WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday October 27, 2019
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GRATEFUL
FAITH
(GOD’s
great forgiveness gives sinful people a fresh start)
(Luke
7:36-50)
Two
days before the Passover celebration and the “Festival of Unleavened Bread” in
Jerusalem, the leading priests, Pharisees, and teachers of religious law, were
busy looking for an opportunity to secretly capture JESUS and put HIM to death.
However, they had all agreed that they would not attempt anything until after
the Passover. They feared that, because of JESUS’ popularity among the people,
a move on HIS life might cause a riot at that time.
Meanwhile, JESUS, ironically, was in
Bethany visiting the home of another Pharisee named Simon. Simon had invited
JESUS to his home to have a meal with himself, and some of his other honored guests.
It was customary that whenever a respected Rabbi was attending a meal in a
well-to-do person’s home, which contained an outer courtyard such as Simon’s
did, that people would wander into the gathering in order to take in some of
the knowledge and wisdom that was being imparted.
Traditionally, when the special guest
arrived, there would be a customary three-part ritual that would take place
between the host and his guest. First, the host would place his hand on the
shoulder of the guest and welcome them with a hug and a kiss.
Secondly, the host would have one of his
servants to pour cold water on the guest’s feet to clean and comfort them. And
then finally, either a pinch of sweet smelling incense was burned, or a drop of
rose fragrant oil would be applied to the head of the guest. In the case of
JESUS’ visit with Simon, HE did not receive this traditional honor, and JESUS
would remind Simon of this later in verses 44-46.
In biblical times, when the Jews ate a
meal, they would do so while lying in an inclined position, on low couches,
using one of their arms to prop them up, at a very low table. This explains how
the so-called, “immoral woman” in this passage, was able to kneel down behind
JESUS near HIS feet as it is described in verse 38a.
At any rate, this certain woman, who had
heard that JESUS was going to be present at Simon’s dinner, came prepared to
anoint HIM with some fairly expensive perfume that was contained in a beautiful
jar. She knelt down behind JESUS, at HIS feet, and began to sob bitterly, and
her tears were so plentiful, that, she was able to wash JESUS’s feet with them.
When she began to wipe her tears from
JESUS’ feet with her own hair, and then proceeded to kiss HIS feet continuously
(“katephilei”- in the biblical Greek, a word that suggests continuous action),
while applying the expensive perfume to them, Simon began to protest to
himself, thinking “This proves that JESUS
is no prophet. If GOD had really sent HIM, HE would know what kind of a woman
is touching HIM. She’s a sinner!”
Using HIS deep discernment to read the
innermost thoughts of the confused host, JESUS said to Simon, “I have something to say to you Simon”,
and HE began to teach the Pharisee a lesson in “forgiveness”, as HE relates to
him, a parable of a man who had loaned money to two different individuals, who
were not able to repay the debt. One individual owed the man 500 pieces of
silver, while the other owed 50 pieces. The kind man decided to forgive both
men of their debt to him, tearing up both of their bills.
Then JESUS asked Simon which man do you
think was the most appreciative of what the lender did for them, and who showed
the man the most love? Simon replied, “Why
it is the one whom he forgave the most debt”. “That’s correct”, JESUS said, and HE then turned to the woman and
reminded Simon of how he had neglected to honor HIM in the traditional way when
HE arrived at his home.
JESUS went on to further remind HIS neglectful
host of how, this sinful woman, by washing JESUS’ feet with her “tears of repent”,
and wiping away those tears with her hair, kissing HIS feet, and then anointing
them with costly perfume, had not only honored HIM in the traditional way, but
she had also honored HIM in a truly “sacrificial and personal, intimate way”. Don’t
yawl miss that!
In the biblical Greek, the word used for
“forgive” is “aphemi” and it means “to send away”, or “wipe away”, in this
case, sin. In verse 47 of this passage JESUS says to Simon, “I tell you, her sins, and they are many,
have been forgiven, and so she has shown ME much love. But the person who is
forgiven little shows only a little love”. Then JESUS turned to the woman
and made a statement that all Pharisees and teachers of the religious hierarchy
of the day, believed only GOD can make, when HE said, “Your sins are forgiven” (v.48).
By making such a statement, JESUS was
leaving no doubt, and actually declaring to the religious hierarchy in Israel,
that HE has the authority of GOD over mankind, to not only forgive sin, but
indeed, over all things here on earth. The men at the table of honor were
indignant and began to murmur among themselves, saying, “WHO does HE think HE is, going around forgiving sin?” (v.49) And
JESUS said to the woman, “Your faith has
saved you; go in peace” (v.50) (NLT).
The reason why JESUS once stated that “it is easier for a camel to go through the
eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter into the Kingdom of heaven”
is because, the rich are those who are least likely to be conscious of any
needs in this life. Ironically however, the first thing that a person who
desires to come to GOD has to do is “to recognize that they need HIM”, no
matter what our economic or social standing in life might be. JESUS is saying here
in this passage, that, our love for GOD can be measured by the amount of “grateful
faith” that we have in, and for GOD.
Simon in this story wasn’t conscience of
any need for forgiveness, and therefore, felt no love for JESUS. This is
evidenced in his failure to treat JESUS in a way that, even ordinary guests
were treated in those days by the hosts. He felt no love for JESUS, and so he
could receive no forgiveness from JESUS, WHO was GOD in human form.
Simon felt that he was a “good man” before
men and GOD, and through his own efforts, he had put himself in a position
where all of his needs could be met by either his wealth and/or, his position
of power. The lowly woman in this passage, on the other hand, was fully conscience
of her needs for forgiveness for her many sins, and her actions here shows that
she had much love for JESUS, WHO is the only ONE on earth WHO could grant that
forgiveness to her.
Here in this passage we see that the sinful
woman’s love for JESUS was manifested through her behavior and actions towards
JESUS at the dinner, and that her “desire to change” was greater than her “desire
to remain the same”. She showed an overwhelming love for JESUS, and JESUS
granted her forgiveness, because of HIS overwhelming love for her.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
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