Jim Gallagher

Luke 7:40
“Simon, I have something to say to you.”

The event which occurs in the house of Simon the Pharisee stands out to me as one of the most fascinating in the New Testament. No miraculous healing takes place: the deaf do not hear, the blind do not see, nor are the dead raised. Yet this story is both priceless and timeless in the truth it reveals. It is the story of two people and their view of Jesus. Simon was a religious man that showed interest in Jesus. He valued Jesus more than many of his contemporaries.

While other religious leaders were plotting the death of Jesus, Simon was opening his home to Him. He was willing to invite Jesus in, dine with Him, and listen to what He had to say. Then there is the woman. She is quite different from Simon. She is described simply as a sinner. In all probability, she was a prostitute. When she entered the house she did what was customary for the host to do, she washed the feet of Jesus, but  in a very unorthodox way. Instead of a bucket of water and a towel, she used her tears and her hair. It seems she came to Jesus with the purpose of anointing Him with perfume. As she approached Him, she became overwhelmed with emotion, and began to express worship with reckless abandonment. Those who looked on were shocked, both by the behavior of this woman, and by the reaction of Jesus. In response to this Jesus said,

“Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

This woman’s unrestrained worship flowed out because she knew what Christ had done for her. She knew she was a sinner and desperately in need of the Savior. She placed the highest value upon Jesus, and gave all that she had. Simon was no less in need of Christ than this young woman. His sins, though different, were no less. He was as desperately in need of a Savior as she, but his religious activities blinded him of his need.

How about you? Have you seen your need for the Savior? Do you understand that He has forgiven you of a debt greater than you could ever pay? How do you respond to this? Do you come to Him prepared to worship? Are you willing to give all you have and all you are, to show your love to Him, for all He has done for you? After all, Jesus said the greatest of all commandments was to love Him.

To understand His love for us, we do not need to sin more, we simply need to understand that we are sinners. Take time right now to worship Him, and when you gather for public worship, come prepared to give of all that you are.

Pastor Jim

Questions for Luke 7

1. Who was sick and ready to die?
2. What was the attitude of the centurion in vs 6-7?
3. What word describes the heart of Jesus towards the widow?
4. What was the response of the people when Jesus raised the widow’s son from the dead?
5. What is Jesus description of John the Baptist?
6. Who interrupted the meal that Jesus was having with a Pharisee?
7. What did she do to Jesus?
8. What did Jesus do for her?

Old Testament:
Leviticus 12- Bad Connection
Leviticus 13- Unclean