Have you ever been forgiven a BIG trespass on your part by another person? What was your reaction to them? What was their reaction to your reaction? I love our Sunday Gathering practice of confession and absolution of sin. For me, I know it’s a good reminder that I am more of a 500 than a 50 denarii debtor!!! Read on to find out what that means!

[Luke 7.36-50]

36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 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, 38 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. 39 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.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 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. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

[ WHAT ] is this passage saying and what is a key truth or thought that we learn?

+ Share in your group a time when you were forgiven a BIG trespass by another person. What was your reaction to them? What was their reaction to you?

+ What do you think “a woman of the city, who was a sinner” means? Why is it important in this story? What do her actions toward Jesus tell you about her current spiritual condition?

+ Why did Jesus pick this time to share this particular parable with Simon the Pharisee? What can we learn from the approach Jesus takes with this “enemy”?

+ What did Jesus mean when he asked Simon in verse 44 if he “saw” the woman? What do you “see” when you look at people?

+ What did Jesus mean when He said “he who is forgiven little, loves little”? Does God ever forgive anybody “a little”? Then what is the obvious conclusion?

[ HOW ] is the Lord calling me to action/obedience?

+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?

+ For me, the most amazing truth in this passage is that Jesus EQUALLY loves both the stubborn, no love showing Simon the Pharisee AND the nameless ex-prostitute who showered Him with adoration and thankfulness!!! He also gives them both EXACTLY what they needed to hear. It all turns at v. 44:

“Then turning toward the WOMAN, He (Jesus) says to SIMON, “Do YOU SEE this woman?”

While Jesus looks lovingly at her, He recites all the wonderful actions she bestowed on Him out of her heart of thankfulness and tells her what she has always longed to hear; that her GREAT debt has been cancelled, her slate has been wiped clean, her repentance has been accepted, and that her sins have been forgiven!!! Can you imagine what she felt receiving praise from the one she loved and adored so much???

The Pharisee, on the other hand, is lovingly spared the direct gaze of God, but is given the lesson he needs as well. Simon hears he is spiritually myopic. He judged Jesus for not seeing (perceiving) what kind of woman this was and Jesus turns the tables and says Simon is the one who needs to see. “Simon the Pharisee did not see the woman as she was, a humble sinner seeking forgiveness, pouring out love for Jesus, because he looked at her as she had been, a notorious sinner” (Guzick 2018). His sins may not have been as numerous and well known, but he was also a debtor in need of forgiveness none the less.

“All who came to Simon the Pharisee’s house that evening came for a party. But this woman came to go to church. She came because Jesus was there, and she came to worship Him, to adore Him, to praise Him, to thank Him, to honor Him, to glorify Him, and to serve Him. When we gather for worship, are our tears flowing out of our shame and out of our gratitude? Do we come to give extravagant praise and thanksgiving to Jesus? This was not a token offering…but an extravagant act of worship coming from a woman who had experienced extravagant grace for the forgiveness of her sins”. R.C. Sproul from Luke: An Expositional Commentary

[II Corinthians 5.17-20]

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

[ WHO ] am I walking with and praying for to discover Jesus?

+ What is my next step?