Luke 7:36-8:3 - FAITH & FORGIVENESS

Thank you Gerald. I have I've just really grown to love all the time in the service when our elders pray and I'm thankful for their Ministry of Prayer in our midst this morning. I continue on in our sermon series in the Book of Luke are sermon series called gospel goodness for the humble hearted and a sermon of entitled faith and forgiveness were going to see that this passage is about faith and forgiveness, but the subtitle in our sermon series gospel goodness for the humble hearted. Points and is as we crafted that points to a story just like this one a story in which Luke as he continues to do throat is Gospel mix a focus of his story that would be unexpected in the day and the time he wrote he is constantly writing about those who are poor or are sick or marginalized or ostracized and society. And once again, he chooses as a focal point for his story a woman something that he does just wrote the Gospel of Luke we've seen some of it and chapter one. He writes about Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist and Mary the mother of Jesus chapter two about Anna who prophesied in chapter 4 about Peter's mother-in-law and chapter 7 couple weeks ago and today the Widow of nain in the sinful. In chapter 8 he writes about women who minister with Christ and the woman who had the hemorrhaging issue in chapter 10 e writes about the sisters Martha and Mary in Chapter 13, he writes of the crippled woman in chapter 15, he gives us the parable of the woman with the Lost coin and chapter 18 the parable of the Widow and the judge in chapter 21, the story of The Widow's Mite and then in Chapter 13 or 23 shares the story of the women at the crucifixion and then a 24 the women at the tomb and the report of the women at the tune. And so this is regular for Luke to do this and he does it again in chapter 7 verse 36 through chapter 8 verse 3, and so I'd ask you to open up your Bibles. To the end of Luke chapter 7 you can follow along on the screens behind me or read it on the back of the insert in the bulletin. Luke chapter 7 verse 36 through chapter 8 verse 3

What are the Pharisees ask him that is Jesus to eat with him and he went into the Pharisees house and reclined at table. And behold a woman of the city who was a sinner when she learned that he was reclining a table in the Pharisees host Broad and alabaster flask of ointment and standing behind him at his feet weeping. She began to wet his feet with her tears and wipe them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. No, one the Pharisee who invited him saw this he said to himself if this man were a prophet he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said to him Simon. I have something to say to you and he answered say it teacher. A certain moneylender had two debtors wine old 500 in RI and the other 50 when they could not pay he canceled the debt of both know which of them will love him more Simon answered the one I suppose for whom he canceled the larger debt and he said to him you have judged rightly then turning toward the woman. He said to Simon do you see this woman? I entered your house you gave me no water for my feet, but she is wet my feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair you gave me no kiss. But from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore. I tell you her sins, which are many are forgiven for she loved much but he was forgiven little loves little and he said to her your sins are forgiven. Then those who are at table with him began to say among themselves. Who is this who even forgive sins? And he said to the woman your faith has saved you go in peace soon afterward. He went on through cities and Villages for claiming and bring the good news of the kingdom of God and the 12 or with them and also some women who have been healed of evil spirits and infirmities Mary called Magdalene 7 demons demons had gone out and Joanna the wife of chuza Heritage wholesale household manager and Susanna and many others Who provided for them. out of their means will you pray with me?

Heavenly Father you are great. We sang of your greatness this morning. How great you are and your creation of the universe how great you are in the work of ademption accomplished by your son how great you will be at the consummation of all things.

And father you are amazing. We sang this morning about the Amazing Grace that you have displayed through Christ to Center such as us.

Father God we confess this morning.

That Austin the way we live our lives does not recognize how great and how amazing you are in fact it often.

relays the opposite the things we say the things we think the things we do often. Proclaim that you are not great and you are not amazing. I pray father God that you would forgive us for those things.

I pray that that amazing grace that is seen in the Forgiveness of our sins.

Would be real again to us this morning. forgive us father God

But I thank you for your word. I thank you for the Gospel of Luke. I thank you for the many times already and which we have opened up this wonderful Revelation from you about Christ and learned and then changed.

You have been gracious To Us by your spirit and using your word to bring spiritual life and to grow spiritual life in US. We thank you for that. And we pray this morning that you would do that again as we come now to your word. Would you by your spirit apply it to our lives in such a way that we are chained. We are conformed to the image of Christ.

We need your help in that father. Would you help me to Proclaim your word in such a way that it is helpful for that purpose and pray in Christ's name a man.

Faith and forgiveness this story. I've already told you is about those two things. So let's begin with the idea of faith and not just faith in general but a particular kind of Faith to Faith in Jesus. Coming out of the previous sermon and a previous passage that a rabbit drawing preach last Sunday, which show is found. So helpful and so encouraged by We saw that Jesus was interacting with John the Baptist through with John the Baptist disciples. And the question is not sermon was also about faith in faith in Jesus the Disciples of John ask Jesus. Are you the one they were doubting that he was the one that John had proclaimed he was what we see in this story that there are debtors as well the Pharisee named Simon and those who he invited to eat at his meal with him were doubting Jesus as well Simon doubted that he was even a prophet and a group of them doubted that he had the right to forgive sins and yet there was a woman A sinful woman who had faith in Jesus. We know she had Faith because her actions demonstrated her faith. It's reminiscent of the sermon on the plain where a good tree produces good fruit this woman shows and internal work of God resulting in Good Deeds.

She was a sinner. You may have come to believe that she was a prostitute that could be the case, but it's not necessarily so. This phrase could be spoken about a woman who was married to a disreputable man or a woman who was in debt or a woman who was an adulterous. It's not clear, but we know that she was a sinner. In the Deeds at this particular meal the actions that she takes indicate. She had a previous Encounter With Jesus.

She having heard that Jesus is at Simon's house. At a special dinner comes to the dinner uninvited. How did dinner like this a special dinner gas would recline at the table? Picture in your mind a table with guess recline laying down with their heads towards the table and their bodies angled away from the table and their seat at the periphery.

This is the type of meal they were sharing and it wasn't uncommon for uninvited guests or so, you're Uninvited people to show up and just sit around the outside of the room on the periphery so that they could observe and they could listen to the conversation and even sometimes receive leftovers. So even though this woman was uninvited it wasn't particularly peculiar that she showed up. But you didn't show up by herself. She shows up with an alabaster jar. This wasn't a chance meeting. She came with a purpose. She came with expensive perfume ointment in her hand. Was it ointment that she had saved in her home or was it ointment that she went out and bought for this particular person's purpose or not? Sure.

But this is one of the hints that we have that she had a previous interaction with Jesus. But she came with a purpose to this meal that she wasn't invited to. Jesus would be reclining at the table again his head towards the table his feet towards the periphery his sandals removed. And as a woman approaches Jesus she begins to cry.

I think she probably was overcome with joy and meeting him but also with gratefulness for this earlier interaction. She had I understand she wasn't just whimpering. She is crying significantly this phrase that talks about her crying is the same phrase used for rain showers. She showered it tears on Jesus's feet as she cried. She was crying significantly and then when his feet are wet, she undoes her hair presumably in wife's Jesus's feet dry with it. And now that his feet are clean. She kisses them covers them with kisses and then anoint them with this expensive ointment that she has brought.

These are not. Trifling actions these are actions of deep emotion and profound reverence. This woman has clearly been impacted by this man Jesus who work lines at the table.

We see in the commentary of Jesus about her actions and also the parable that he shares when he tries to teach Simon the Pharisee that she had a faith in Jesus prior to coming to the meal something that happened in between the two of them perhaps an opportunity or he had to teach trip to converse with her. There's indications more indications in the story that there's a history here and she is responding to to what has gone on between them. You see we see this in the parable Jesus describes this Parable. It's clear that his reference to the debtor who owed the large amount of money that that is speaking about this woman. He makes this clear she has been forgiven much like the one who hold the most amount of money in there for she loves much. Until she is responding out of love for an action that is already taken place a debt that has been cancelled sins that have been forgiven her actions sprang from this love that she had for Jesus.

Jesus also declares your faith has saved you that the woman had a type of saving Faith with was Jesus recognized. I want to stop for a moment 4 we go on with the story and look at what has happened to talk about this word faith because I think it's important. We understand this when we talk about faith. There are two things that are meant when the Bible uses the word faith in regards to saving faith and those two things are Faith and repentance those two things go together. Wayne grudem Systematic Theology, right scripture puts repentance and Faith together is different aspects of the one act of coming to Christ for salvation is not that a person First turns from sin and next trust Christ could trust in Christ or First Trust in Christ and then turns from send but rather that both occur at the same time when we turn to Christ for salvation from our sins, we are simultaneously turning away from the sins that are we are asking Christ to save us from if that were not true are turning to Christ for salvation from sin could hardly be a genuine turning to him or trusting in Him the fact that repentance and Faith are simply two different sides of the same coin or two different aspects of the one event that you see this to wrote the New Testament. You see it would Peter preaches after Pentecost and his countrymen are cut to the heart and they say, what should we do? He says repent and be baptized. But then you see Paul telling the Philippian Jailer just to believe. Because those things go together faith and repentance. I think that's true about this story. Jesus says your faith has saved you and yet the story is about forgiveness. That's why I'm on those other hints that are given I suggest you that there was some interaction between the two previous to this. In fact, we'll see you in the actual verb tenses that that's the case this woman had faith in Jesus, and it was a repentant faith.

At least the main idea of this story which I have written in this form. The fruit of faith in Jesus is the Forgiveness of sins. Therefore we should put our faith in him in order that we might be forgiven.

this sinful woman Is commended for her faith in Jesus? It's a repentant faith. A face that she has received forgiveness and this forgiveness that she has received has initiated a response response of love.

Which letter to the home of Simon? 2 meal she wasn't invited to whereby she might demonstrate her love. to Christ Part of this story is clearly the contrast between the sinful woman in the Pharisee and we see in a Pharisee and those who ate with him at the special meal not Faith, but rather doting.

It says not when the Pharisee who did invited him saw this he said to himself if this man were prophet he would have known who and what sort of woman this is. It was touching him for she is a sinner. This is the man who is casting out demons and healing the day or so. We're raising the dead and Healing The Sick and proclaiming God's teaching and power and Simon says if he was a prophet He doubted we see that those who are gathered with them down it as well then those who were at the table with him again to Sam on themselves. Who is this who even forgive sins? To the donors in the store, you not understand forgiveness nor do they understand the one who forgives they lack faith and therefore they missed the opportunity to be forgiven by Jesus honcho, that's the second thing that the story is about. It's about forgiveness forgiveness by Jesus and I think the story conveys much about forgiveness and I'm I don't have time to speak of for things for things that are true about forgiveness, but also point us how we might apply the story to our lives one. We need to realize the grace and forgiveness to we need to recognize the giver of forgiveness 3, we need to respond with gratitude for forgiveness. And for we need to rejoice in the gifts from forgiveness. Realize the grace and forgiveness the parable in the story of the moneylender conveys that God's forgiveness is not merited. But rather is something that is freely given we read a verse 41 a certain moneylender had two debtors one on 509 and the other 50 when they could not pay he canceled the debt of both. It seems that the criteria for getting your debts canceled or forgetting your sins forgiven is simply not being able to pay the debt yourself. They couldn't pay their debts, so they were canceled. This is Saving Grace to send for Humanity. This is the unmerited favor of God to Fallen mankind.

We are debtors. We owe a debt. We are sinners. We need to be forgiven.

But it is only by God's grace that that will happen. It is only based on the mercy and goodness of the one to whom the debt is old.

We don't deserve it.

One of the things to consider in regards to this this idea of Grace. Is that it is not simply that we are in a neutral state with God and have not done anything to Merit Grace. That's what we usually think about. I haven't done enough good things for God, so I can't earn his grace. I'm just in a neutral position. But that's not how this works. We are in a state in which we not only do not Merit Grace. What's a good things that we do we in fact have disqualified ourselves willfully from ever receiving Grace?

Trying to think of how I could give you a picture of this as I'm want to do is and went immediately to food. When is Think of your favorite meal? Maybe it's Thanksgiving dinner with turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy and all the fixings.

Or maybe it's a prime rib steak.

With fully loaded potato veggies on the side. Maybe it's sushi, or maybe it's curried goat or some other dish think of your favorite dish. There is a person making this dish for you. However, there are two criteria. The required of you to get this meal.

The first one is in regards to your actions to get this meal. You would have had to a fed the poor all of the poor in your city for 10 years. To get that meal you have to have said all the poor in your city for 10 years. That's what's required for you to get that meal. But not only that not only but what you should have done. It's also about what you have done to receive this meal. You also would have had to live your whole life and never eaten food.

That's what's required. You can't possibly earn not meal. Cuz what are weak wires is for you to do good in such a way that you can't do it into not have done something that by Nature you would have had to do. That's how we stand before God will only not married Grace. We have positively disqualified ourselves from his favor by the actions. We've taken forgiveness is not something you can earn. It is not something you can work for it comes not by the Merit of the forgiven, but by the mercy of the forgiver. That's why I asked you this morning. Are you trying to earn forgiveness? Let me speak. First of all to those of you who are believers who have put your faith in Christ who have already availed yourself of the Forgiveness of your sins by repenting from them in a trust in your life to him. Do you think now that you can earn his forgiveness? Do you think now by the Good Deeds that you do and the love that you share you can now Merit forgiveness. That is a Fool's errand you cannot do so. Your forgiveness was given by grace.

Grab share this morning. You're not a believer.

You've never entrusted your life to Christ. Let me assure you there is no way you can earn salvation. There is not enough good for you to do and you couldn't do it any ways to earn forgiveness. It's only received as a gift by Grace from God. They need to realize that there is Grace and forgiveness and thought forgiveness is only by Grace. We also need to recognize the giver of forgiveness. Really. There are two points of contention In this passage. There's two contrasting postures in regards to forgiveness. One is how one ought to interact with a sinner that's one of the issues going on here. But the second one is who has the right to forgive sin. Now despite the doubts of Simon in the depths of his guests. Jesus certainly was a prophet Jesus by his Parable indicates that he did in fact know who this woman was. She was a debtor and she had incurred a large that she was a sinner. She had much send he says therefore I tell you her sins, which are many are forgiven for she loved much. He was a property knew about this woman. But he also knew the very thoughts as Simon the Pharisee was thinking about in regards to her action. That's why he brings out the parable. So they were down in that he was a prophet but what they failed understand Was Not only was he a prophet but he was more than a prophet. See a prophet could declare God's forgiveness on behalf of God a prophet could do that speaking for God can say good say to someone God has forgiven your person, but that's not what Jesus did Jesus spoke for himself. He said your sins in the present are forgiven. You are in a state of forgiveness. He speaks for himself.

For a Jew God and God Alone is the forgiver of sins.

enough verb tense in verse 49 those were at the table with him began to say among them. Who is this who even forgives sins? Who is this person? Who in the present for himself is forgiving sins.

It was Jesus. Jesus actively declares the Forgiveness of This Woman's send Jesus can do this because he is God he is the forgiver of sins.

We also need to respond with gratitude for forgiveness. The love of the sinful woman for Jesus was due to the Forgiveness of our sins. Her sins are forgiven and that gives rise to these grateful Deeds don't make the mistake of thinking that her Deeds earned the Forgiveness. That's not what this story says. It says rather her forgiveness inspired the Deeds that she did.

God's gracious loving-kindness in the forgiven of sins produces a loving response or response of gratitude. This woman discovers the Jesus will be at the meal. She comes to express our gratitude and love to Jesus gratitude for what? Why does she love him? She has been forgiven much.

This phrase therefore I tell you her sins, which are many are forgiven indicates that she was in a state of forgiveness.

The verb tense that is used there her forgiveness begin somewhere in the past. And that's why there's this idea that they had an interaction before this meal. She came having already interacted with Jesus gratitude and love springing from her heart so that she would show up with this ointment to anoint Jesus.

her loving Deeds of washing Jesus feet with her tears and wiping them though their hair and covering his feet with kisses and anointing them with this perfumed ointment grow out of the soil home forgiveness, and they're nourished by the love she has For Jesus things I learned about this as I read the commentaries cuz I thought that sign when was being a bad host because he didn't wash Jesus's feet. But in fact that's not the case. It was not expected that a host would wash his guests feet. It was not expected that he would kiss his guests feet or knowing their feet with perfume those in fact, we're extravagant actions of gratitude in love. She wasn't just doing what any host should have done. She was demonstrating and extravagant Devotion to the one who had forgiven her sins. What I had in mind, let me add to the main idea. The fruit of faith in Jesus is the Forgiveness of sins. Therefore we should put our faith in him and respond with Deeds of loving gratefulness. Let the undeserved Forgiveness of your sins motivate your grateful loving service to him. Let the good news of the work of Jesus Christ power and Propel you're thankful actions.

No regards to this whole picture of forgiveness and sins there is a mistake that we often make it in there. So I speak both of the believer in the unbeliever. We often try to minimize and downplay our sin.

We try to make it look like it's smaller than it really is like it's more insignificant than what it seems to be. This is not the path to forgiveness. First of all, Jesus knows you're saying you are not fooling anyone. But secondly the the smallest sin that is ever been acted upon that is ever been committed warrants the full penalty.

We're better off being honest about our sin. Usher quote with you from John Newton is appropriate this morning as it turns out we sang part of Amazing Grace. John Newton was a slave ship captain who later became an Anglican priest and he is the one who wrote the hymn Amazing Grace. He said this he said I think those are the sweetest moments in this life. When we have the clearest sense of her own sins provided a sense of our Acceptance in the Beloved is proportionally clear and we feel the consolations of his love notwithstanding all our transgressions. Don't minimize your sin don't pretend like it's smaller than it is look at it clearly. Can I have an equally clear view of your acceptance in the Beloved? Because he has forgiven your sin through his work on the cross. These are the sweetest moments in this life. Finally, I need to close up here. We need to rejoice in the gifts that come for from forgiveness. We read he said to her your sins are forgiven. Then those who are at the table with him again to stay among themselves. Who is this who even forgive sins? I love and he ignores them. He says to the woman your faith has saved you go in peace interest of parallelism of those two statements. Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you what are the gifts of forgiveness is salvation?

Our Salvation is the forgiveness of sin. Hit her salvation men that she was accepted before God. She had been rescued from her sins one of the gifts of forgiveness and salvation. It's also peace with God. He says to her go in. Peace, and he's not saying leave here within internal subjective feeling of serenity. somebody saying he saying go You are in a state of acceptance with God. Your sins have been forgiven. This is the Glorious gospel. arson in perils us with certain punishment every human being Faces the punishment for their sins and our sins ensure that we are at enmity with God. That's what's in it. And yeah Christ's work on the cross was for the Forgiveness of our sins and this removes our guilt and therefore leaves us unpunished. Price work also reconciled to God by removing these since from a sand by positively giving us his righteous Deeds which are attributed to us. This is a glorious gospel. This is The Wonder of graceful forgiveness. So we can be safe going to be at peace with God with your hair this morning and is Gerald prayed you'd never availed yourself of the Forgiveness of your sins. That's found through faith in Jesus Christ. Let me encourage you to do that this morning.

The last gift coming out of forgiveness is partnership in the mission and I'll tie in the first three verses of chapter 8 with this which is really a transition piece to get us to the parable of the sower. We read that the 12 disciples were with him. And also some women who have been healed of evil spirits and infirmities. These were women who had experienced the salvation of God through Jesus casting out demons and healing or sicknesses.

It says they those women provided for them Jesus and the disciples out of their own means these women had good deeds that sprang from their love of the one who said save. And then it says this. Afterward he went on through cities and Villages proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. This means that through their salvation through their forgiveness through healing of their infirmities casting out of demons these women out of their love for Jesus from the love that he had shown them provided the means, whereby he pursued the mission that God had given him And that's what he extends to all of us who have had our sins forgiven participate in my mission.

Go into all the world and preach the gospel. I love the church and do those things which my people are called to do. another wonderful gif the comes out of forgiveness

So this morning I remind you of those four things for things about forgiveness and help us understand forgiveness, but also point to how we can apply this realize the grace and forgiveness. You can't marry that you can turn it recognized The Giver of forgiveness Jesus Christ the son of God response did your own way? With gratitude for the Forgiveness what you have experienced and rejoice and the gifts that come from forgiveness salvation and peace with God and participation in his mission here on the earth. Let's pray. Lord again, I thank you for your word. I thank you for the Gospel of Luke. I thank you Father God for this story of the sinful woman. Is to her interaction with you somehow came to faith in you and it was a rough Penton faith, and when she realized that she had been forgiven. I forgiveness she did not earn. And out of this forgiveness weld up a great love for you and corresponding Deeds. I pray father God that we would learn from this. The dogs who have never availed themselves of your forgiveness would do so I pray your spirit would help them in that and those who have received that forgiveness father God your spirit would help to respond with appropriate actions of gratitude in love. I thank you Father God that we're not forgiven based on our merits but rather on your mercy.

I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.