The sermon titled 'The Case Study, A Woman Who Loves Jesus Much' explores the story from Luke 7:36-50, where a sinful woman anoints Jesus' feet at a Pharisee's house. The speaker contrasts the woman's deep repentance and love for Jesus with the Pharisee Simon's indifference and self-righteousness. The woman, known for her sinful reputation, demonstrates an outpouring of love and devotion, reflecting her understanding of forgiveness and the weight of her sins being lifted. Jesus acknowledges her actions as an expression of gratitude for her forgiven sins, while Simon fails to comprehend the spiritual significance of what he witnesses. The speaker emphasizes that God's love initiates our response of love and forgiveness, highlighting the importance of recognizing our own forgiven debts to cultivate a growing love for Jesus. The sermon also warns against self-righteousness and the tendency to despise others for their sins, urging listeners to seek humility and emulate the woman's example of faith and devotion.

The title of the message this morning is The Case Study, A Woman Who Loves Jesus Much. We actually are given a case study of what we were being taught in the text last week. So you're actually seeing it get fleshed out in life. Let's look back into last week's text look back at verses 29 and 30 when all the people heard Jesus Even the tax collectors justified God having been baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves having not been baptized by him.

This week's text is an exact case study of that. A person who belongs to the most corrupt, most despised, recognizes that she needs to repent and she needs to go to God for cleansing, while a Pharisee has no urgent sense of need at all, And so he treats Jesus with a, I can take you or leave you attitude. Really have that before us. We have a Pharisee who clearly thinks that he could take or leave Jesus and a woman who doesn't think that way at all. Last week's text ended with these words.

Look at verse 35. Jesus says, but wisdom is justified by all her children. What does that mean? That means that all these decisions about whether we feel a need to repent and go to God for cleansing or not all play out and bear fruit. So then God brings us right away into some circumstances where all these decisions are playing out and bearing fruit in the life of this woman and in the life of this man.

Let's ask God to help us. God, this is a very, very precious text of something very wholly happening. A woman seeing exactly who she is and repenting and going for cleansing and feeling the freedom of a great weight of being removed forever. Pray that you would give us a sense of what is really being communicated in this text so that the Savior Jesus would be sweeter to us than ever. Pray in Jesus name, amen.

So please follow along as I reread verses 36 and 39. Luke chapter seven, starting in verse 36. Then one of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, asked Jesus to eat with him. And he went to the Pharisees' house and sat down to eat. Behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil and stood at his feet behind him weeping and she began to wash his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.

She kissed his feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he spoke to himself saying, this man if he were a prophet would know who and what manner of woman this is who's touching him, for she is a sinner. Luke starts, Luke's our gospel writer, he starts with the description of what's happening. So he just, he speaks to us of events. He tells us what happens here.

We're going to proceed to Jesus analyzing what's actually happening. But right now we just get a description of the events. A Pharisee invites Jesus to eat with him at that Pharisee's home. In verse 40, when we get there, we'll find out his name is Simon. So we have Simon the Pharisee inviting Jesus.

By the way, this is going to happen again in Luke chapter 11, a Pharisee inviting Jesus to his home to eat with him again in Luke 11 and Luke 14, Luke 11 verse 37. And as Jesus spoke, a certain Pharisee asked him to dine with him. So he went in and sat down to eat. Luke 14, verse 1. Now it happened as Jesus went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched him closely.

So this isn't an isolated incident. It's the first of three in the Gospel of Luke. So Jesus was a friend of tax collectors and sinners. He was accused of that last week. He is guilty as charged.

It's definitely the friend of tax collectors and sinners. He proved that with Matthew, who he called to be his disciple. And then Matthew, after he's called, holds a feast for his friends. And Jesus goes and eats with them and gets in trouble for that. Seems as a general rule, if you invited Jesus, he would accept your invitation in hopes of doing you good.

If you were a tax collector and you invited Jesus, he would accept your invitation in hopes of you doing you good and if you are a Pharisee, if you are one of their religious elite and you invited Jesus, He would accept your invitation in hopes of doing you good. As a refresher, Pharisees were a small minority. So there weren't that many of them, but they were disproportionately influential. Meaning there weren't that many of them, but they were very influential in Israel because of their reputation for being very, very serious about the things of God. We find out in the gospels they're wrong about a lot of things, but they're very serious about all those things.

They're very serious about the scriptures, and they're very serious about law keeping. They really don't understand the law, but they're serious about the law and this gives them influence among the people. Jesus is invited, Jesus goes, and verse 36 says that they quote, sat down to eat. Now other translations that we also like translated differently, the NASB and the ESV and the NIV translated reclined. Both are fine translations if you look at the Greek, but reclined actually helps us understand what's happening in the rest of the text.

It will be important as it proceeded. What does that mean? They're not sitting at a table like we would sit at our dinner table. Each guest would have a couch. If you've ever been to my house, when you, as soon as you walk into the door, by the front door we have what is known in our culture as a fainting couch.

It has one end elevated where you could lay on your side on it up on an elbow. You would have something like that. You would be at dinner and you would be reclined at a couch. Now, so they're at dinner and they are reclining to eat because this is how you situated yourself and you were invited. Now we're at somewhat of a disadvantage because we're thinking of American hospitality that's what we know but this is Middle East hospitality.

How's that different? Well, you know American hospitality. I invite you, if you accept the invitation, you come to the door, you knock on the door, I answer the door, I welcome you in, I shut the door, and then we have a private meal together. In Israel, it's very different, especially if you're hosting a religious leader. So first, if you have a house in Israel, you would have significant what we call indoor-outdoor space.

Indoor-outdoor space. Space that is under a roof, but isn't walled off from the rest of the world. That pretty much all we know is indoor space. We climate control it and you come in the door and then you shut the door to keep in the air conditioning or the heat. But they would have a lot of indoor outdoor space that wasn't completely walled off.

It was under a roof, but not completely walled off. And if a religious leader was coming, it might very likely be a sort of open house. So this is very different than our hospitality. But if you had a guest pastor over, a famous preacher over, a religious leader over, you might very likely be having sort of an open house whether you meant to or not. Where those who are invited would come and eat.

So you would be a guest list, you would be invitations, but the community would be welcome to come and stand at the edges and hear and learn from the conversation with the religious leader. So we don't really have a frame of reference for that. I've never been to anything that fits that description. You probably haven't either, but this would not have been uncommon in Israel at the time of Jesus. So that's what's happening.

Now something very out of the ordinary happens. Luke, our gospel writer actually says, Behold. He now wants you to lock in and pay attention because something very out of the ordinary is happening. Behold. A woman from this city, someone clearly not invited by Simon.

If you don't get anything else from the text, you'll get that. Simon didn't invite her, but she's here. She's one of the community who has also come and who up to this point has been very quietly on the edges with the people who have come to hear and learn from the conversation that's happening at the table. She goes to the feet of Jesus. He's reclining so his feet aren't under the table.

His feet are out, and she goes to his feet with a stone flask of oil. Alabaster, It's an alabaster flask. Alabaster is a soft stone so you can carve it out and put liquids in it. It will hold a liquid, but it's soft enough that you can carve it out to hold liquids. If you had a fragrant oil, you would have an alabaster flask for it.

She's come with that. And she's weeping. And the tears are flowing. This is not a tear or a few tears. This is the kind of sobbing where she can wash a man's feet with her tears.

She can wipe a man's feet clean with the amount of tears that are flowing. Jesus's feet haven't been washed since he's arrived so everyone is wearing open-toed things and they're walking not paved streets but dusty streets and he's come in he hasn't washed his feet and her tears are falling on Jesus's feet and she's actually wiping his feet with her tears in her hair. And she begins kissing his feet. No wonder Luke said, behold, If you weren't paying attention before now, pay attention now. She's weeping enough to wipe a man's feet clean And she's wiping his feet with her hair, and she's kissing his feet and anointing these feet with fragrant oil that she brought with her.

So now we know for sure that this is no chance spontaneous encounter. This is not a woman who's always walking around with an alabaster flask of fragrant oil. She has brought it on purpose, planning to use it for this purpose. She came knowing that Jesus was there. Look verse 37, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisees home And she came with the anointing oil.

She brought it with her planning to anoint Jesus's feet. So she came prepared and we were watching her in the text doing what she came to do. What she prepared to do. Now who is this woman? Well the people of the city know her by her reputation as a sinner.

As Bible believing Christians and as Americans, we're conditioned to say, Well, I mean, everyone's a sinner. Do not read that text through the Bible-believing Christian American lens where we acknowledge, and it's true. I'm not saying it's not true, but I'm saying that's not the lens for understanding this text. Don't come and say she's identified as a sinner. Well, everyone's a sinner.

The Greek word being translated literally means devoted to sin. That's not what Americans and Bible-believing Christians mean when they say everyone's a sinner. They mean, we mean, no one is without sin. That's not what this word means. This is describing someone who is devoted to sin, Committed to sinning.

Wallowing in sin. Making an art form of sin. Known for sin. If you're doing word association and you come to this name, someone will say sinner. Known for sin.

That's what this word is communicating to us. So, Luke is not interested in naming the sin. Commentators name the sin, they might be right, they're probably right, Whatever. Luke's not interested in that exercise. What we need to know is that her reputation precedes her and that she's known for sin.

When you do word association and you say her name, you think sinner. So we have this woman who is among the most corrupt, the most despised, that's just what was said last week, even the tax collectors justified God. Submitting themselves to John the Baptist. Oh, we have one of those here coming to Jesus, planning to come to Jesus, bringing with her fragrant oil, planning to anoint his feet, and Pouring out affection and devotion on him So this is the plan I know he's here and I know I'll be able to be near him and I'm going to go and pour out affection and devotion on him. The host is not pleased.

Simon the Pharisee is also reclining, maybe right next to Jesus, at least at the same table with Jesus. Jesus is his guest of honor. He's the host. Simon's watching it. Simon can't believe Jesus lets it continue.

Simon is not pleased. He says this to himself. This is not out loud. This is his own internal dialogue in his mind. End of 39.

This man, Jesus, he's talking of Jesus, this man Jesus, if he were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner. That's what he's saying to himself. Not out loud, never utters a word, but this is his own internal dialogue in his mind. Two things Simon is thinking. One, if Jesus was a prophet, he would know.

The rest of us live here, so we don't have to be prophets. We know. Her reputation precedes her. If he was a prophet, he would know. And two, if he knew, he wouldn't allow a woman like this to touch him.

If he was a prophet, he would know. And if he knew, he wouldn't let a woman like this touch him. But Simon is completely wrong about both. Jesus doesn't know less than Simon about this woman. Jesus knows everything about this woman.

If he needed to, Jesus could name every sin of this woman. The truth is, the people in this city probably don't know the half of it. Jesus knows all of it. So Simon thinks if he was a prophet, he would know, but Jesus doesn't know less. He knows more.

He knows all. And Jesus is delighted that this woman would do this. Simon thinks if Jesus knew, he wouldn't allow it. But he does know. Simon doesn't know the half of it, of all those sins.

Jesus knows all of it. And yet, not only does he allow it, Jesus Delights in it. So that is the description of what's happening. Now the analysis. And we get Jesus's analysis.

Perfect. Follow along as I reread verses 40 through 50. Luke 7 verses 40 through 50. Jesus answered. Let me just stop there.

Jesus answered what? Answered Simon's thoughts. You think and he speaks back to you. How's that for if Jesus only knew? Jesus answered and said to him, Simon, I have something to say to you.

So he said, teach or say it. There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed 500 denarii, the other 50. And when they had nothing with which to repay, He freely forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him more?

Simon answered and said, suppose the one whom he forgave more. He said to him, you have rightly judged. Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, you see this woman? I entered your house, you gave me no water for my feet. She has washed my feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.

You gave me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss my feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint my head with oil, but this woman has anointed my feet with fragrant oil. 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. Then he said to her, Your sins are forgiven.

Those who sat at the table with him began to say to themselves, Who is this who even forgives sins? Then he said to the woman, Your Faith has saved you. Go in peace. This is the analysis of what is happening. Jesus understands that Simon doesn't actually understand.

He's watching, but he doesn't understand the things that he's seeing. So Jesus says, Simon, I have something to say to you. If you've ever had something say anything close to that to you, it is ominous. James, I have something to say to you. Uh-oh.

Simon says, teacher, say it. Simon says, teacher, say it. Jesus proceeds to tell a story about a man who lent money to two other men. So one lender and two borrowers. One man borrowed 50 denarii.

Denarii is a day's wage for a hired laborer. So, I hire you to come labor in my fields. Most likely at the end of the day for your day's labor I pay you a denarii. That was the standard rate for a hired laborer. So 50 days of labor would earn you 50 denarii.

Essentially a month and a half pay. The other man borrowed 500 denarii, so 10 times as much. So essentially, a year and a half's pay. So here's what we have. A month and a half's pay borrowed, that's a lot, And a year and a half's pay.

In time, it's clear that neither of the two borrowers can repay any of their debt. So in a sense, it really doesn't matter what they borrowed. Whichever you were, you couldn't repay a penny of it. You can't repay any of your debt. The debt is different, but the ability to repay is exactly the same.

So the man who owed the month and a half's wages, his ability to pay isn't any different than the man who borrowed a year and a half's wages. Now the lender has all sorts of options before that time, in that time, today. If you, If there's a legal obligation, the lender has all sorts of options. Here's the one he chooses, to fully and freely forgive them both. You no longer owe me so much as one penny, and You no longer owe me so much as one penny, and you no longer owe me so much as one penny.

It's not an extension. I'll give you longer to repay your debt. It's as if you never borrowed. It's like you never borrowed a penny. He's never coming looking for this money.

It's not partial. I'm reducing your debt. No. Totally erased. Freely forgave them both.

Full free forgiveness of the debt. Now Jesus asks Simon to analyze the story, but not about the lender. It goes without saying the lender is free to forgive the debtors or not to forgive the debts. After all, it's his money. The analysis will not be about the lender.

It'll be about the borrowers. It won't be about nickels and dimes. It's about love. Who will lender more. Simon gets it right.

Genius. The one who owed a year and a half's pay, but now doesn't owe even a single penny, will love the lender more than the one who borrowed a month and a half's pay and doesn't own. Doesn't owe a single penny. Jesus acknowledges the correct answer, you have rightly judged. Now Simon applies, now Jesus applies Simon's analysis to the events of the day, to Jesus's visit to Simon's house.

So Simon you judge, okay, you judge right. Now I'm applying your judgment to what's happening under your roof. Jesus turns to the woman but speaks to Simon. This is a really interesting feature of the text. He's looking at the woman but he's talking to Simon.

Simon, you see this woman? Sometimes it helps to just slow down and think phrase by phrase what's happening. That's really a very loaded question. Jesus is looking at her, talking to Simon, Simon do you see this woman? The literal technical answer is yes, my literal eyes see the outward person of this woman.

But in reality, Simon hasn't really seen this woman, and he hasn't really seen what's actually happening at all. What has actually been happening is an outpouring of love from this woman who has been forgiven her sins, which are many. That's what he's been watching. He never saw it as that, but Jesus is trying to get him to see it as that. Simon, what you've been watching is an outpouring of love from a woman whose many sins have been forgiven.

Great debt, fully and freely forgiven, Like she was never in debt at all. Like I'm never coming back to collect on this debt. And she knows it. And she loves me because of it. And this is an outpouring of love that you've been watching.

Simon, that's what you've been watching. Simon has actually been watching something very precious and lovely and he despised it. I can't believe you're letting her do that. Letting her do that, I delight in it. If you knew what she knew, if you'd done what she did, you would do something like it.

Jesus came to his home. Simon gave him no water to wash his feet. That's not required of the host, But it's what a host does when he wants to show affection for and honor the guest. So culturally, I'm telling you, this is what the commentators say. It's not required of a host, but it's often done by a host.

By a host, if the host wants to show his affection for the guest and honor the guest, he does it. When you're the host and could've but didn't, no love. Message received by Jesus. You could've, you didn't, No love. The woman washed Jesus' feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

It wasn't that she did what Simon didn't do. She did much, much more than the thing Simon didn't do. He didn't wash Jesus' feet with water. He would have actually had a servant wash Jesus' feet. He didn't do that.

It's not that she did what he didn't do. It's that she did much, much more than he didn't do, than a host would do if he wanted to show affection for and honor a guest. Abundant love. An outpouring of love. Simon didn't greet Jesus with a kiss on the cheek, a normal customary greeting.

Not required, but that's what you would do if you wanted to show affection for and honor the guest. She did much, much more than a host would do when he wanted to show affection for and honor the guest. Abundant love and outpouring of love. Simon didn't greet Jesus with a kiss. Simon didn't anoint Jesus's head with oil.

The woman came with a alabaster flask of fragrant oil. She planned to do this. She was just doing what she planned to do. Simon, no love. This woman, abundant love and outpouring of love.

The point isn't that Simon loves a little and the woman loves a lot. That's not the point. They're not even thinking in the same terms. Simon is thinking, she's terrible. She's thinking, I love you so much, Jesus.

I can't believe you forgave all my debts. There were so many. She's weeping Because she's free. She's out from under all that debt. He's never coming to collect that debt.

And because she felt the weight of it, to be free of it has her sobbing uncontrollably. Caught a glimpse of this this morning on my porch. On my porch, still dark, and I'm weeping. Rare but possible for me. And it wasn't because of all that I'm not.

I know better than anybody in the room all that I'm not. It was because of all that Jesus is and all that he does to make me free. I'm free. He's never coming to collect. That's why she's weeping.

Jesus says to her, how your sins are forgiven. Jesus assures her that it's true. I've canceled all your debts. Now, don't make a terrible mistake and think for a second that the love caused the canceling of the debts. That is a terrible misuse of this text.

She loved him so he canceled the debts. The lender didn't say, right, Jesus told a story to explain what's happening here. The lender didn't say, I can see this debtor loves me. So I think I'll forgive the debt. The lender isn't responding to the debtor.

The debtor is responding to the lender. He forgave the debt and so he loved. The debtor loved. Former debtor loved. That's confirmed again at the end of the text.

Those sitting at the table are amazed and say, Who is this who even forgives sins? And Jesus says to the woman, your faith has saved you. Now you loved me so I forgive your sins. Your faith has saved you. You're feeling the weight of those sins and repenting and coming to me for cleansing has saved you.

Go in peace. She left in peace with God. This is a common parting term, go in peace, I know that. But this is a loaded phrase on the lips of Jesus also. Now, three observations before we make application.

Number one, consider John 4, verses 9 and 10. Excuse me, 1 John 4, verses 9 and 10. Listen to 1 John 4, verses 9 and 10. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. In this is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our for our sins.

We love him because he first loved us. It's God's love that moves us, not our love that moves God. This is so important. Just let this be the lens through which you see this. God's love moves you, and then you love and response.

He's not responding to our love, we're responding to his love for us in his son, through what he's done through his son. Two, a question. How did this woman come to this state? Don't you want to know how this woman came to this state? She clearly knows what the Pharisee doesn't know and is responding to these things.

How did she get to this? You know my favorite answer, the text doesn't say. However, Ryle makes this observation, J.C. Ryle makes this observation and it's helpful. Ryle observes that Matthew 11 has been tracking with Luke 7, Meaning the events of Luke 7 and Jesus responding to the two disciples of John the Baptist and what he did and then what he said and the answer that he sent back to John the Baptist is the accounts in Matthew's gospel in Matthew 11.

So those are sort of on a parallel track. And then Ryle says this, here's the end of Jesus' preaching in Matthew 11's version. Matthew 11 verses 28 and 29. This is the last thing that Jesus says in Matthew 11. Jesus says, come to me, all you who are labor, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart. You will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Was this Was this woman there? Did this woman who was known for her sins, whose reputation went before, was she there in listening when Jesus said, come to me you who are weary and heavy laden, I'll give you rest. Who knows?

The point is that Jesus was preaching things like this early in his ministry and he was preaching things like this at the time that this encounter happened. This is the things that Jesus was preaching. Now imagine a woman like this. You think she didn't know what everyone in the room was thinking? You think She's not aware that her reputation precedes her and that the people in the room can't believe that Jesus is letting a woman like her touch him.

Imagine a woman like this Hearing Jesus say something like that come you burdened ones. I'll give you rest Finally three We should understand this much understand this much in the same way as we understand Luke 5, 31 and 32. Look back at Luke 5, 31 and 32. Jesus answered and said to them, those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." What do we do with that?

We say, be careful that you don't think that anyone is well and not in need of a physician. If we're talking about spiritual matters and need for Jesus, there isn't anyone who's well and doesn't need Jesus. So we want to bring that same perspective to our text today. There's not anyone whose debts are small. This is in Jesus's teaching, This is Jesus's way of communicating about a sense of need.

And this woman having had a great sense of need of her debts and what it would be like to be forgiven of that. Okay what should we do with this text? So that we're not just hearers of the word, but we're doers also. I ask for two things. One, we should cultivate a growing love for Jesus by maintaining an awareness of all our forgiven debts.

We should cultivate a growing love for Jesus. If you think it's maxed out, my experience is God shows you more the depths of your actual corruption and sin the longer you're in the Lord the more the view opens up of what actually has been forgiven on the day you're saved You think it's your debts were so much smaller than you think years later when you can actually think rightly about these things So cultivate a growing love for Jesus by maintaining an awareness of all our forgiven debts Let me also say this This is not to be confused with the unhealthy preoccupation with all that you're not. Be instructed by Paul. Be like the Apostle Paul. In one sense, he remembered what he was.

He always remembered his opposition to Jesus Christ and his people and how he was the greatest sinner. But it didn't make him morbidly introspective. That means just preoccupied forever with all that he's not. You can be that and it's not good and it's not healthy and Jesus didn't wash us clean of our sins to go through life that way. In one sense Paul remembered who he was, what he was.

In another sense, he forgot all that was behind and pressed on. So which was true of Paul? Both were true of Paul. He never forgot who he was before the Lord came and bought him with his blood, but he had a holy forgetfulness in another sense that allowed him to press on and not be weighed down by all that he wasn't. Cultivate growing love.

How do you maintain an awareness of all our forgiven debts? It's like stick really close to this book. It's like a mirror. That's what James says. James the, James Lundquist says that too, but it's James the book writer.

It's like a mirror. Ooh. Yeah, it helps us, it keeps us connected in a way that can make us love Jesus. Number two, We should hunt down and eradicate this devastating impulse to despise others for their debts. There is a devastating impulse, which is not just Simon the Pharisee.

If you Don't have some sense of this in your own heart This preoccupation with the debts of others and despising them for our debts. You should hunt that out and eradicate it Is all the All the while while we're doing that, looking at their debts, despising them for our debts, we're minimizing our own sins. Let me say it another way. Let Jesus attack your self-righteousness. If you say, well, I'm not self-righteous, then you have no idea how self-righteous you are.

And Jesus is attacking this man's self-righteousness in our text. That's one of the key things that's happening in Jesus is waging war against Simon's sense of self-sufficiency. We should go to Jesus and say bring that on. Teach me to hate it like you hate it, my self-righteousness. Help me to wage war against it.

You attack it, Jesus. Let's pray. Jesus, this is a beautiful, beautiful picture of a woman who's free and can't hardly believe that she's free, who knows who she is and what she deserves, and has a great sense that those debts will never be called in because of Jesus. She was weary and heavy-laden. She went to Jesus and found rest.

God, especially for the people in the room who have been in the faith for a long time, I pray this would just come back fresh again. We would remember We would remember what it was like to have just been forgiven of a great debt. Thank you Lord for loving us first And this should be an inescapable response that we we love you and that love grows. I pray that it would be so in Jesus name. Amen.