How to Treat Others Like Jesus Did

Rev Gideon Lee

Luke 7:36-50

Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman

7:37-39Ref — Mt 26:6-13; Mk 14:3-9; Jn 12:1-8

7:41, 42Ref — Mt 18:23-34

36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 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.

39 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.”

40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

44 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. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Jesus was interested in people. You see here he went to a Pharisees' house and he reclined at a table. Imagine with me as they were doing all that, and remember this is a Pharisees' house and a prostitute came in, and she was definitely not invited to this dinner. She heard about this Jesus and she came.

She brought a very expensive perfume, it's said it may cost up to a years' salary. Remember, it's at a Pharisees' home so they being very prim and proper probably judged this women. She cried and her tears wet Jesus' feet and she used her hair to wipe Jesus' feet. She kissed Jesus' feet. God must have touched her because her tears was enough to wash Jesus' feet. Remember Jesus is in sandals so his feet is probably dirty. Would you kiss someone's feet?

Back in those days it was not appropriate for the genders to meet freely. The guys and girls kept to themselves. They don't mix so easily. A little bit like what you see in Kelantan. She crashed this party because she was not invited. What more, she touched Jesus. Socially unacceptable. Religiously unacceptable. That's why they said if he's a holy man, he'll know it's a sinner that touched him.

At no point did Jesus rebuked her. The Pharisees have this prayer that they thank God that he did not make them a Gentile or a woman. But Jesus raised the status of the woman even in this case. Simon was thinking what Jesus was doing.

But Jesus knows what Simon was thinking about. He's more than a prophet so of course Jesus knew.

Jesus told Simon a story and asked him if he saw this woman. Jesus said I came into your house and you did not even give water to wash my feet but this woman washed my feet with her tears.

Jesus also said you did not greet me with a kiss but this woman has not stop kissing my feet. It was customary to greet guests with a kiss but Simon never did that even though it was customary.

And Simon did not even put oil on his head, also a custom to freshen up the guest to smell nice. But this woman anointed Jesus with perfume.

And Jesus went back to the truth of the story, those that have been forgiven much, love much and those that are forgiven little love little.

And Jesus forgave the woman, and they were shocked

Jesus seeks relationship while Simon worry about reputation.

Jesus move to close the gap whole Simon distances himself from this woman.

Jesus forgives and transform while Simon disregard and dismissed her

This morning I'm asking you if you are going to be more like Jesus or Simon? Or is the church going to be more like Jesus or Simon?

When you go into a shop what do they ask you? Can I help you? And what do you say? Just looking. It is said that's why you lose your customer. The survey also say don't stare at the customer. They say if you stare at your client, you'll lose them. Or the sales person follows you around. Or the other type is they don't bother about you. They don't care, you'll also lose customer.

Jesus provide us the best way to greet or treat anyone that walks into the church.

Jesus focus on the relationship while Simon focuses on reputation.

He was concerned not only about his reputation but also what other's reputation can do to him. Jesus was like a celebrity at that time so he thought his reputation would be enhanced if Jesus was at his home. But he did not treat Jesus like a superstar when Jesus came. And this woman that came into the house caused Simon to be worried about how it would affect his reputation.

Jesus was more concerned about the relationship. Many times Jesus spends his time with sinners. Like Zacchaeus the chief tax collector. He was more concerned about the relationship. This is what the church must have. What's the difference between a club and church? Clubs have rules and caters to only members. The church is not a club.

Reputation is important but it must not supersede the relationship. Not like we have doctors and lawyers in our church but what happens when a drug addict comes in. Or maybe a transgender. How will we react?

It is us that draws a line. There will come a time when lines are blurred and relationships are affected. I pray we will not be a church like this. That this church will be a house of prayer for everyone. There may be people who come to our church who needs God and they will see how we treat them. We have to love them.

Simon did his best to keep his distance from this lady while Jesus did all he could to bridge the gap.

The Pharisee sees themselves as holy and pure. If they touched anything impure they'll need to clean themselves. That's why Simon said Jesus should know that this woman is a sinner. Some people like to point at the mistakes of others so that they feel better or look better.

Simon was more interested than that. But Jesus was all about taking away that gap. That was why he came. When the lady came he stood behind Jesus. And she was crying and if God did not touch her she wouldn't be crying. She knows she has sinned. Nobody had to preach to her, she knew.

There was repentance. She wiped and kissed Jesus' feet. How many of us would do that for someone? It must be God. Jesus was working in her heart. Jesus was wanting to close the gap. Simon was trying to point out the differences.

This morning I hope we don't have this attitude. We're all saved by grace but I pray we will not be so holy that we are of no earthly use.

Last but not least.

Jesus focused on forgiving and discipling while Simon focuses on dismissing her

I was thinking if the woman was planted to trap Jesus. Maybe it was Simon to see how Jesus would react. I even think that the woman got the money from a sinful way and used it to anoint Jesus. We can think like that but Jesus thought otherwise.

This lady wiped Jesus' feet with her tears and wiped it with her hair and anointed him with expensive perfume. Simon did nothing like that for Jesus as host.

Jesus turned to the woman and said your sins are forgiven you. Isn't it amazing when Jesus could have said so many things but this was what the woman needed. And he is able to forgive.

How do we know the church is more interested in the person than the talent?

There was one day a church had a goal to reach a certain attendance. Example 200. On the last Sunday they found they were 2 person short of reaching that goal. So they were thinking how to reach that 200. So they thought of going out and invited 2 person to come in and after the attendance is taken they can go after 10 to 15 minutes. So the 2 persons came in and after 15 minutes they were allowed to go.

We must not bring in a person to fill a number, not at the expense of reaching a person for Christ. They come to church not as a number or to fill a seat but that they may know Christ. God is more interested in this. I pray we will be more and more like Jesus how we treat others and less and less like Simon.