Luke 7:37-38
And, 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, And 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.
While in Bethany, Simon the Pharisee invited Jesus into his house to eat. Simon was a self-righteous man incapable of seeing his own sin yet, he easily saw the sin in other people. A woman named Mary, a notorious sinner with an established wicked reputation, entered the house. She came before Jesus where she kissed and washed His feet. It was a traditional practice to wash the feet of weary travelers as an act of hospitality and as a sign of honor. This act was a demonstration of her love and respect for the Lord. Simon saw her come before the presence of the Lord worshipping and anointing Him; He said, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. She was guilty and rightly judged by Simon, but the Lord had forgiven her sinful ways. Wherefore 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.
When Jesus found Mary, she was living in the depth of profanity, guilty of all crimes and worthy of death. However, Jesus pardoned her of her many sins and removed her guilt and shame. Judgment had a pass, and Mary, the infamous sinner was forgiven of her debt and set free. Flowing from her heart was gratitude, adoration, and worship for the Lord. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Simon was incapable of seeing his own sins against God. Therefore in his eyes, his sins were very small or perhaps even next to none. Simon did not have the revelation of the depth of God’s forgiveness, evidenced by his lack of compassion and mercy towards her. In his judgment, her sinfulness was too great and her approach toward Jesus and not welcomed. Mary’s outward expression of love offended Simon, especially since Jesus did not stop her from her actions. Simon’s response conveyed that he believed that Jesus is a man of poor discernment and unaware of how much of a sinner Mary is, yet in spite of Simon’s own sins, he shows no love or respect for Christ. God declared Mary clean, but Simon judged her as unclean.
Simon was a self-righteous man that knew about God, yet he failed to recognize the power that Jesus had to forgive sins. Mary is a convicted sinner humbled by God’s forgiveness. When both were in His presence, the true conditions of their hearts were revealed. Simon was too arrogant to reverence God. Like so many self-righteous Pharisees, the Word of God describes them as those that sitteth in the seat of the scornful. They judge sinners without compassion and they mistake the true work of Christ for ignorance. The worst of the sinners that are forgiven bow in reverence before His presence. When sinners like Mary come to Jesus and worships Him in spirit and in truth this will always offend the Simons of the world.
Lk 7:39, Lk 7:47, Mat 6:21, Ps 1:1
KJV
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