The Wordless Sermon.
Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, “if this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is - that she is a sinner.” Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. “Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.” Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:36-50)
Every once in a while my wife and I will go out on a Saturday morning to go visit the local yard sales. (In New England we call them “yaad” sales.) Everyone who has ever gone “yaad-sale-ing” dreams of finding that one phenomenal deal. You know what I’m talking about; you see an old violin someone found in their attic and you discover they only want 10 bucks for it. You buy it, and later find out it’s a genuine Stradivarius and it’s now worth over a million dollars. Oh, the stuff that dreams are made of!
Coming back to earth - in a true story from Bristol, Connecticut. A couple had a yard sale and decided to sell a mirror they’d received as a wedding gift. It was an expensive mirror but they were selling it cheap because it had a gaudy, aqua-colored frame that didn’t match anything else in their house. A man bought the mirror for $1. He was excited. He said, “This is a great deal - it still has the plastic on the frame!” He then proceeded to peel off the aqua-covered plastic before the stunned buyers and revealed a beautiful gold finished frame! Sometimes beautiful and priceless things can be concealed beneath an unattractive covering
– but you have to have an eye to see it.
In the passage above Jesus is attending a dinner party of a very popular man in town. Simon is a Pharisee. He was a meticulous observer of the religious laws of the Old Testament. He fasted, he tithed and he gave alms to the poor. He knew his Bible backward and forward. He was active in his community. He was a great man - a legend in his own mind! To everyone’s surprise and to the dismay of the host, in walks a notorious woman from the village. Everyone knew who she was just by looking at her. The original language says she was “a sinner in the city.” It’s a phrase that means she was “a woman of the night” or “a street walker.” The language indicates she was a prostitute and I’m sure she looked the part. The moment she walks into the room, it’s as if a spot light is directly on her. All the “respectable” people turn their heads and think to themselves, “What is she doing here?”
Scholars tell us prostitutes of that day often wore a vial of perfume hanging by a cord around their necks. In a culture where bathing was infrequent, a pleasant fragrance would have been their stock in trade. A drop or two would be used to entice prospective customers. But the passage tells us she poured out all her perfume. Do you see the significance of what she did? She broke the vial to anoint Jesus with the perfume. She broke the tools of her trade. It was her way of saying “I won’t need this anymore. I’m making a clean break with my past.” Then she began to kiss Jesus’ feet. This wasn’t all that uncommon in ancient times. It was one of the ways a beaten enemy surrendered to the one who had won a battle. It was not only a sign of affection from this woman. It was her way of saying, “I surrender to you Jesus. You have won your rule over me completely. I give up. Your grace has conquered my stubborn spirit.” Her eyes are now swollen with tears she can no longer hold back, and they begin to fall onto His feet. She takes the crown of her beauty, her flowing hair, and uses it to wipe the lowest part of the Son of God. It’s her way of saying, “No longer will I take pride in my beauty or who I am. I renounce my pride and I gladly bow to worship you.” What a beautiful picture of adoration and worship!
Not one single word is recorded from her. Yet there has never been recorded a greater proclamation of worship in all of history. The fascinating thing of it all is that Simon misses it – even though it’s happening right in front of him. He can’t see this beautiful display of worship because all he is focusing on is what the woman represented to him. Stop for a moment and ask yourself, “What prevented him from being drawn into her act of worship?” It’s his own pride. He can’t see the beauty of the moment, because, in his own mind, he’s so proud of who he is compared to her. He thinks of all the hard work he’s done to get to where he is – all the sacrifice – all the investment. All the time he’s given - all the things he has given up for the sake of his religion. His mind is preoccupied with thoughts of who he is and what he’s done and accomplished. And then he begins to compare himself with her. “What has she done? She hasn’t paid the price that I have. I’ve given so much more than her! I’ve worked so much harder than she has. She doesn’t even belong here! I’m a much better person than she is.” He feels so justified in his attitude towards her. It actually makes him angry. He can’t wait to tell others that Jesus tolerated a sinner like her.
Praise God that the Lord doesn’t see us the way Simon saw his uninvited guest. Jesus looked beneath the surface and knew that beneath the gaudy, ugly surface of her life there was something beautiful waiting to be made new through His grace. Jesus then turns to Simon and points out his error: Simon looked at the woman and all he saw was a sinner – he looked at himself and all he saw was self-righteousness. The problem? He should have been paying attention to Jesus. If he had truly been paying attention to Jesus, his pride would have easily been swept away and he would have joined her in this beautiful expression of worship.
Sometimes beautiful and priceless things can be concealed beneath an unattractive covering – but you have to have an eye to see it.
That’s what Jesus did with that woman and that’s what He does for us. He knows below the gaudy, unsightly surface there is something beautiful waiting to be revealed. His forgiveness and grace liberates us and strips away the plastic coverings. All it takes is an attitude of humility and a moment’s glance at His wondrous beauty. Will you fall at His feet today and allow Him to change you forever?
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
Every once in a while my wife and I will go out on a Saturday morning to go visit the local yard sales. (In New England we call them “yaad” sales.) Everyone who has ever gone “yaad-sale-ing” dreams of finding that one phenomenal deal. You know what I’m talking about; you see an old violin someone found in their attic and you discover they only want 10 bucks for it. You buy it, and later find out it’s a genuine Stradivarius and it’s now worth over a million dollars. Oh, the stuff that dreams are made of!
Coming back to earth - in a true story from Bristol, Connecticut. A couple had a yard sale and decided to sell a mirror they’d received as a wedding gift. It was an expensive mirror but they were selling it cheap because it had a gaudy, aqua-colored frame that didn’t match anything else in their house. A man bought the mirror for $1. He was excited. He said, “This is a great deal - it still has the plastic on the frame!” He then proceeded to peel off the aqua-covered plastic before the stunned buyers and revealed a beautiful gold finished frame! Sometimes beautiful and priceless things can be concealed beneath an unattractive covering
– but you have to have an eye to see it.
In the passage above Jesus is attending a dinner party of a very popular man in town. Simon is a Pharisee. He was a meticulous observer of the religious laws of the Old Testament. He fasted, he tithed and he gave alms to the poor. He knew his Bible backward and forward. He was active in his community. He was a great man - a legend in his own mind! To everyone’s surprise and to the dismay of the host, in walks a notorious woman from the village. Everyone knew who she was just by looking at her. The original language says she was “a sinner in the city.” It’s a phrase that means she was “a woman of the night” or “a street walker.” The language indicates she was a prostitute and I’m sure she looked the part. The moment she walks into the room, it’s as if a spot light is directly on her. All the “respectable” people turn their heads and think to themselves, “What is she doing here?”
Scholars tell us prostitutes of that day often wore a vial of perfume hanging by a cord around their necks. In a culture where bathing was infrequent, a pleasant fragrance would have been their stock in trade. A drop or two would be used to entice prospective customers. But the passage tells us she poured out all her perfume. Do you see the significance of what she did? She broke the vial to anoint Jesus with the perfume. She broke the tools of her trade. It was her way of saying “I won’t need this anymore. I’m making a clean break with my past.” Then she began to kiss Jesus’ feet. This wasn’t all that uncommon in ancient times. It was one of the ways a beaten enemy surrendered to the one who had won a battle. It was not only a sign of affection from this woman. It was her way of saying, “I surrender to you Jesus. You have won your rule over me completely. I give up. Your grace has conquered my stubborn spirit.” Her eyes are now swollen with tears she can no longer hold back, and they begin to fall onto His feet. She takes the crown of her beauty, her flowing hair, and uses it to wipe the lowest part of the Son of God. It’s her way of saying, “No longer will I take pride in my beauty or who I am. I renounce my pride and I gladly bow to worship you.” What a beautiful picture of adoration and worship!
Not one single word is recorded from her. Yet there has never been recorded a greater proclamation of worship in all of history. The fascinating thing of it all is that Simon misses it – even though it’s happening right in front of him. He can’t see this beautiful display of worship because all he is focusing on is what the woman represented to him. Stop for a moment and ask yourself, “What prevented him from being drawn into her act of worship?” It’s his own pride. He can’t see the beauty of the moment, because, in his own mind, he’s so proud of who he is compared to her. He thinks of all the hard work he’s done to get to where he is – all the sacrifice – all the investment. All the time he’s given - all the things he has given up for the sake of his religion. His mind is preoccupied with thoughts of who he is and what he’s done and accomplished. And then he begins to compare himself with her. “What has she done? She hasn’t paid the price that I have. I’ve given so much more than her! I’ve worked so much harder than she has. She doesn’t even belong here! I’m a much better person than she is.” He feels so justified in his attitude towards her. It actually makes him angry. He can’t wait to tell others that Jesus tolerated a sinner like her.
Praise God that the Lord doesn’t see us the way Simon saw his uninvited guest. Jesus looked beneath the surface and knew that beneath the gaudy, ugly surface of her life there was something beautiful waiting to be made new through His grace. Jesus then turns to Simon and points out his error: Simon looked at the woman and all he saw was a sinner – he looked at himself and all he saw was self-righteousness. The problem? He should have been paying attention to Jesus. If he had truly been paying attention to Jesus, his pride would have easily been swept away and he would have joined her in this beautiful expression of worship.
Sometimes beautiful and priceless things can be concealed beneath an unattractive covering – but you have to have an eye to see it.
That’s what Jesus did with that woman and that’s what He does for us. He knows below the gaudy, unsightly surface there is something beautiful waiting to be revealed. His forgiveness and grace liberates us and strips away the plastic coverings. All it takes is an attitude of humility and a moment’s glance at His wondrous beauty. Will you fall at His feet today and allow Him to change you forever?
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
posted by Larry | 2:53 PM
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