Sermon: Love & Forgiveness (Luke 7:36-50)

Love & Forgiveness Sunday, August 23rd, 2026 Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA Luke 7:36–50 Prayer O Father, we thank You for the gift of faith that works by love. We ask that you would teach us to adore Your Son more fervently, with all the affection, sacrifice, and honor that is due to Him. For we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He has authority to forgive our sins, and that upon the cross He died to cancel our debts, and reconcile us to You and to one another. Make this work of reconciliation more abundant in our midst, for we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Introduction Last week we heard how Jesus divided the crowds by extolling the greatness of John the Baptist. It says in Luke 3:3 that John came preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, and in Luke 7:29-30 it says, And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him. So there is a growing divide in Israel between these two classes of people: 1) there are sinners who justify God, and 2) there are sinners who justify themselves. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), but not all are convinced of this. All are sinners, but not all agree with Jesus about the extent and degree to which they have sinned. And so here in our text, Luke narrates a story that further illustrates this great difference among sinners. For here we have a woman, whose reputation is such that she is simply called a sinner, and then we have Simon the Pharisee. And the question that hangs over this whole narrative is: Which kind of sinner are you? What kind of debtor are you in relation to God? How great is your debt to Divine Justice, and do you have sufficient funds to pay God back? This is what Jesus wants you to consider this morning, and so let us pay heed to His Word. Outline of the Text Our text divides into two basic sections. In verses 36-39, we have a contrast between Love and Contempt, The Woman and the Pharisee. And then in verses 40-50, Jesus gives The Parable of Two Debtors, and he does this to explain the spiritual status of each of these two people. So first a contrast between Love and Contempt, and then an explanation from Christ for why one person loves, and another does not. Verse 36 36And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat. First recall the context. Jesus has just criticized the Pharisees for criticizing him. He says in the verses immediately prior, verses 33-35, For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! But wisdom is justified of all her children. So lest anyone thinks that Jesus is unwilling to dine with the Pharisees, here he accepts an invitation to do so, and this is the first of three scenes in Luke where Jesus dines with a Pharisee. So Jesus goes to the Pharisee’s house, and he reclines at table to eat. Now in the ancient world, the line between public life and private life was quite a bit different than how we live today. And we see that here in verses 37-38, where it is known in the city where Jesus is eating. And by the fact that a woman was able to just show up, come in, and then do what she does. Verses 37-38 37And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now however different our social customs might be from the 1st century,this is still an awkward moment for any dinner party. Just imagine if you are the host. You have invited this man Jesus to your house along with other guests, you have all sat down to eat, and then this woman comes in, crying, weeping, so much so that she can wash Jesus’ feet with her tears. That’s a lot of tears. And then in case you were not uncomfortable already, she lets down her hair, and starts wiping his feet it, and then she starts kissing his feet. She takes her alabaster box of ointment and pours it on his feet. If you were the host, what would you do? What would you say? What would you think? Well in verse 39 we are told what Simon the Pharisee thinks. Verse 39 39Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. Now it is this internal dialogue, that reveals the condition of Simon’s heart. Jesus says in Mark 7:21-23, For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. So as pure as Simon the Pharisee thinks he is, as a religious man, the thoughts of his heart expose that he is actually defiled with sin, with evil, with pride. Notice the two judgments Simon makes in his heart, and also notice how both of them are false. The first judgment is about Jesus. This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. Simon presumes to judge Jesus, as if Jesus were less than a prophet, because Simon thinks that Jesus does not know who this woman is. And that’s false assumption number 1. The truth is, Jesus is God. Jesus knows all things. Jesus knows who this woman is. Jesus even knows what Simon is presently thinking. The second false judgement Simon makes is about the woman. Simon judges her are as a sinner, but as we will see later on, this woman is a forgiven sinner, a former sinner, a sinner whose debt has been canceled, and whose life has been transferred to a state of grace. This woman is actually in the eyes of God no longer a sinner but a saint. We could also tack on a third false judgment, and that is that Simon assumes Jesus would not touch a sinner. When in reality, this is exactly what Jesus came to do. Jesus came to touch sinners so that his purity could be transferred to them. Jesus came to touch the untouchable, so he could make them lovable. Whereas man only loves what he esteems as good, God’s love is what actually make things good. And Jesus is that good God who has done this for this woman. So Simon is only judging by outward appearances, or by the rumors he has heard. And all those false assumptions come together and blind him to the truth. Simon cannot see that God-in-the-flesh is sitting at his dining table. The one who created the stars and the galaxies, the forests and the seas, is eating in front of him. Simon is also blind to the spiritual condition of this woman, and that if he were to see into her heart, and could behold the purity and beauty of Jesus within it, that it would put his own heart to shame. Or as C.S. Lewis says in the Weight of Glory: “It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree helping each other to one or the other of these destinations.” Simon has judged this woman a horror, when in fact, God has made her into an everlasting splendor. Of course, all of these false judgments proceed from a false heart. Simon is self-deceived. Simon is dead in his sins. And worst of all, Simon has yet to admit it. How does Jesus evangelize Simon here? How does he preach the gospel to him? Well, he does this by a parable, a question, and a loving rebuke. First the parable. Verses 40-43 – The Parable of Two Debtors 40And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly (graciously) forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. So notice that for all of those false judgments hidden in Simon’s heart, Jesus now gives him an opportunity to make a right judgment, and that publicly. Jesus is drawing Simon out. He describes a scenario where there is a creditor and two debtors. And in this parable the creditor represents God, and the debtors represent two sinners. One debtor owes 500 pence/denarii, which is about 500 days’ worth of wages. Or, about a year and half salary. And the other debtor owes 50 pence/denarii, so about 50 days’ worth of wages. And while the difference between the two debts is significant, it hardly matters to the debtors since Jesus says, neither of them can pay. And so the creditor graciously chooses to forgive both the debts. Both sinners could not pay the Creditor back, both sinners are forgiven, now which one do you think will love the Creditor more? Simon knows the math, and as a Pharisee he would have known the Old Testament law fairly well, which has plenty to say about debts and slavery, lending and forgiveness. And yet the answer to the question seems so simple, so obvious, it’s as if he wonders that Jesus should even ask him. What is he getting at? With some hesitancy Simon answers, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And [Jesus] said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. So notice the wisdom of Jesus in evangelism. He starts with the knowledge that Simon presently has, and he gives him a story to help him get a little distance from his own self-deceit. And then once Simon affirms a true principle, he acknowledges the proportional relationship between love and forgiveness, then Jesus cuts to the heart. And here he does that with a searching question: Verse 44a – The Question 44And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? Think about this question. Has Simon seen this woman? In one sense, yes, and in another sense no. Simon has seen her and judged her a sinner, when in reality what is happening before his eyes, is the parable of the two debtors. Here is a woman who loves much because she has been forgiven much. Does Simon see that? At present he does not, and this is why Jesus then gives him a loving rebuke. Verses 44b-47 – The Loving Rebuke I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. So notice the comparison here. It is between the woman who has been forgiven for many sins, and Simon. And so when we map them onto the parable, Jesus is saying, this woman is the one who owed 500 pence, and was forgiven, and now look at how much she loves me. But where are you in the parable Simon? The person who was forgiven 50 pence should still show some amount of love towards the Creditor. But you have shown me no love, no water, no kiss, no oil. Even those common courtesies of hospitality have not been shown to Jesus. And so what does that say about you? The are really only two answers a person can give to this question: Either Simon thinks he has no debts to pay to God. Or, that he has the means to pay those debts off. In either case, Simon is sorely mistaken both about Divine Justice, and about Divine Mercy. For as it says in Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. There is no way for anyone to pay back to God the debt of sin. It is far too much, and we less than nothing to pay with. Forgiveness must be asked for, and it must be received as gift. As Paul says in Ephesians 2:9, [Salvation is] Not of works, lest any man should boast. And then once that grace of forgiveness has been received, we become a new kind of debtor to God, we now owe Him the happy debt of infinite love, of infinite gratitude, of everlasting praise, and worship. These are all due to God according to His very nature as Goodness, and they are doubly due for Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. And so the point of Jesus teaching here is that: where there is no love, there has not been forgiveness. And to the degree to which you know the debt of sin that has been canceled, in that proportion your love for God shall be. So dear brothers, dear sisters, do you know your debts to God? Have you forgotten all the sins that Jesus died to cancel and forgive? And are you loving God and loving one another in a manner that is commensurate with that great debt you were forgiven? Jesus says, you love in proportion to the debt forgiven. And so how much love for Jesus do you have? Finally, Jesus vindicates the woman, and her lavish expression of love. And he does this by giving her the words of absolution, or what we call in our liturgy, the Assurance of Pardon. Verses 48-50 – Absolution 48And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? 50And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. So to you who are burdened and weighed down with the debt of your sins. Put your faith in Jesus today, ask him to forgive you for everything (sins known and unknown), and to help you see everything that needs forgiving. It says in 1 John 1:8-9, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Today can be the day that Jesus says to you these most precious words, Thy sins are forgiven. Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. This is the whole purpose for which the Son of God became incarnate. To save us from our sins. And to you have been forgiven, that is most of you here, Don’t you feel the poverty of your love in comparison with this woman? Are you not ashamed of how little your love for Jesus is, compared with the debt He has remitted? If so, take this woman’s example with you this week. All of us should blush at how ungrateful, blind, and unloving we have been, given the debt that God has cancelled. And so lest become like Simon the Pharisee, go home and do what this woman does. Wash your eyes with the tears of repentance, thanksgiving, and devotion. Wash the feet of Jesus, and kiss them, for they are the beautiful feet of which the Isaiah 52:7 speaks, How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” These are the beautiful feet, that were nailed to the cross, so that your debt might be erased. And so do what it says in Psalm 99:5, Exalt ye the Lord our God, And worship at his footstool; For he is holy. Let down your hair, that is your crown of glory (whatever you most esteem about yourself), and cast it before the King of Kings. Take what is precious to you, the alabaster box of ointment, the oil of your affections, and pour them out upon Jesus. At it says in Psalm 62:8, Trust in him at all times; ye people, Pour out your heart before him. And when you have given to Jesus your everything, truly, heart, soul, mind, and strength. Then the words of Song of Solomon 4:10 come to pass, where the Bridegroom says to his Bride (the forgiven church), How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! How much better is thy love than wine! And the smell of thine ointments than all spices! May God grant you to know and experience the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge, and bring you safely into his heavenly kingdom. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.