainly needing more forgiveness, was at least humble, contrite, broken, and exercising love toward a Savior whom she received by faith – something that Simon had yet to cultivate within himself.

Like most of Jesus teachings, there are superficial meanings that hold water, and then there are deep running meanings. In this situation I see both. Because Simon judged the moral standing of this woman in his heart, Jeuss uses her in comparison to him. And he says:

The Contrast Between Simon and the Woman

Compared with what you have done to me, compared to how you have treated me, compared to your lack of respect and esteem, she has shown me more gratitude and love by far! “I entered into thine house. I came at your invitation but instead of receiving all the traditional hospitalities, you have treated me with disrespect. “Thou gavest me no water for my feet.”

(which was customary among Eastern people before eating to wash the feet) (verse 45)

45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.

The kiss was a token of affection or a common mode of salutation, and Simon had even neglected this too. But the sinful, scornful woman “hath not ceased to kiss my feet.” What a difference between a man of great religious piety and this sinful woman is the point – one was indifferent the other loved. Why? Gratitude.

She knew, realized, perceived her absolute need for Him. And was deeply grateful for his person. He saw nothing worth respecting. In fact, all he did was criticize him as being sent from God!

46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.

Customs of Hospitality

Another custom of respect ignored by the Pharisees toward Jesus – anointing the head with perfumed oils – a universal practice among the Jews mentioned a number of times in the Tanakh (Ruth 3:3; 2nd Samuel 12:20; 14:2; Psalm 23:5).

The thing about this comparison is that the Pharisee didn’t even take the time to anoint Jesus with what was a common oil mixture most houses maintained but the woman brought with her a box of fine costly oils and used it all on Him.

We’re getting the picture here. And

Self-Examination of Our Hearts

Are we able to see how it relates to us in the present day as believers? Because some, for the same reason as Simon the Pharisee, are not really aware of the value Jesus has in their lives—even though they profess to be His disciples. He is an afterthought, and is therefore shown in and through their responses to him, as such.

But to others, like this sinful woman, Jesus is seen for who and what He truly is—and is responded to as such—with humble broken adoration, consummate respect, and ultimate devotion. The story reveals to us our hearts for Christ. Are we still sizing him up? Unsure if He was sent by God and therefore treat him somewhat distantly, or have we seen who we really are before the living God from the heart, and in this view realize our absolute need for Him, and therefore respond with our all?

Allegiance Through Love

We can’t force this allegiance to Jesus upon each other through religious practices and demands. This woman was a sinner in the community and she of her own volition found Jesus, box of oil in hand, and paid tribute. So, these insights are not an attempt to force you to bow to Him. They are aimed at getting all of us to look inward and in the self-examinations of our hearts, discern if we are Simon or Sinner—in the presence of our Lord.

Jesus concludes and says to Simon:

47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

This is a fascinating line: “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven: for she loved much.” The words, for she loved much, is the proof that her sins have been forgiven. Remember the story and the question Jesus asked Simon: “Tell me therefore, (between the two who were forgiven of their debts) which of them will love him most?

In other words, BOTH were forgiven of their debts (another subtle proof that Jesus paid for the sin of the world), right, but to the question, who will LOVE the forgiving debtor the MOST, the reply is: “The one who was FORGIVEN of most.” So when Jesus says, “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven: for she loved much,” he is saying, “we can see by her love for me that she has been forgiven of her many sins,” and we can say this based on the story that the one who is “forgiven of the greatest debt would therefore love the most.” Get it?

This is NOT saying that her sins which were many were forgiven BECAUSE or AS A RESULT of her loving much—remember, appealing to the story, the creditor FORGAVE the debts first—and then came the question—who would love the most as a result.

Great Love for the Forgiver

So all Jesus is saying here in the face of this woman’s loving actions is that she 1) is proving that she knows her sins are forgiven by and through faith in Jesus, and 2) that she therefore obeys the first great commandment of Loving God with all one’s Heart, Soul, and Might better than a Pharisees who’s sins are, at least on the surface, less.

I say this because in the English this verse sounds like the REASON why her sins had been forgiven was because she had loved much—but this would be contrary to the whole New Testament, which supposes that love succeeds, and not precedes forgiveness. Nevertheless, it is a tremendous illustration of what follows behind those whose sins have truly been forgiven—great love for the forgiver.

Then Jesus adds a truism (at least speaking of those who are of humble hearts): “but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” Remember—both parties here—the Pharisee and the woman are represented as having been forgiven by the lender. That is a done deal. But the point is all about love and how it correlates to the act of forgiveness.

We see this all the time in real life, don’t we? A person who has been religious all their life tends to have attitudes of piety and even superiority—if they are not careful. But the street dreg who comes to see Jesus as Lord and Savior who not only forgives their sins but emancipates them from a life of bondage to it—they are the Jesus freaks—right? Again, I think the deeper point is that we all have sin.

The Forgiveness of Sins

– enough of it to separate us from God forever – so the issue is about perspective of self and soul – but that is a subtext to the obvious meaning Jesus makes.

But we end today with something Jesus adds to the life of this woman – verse 48

48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

Nobody can forgive sin but God himself. And here Jesus makes plain that he was certainly “God with us.”

The whole story began when a Pharisee in his mind decided that Jesus wasn’t even a prophet sent from God and it ends with him telling a sinful woman outright that her sins (which are many – meaning she had caused a lot of moral imbalance in the universe) were forgiven.

The Act of Forgiveness

First, this was a gracious, merciful, insightful act to extend to one who did not appear to even ask for it. Second, the profession exposed Jesus to ridicule and even death – which is really the consummate example of agape loveSelfless love marked by patience, mercy, and humility—central to living in spiritual liberty. – when someone seeks to alleviate the suffering of another and in so doing sets themselves up for punishment. (verse 49)

49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?

Faith and Salvation

And then at verse fifty we read

50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

Which supports and clarifies the overall New Testament value of faith in salvation from sin and death (in that day and age) and love being the natural product of such a salvation.

A Reflection

A final point – this woman, according to the text at least – made no profession of believe in Jesus name, did not sinners prayer – but she did evidence faith in Him by her actions, which were the product of her heart of hearts.

Something to think about as we wrap up our time today.

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Dave and Nancy and Jax