March 5, 2023
We’re continuing our sermon series from the gospel of Luke on Jesus and the outsiders. There are four gospels, which are books in the Bible that tell Jesus’ life, death & resurrection. Luke’s gospel has a particular emphasis on how Jesus lifted up the lowly and reached out to humble people.
We all judge others. It’s part of life. A teacher judges an assignment: does it deserve an A or a B? A jury is not the judge, but they judge whether a person is guilty or innocent. A policeman judges if you’re speeding.
We would all agree that, at some level, we’re allowed to judge. I’m going to ask you some questions, this is a little tricky, and you think about your answer. Ok, do you have the right to judge someone’s funny haircut? Should you say “Oh, I can’t believe that haircut!” Do you have the right to judge that? If you’re sitting right next to someone who just got their hair cut, don’t look at them, just look forward. What if it’s your kid’s haircut and they want to get a bad word shaved into it? Do you have the right to speak to that?
It’s all a little tricky. Maybe the closer someone is to you, the more you might need to get involved in judging. Or not! Sometimes, the closer you are to someone, like if it’s your spouse with the bad haircut, do not judge! You should just praise how good they look with that haircut!
Sometimes you need to judge, and sometimes you get into trouble if you judge! Today we’re going to talk about a guy who judged Jesus and thought he had him figured out but got it wrong.
Today’s reading is Luke 7:36-50. Simon is a Pharisee, and he invites Jesus over for dinner. The Pharisees studied and taught the law of Moses. They were holy and they taught people how to be holy as well. Simon the Pharisee was curious about Jesus. Most of the Pharisees didn’t like Jesus because he thought people were more important than rules. Pharisees stayed far away from sinners, while Jesus would talk to and help them.
Simon invited Jesus over for dinner, but he didn’t do the usual things you would do to welcome a guest. Today, if someone comes over to your house you might say, come in, have a seat, can I take your coat? Would you like a drink? Back then, you would usually give your guest a kiss on the cheek, you would bring out a bowl of water and a towel so your guest could wash their feet, or if you had a servant, they would wash your guest’s feet. You would put some oil on their head, so they look and smell awesome, in an olive oil kind of way! Simon didn’t do those things. He invited Jesus to his home, but it wasn’t a very warm welcome.
A woman who lived a sinful life (we don’t know how she sinned) heard that Jesus would be at Simon’s house, and she brought some perfume and headed over there. She must have heard about Jesus’ kindness, and that he welcomed sinners. Jesus was reclining at table, at Simon’s house. That means he was lying on his side, propped up on his elbow. She stood behind his feet and was crying, her tears fell on Jesus’ feet. She didn’t mean to cry on his feet, it just happened.
She decided to wipe Jesus’ feet. She let down her hair. A woman didn’t do that in public! She was supposed to have a covering on her hair. But she wipes Jesus’ feet with her hair; she doesn’t have a towel.
Next, she kisses Jesus’ feet! That seems weird. But it was common, a sign of respect and honor, to kiss a rabbi’s feet. (See what we are missing out on?!)
Simon sees what this woman is doing, and says to himself, If Jesus really was a prophet, he would know this woman touching him is a sinner. He would stop her!
Simon has judged Jesus. He lets sinners touch him. So, he’s not really a prophet. Simon has also judged the woman: that she is a sinner. Have you ever been a Pharisee in your heart, judging someone in words you wouldn’t say out loud? I have. It’s easy to see someone else’s sin, but harder to notice our own sin.
Jesus maybe overhears Simon talking to himself, or just looks at Simon and sees the look of disgust on his face. Jesus says, Simon, listen, two people owed a creditor, one had a small debt, and the other had a huge debt. They were both forgiven; their debt wiped out. Which one loves that creditor more? Simon said, “The one who had a huge debt.”
Jesus said, that’s right. You didn’t let me wash my feet when I came in. She washed my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t kiss me on the cheek when I came in, but she hasn’t stopped kissing my feet. You didn’t put olive oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. She is so grateful! She loves because her many sins are forgiven. Then Jesus tells the woman, “Your sins are forgiven, go in peace.”
Jesus had said to Simon, “Look at this woman.” He is saying to him, don’t just condemn her; see her. Really see her. Simon saw a sinner. But Jesus saw a person in pain, someone who needed grace, not judgement; a dearly loved child of God. Jesus doesn’t want us to pick apart other people’s faults when we’ve got issues of our own. He wants us to really see people.
We give some people extra grace. Like kids, we know they are still learning. Maybe they’re a little too blunt and say, “You’re so old!” But it’s no big deal. They are still learning. Jesus came for sinners, and he gave them extra grace. When they approached him, trying to come closer to God, Jesus knew they were just learning. His goal wasn’t to wall himself off from sinners or condemn them, just to stay pure. Jesus’ goal was to go out to sinners, welcome them, and rejoice when they turn to God.
Imagine if all Christians looked at people like Jesus did. We would give people extra grace. We would know we are all still learning. When a sinner would turn to God, we wouldn’t expect them to have it all figured out. We would encourage them, love them, and rejoice they have begun to follow Jesus!
My challenge for you this week is to read Romans 3:23. Let’s say it now, repeat after me: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Judging is something we need to do; it is part of life. But sometimes it’s tricky. Jesus taught Simon that he and all of us have sinned. He also taught, sometimes the person you think is the sinner, is also the saint, the one who loves much. So, judge carefully! And see people the way Jesus saw them, he saw all of them: their pain, brokenness, and heartache, who they were meant to be, and he saw them as dearly loved children of God. Amen.
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