Monday, August 24, 2026
Then one of the Pharisees invited him to eat with him. He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. And a woman in the town who was a sinner found out that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of perfume and stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to wash his feet with her tears. She wiped his feet with her hair, kissing them and anointing them with the perfume. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, This man, if he were a prophet, would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—she’s a sinner! Luke 7:36-39
A Sinful Woman, A Pharisee, and a Savior
Yesterday Pastor Jim wrapped up the Come and See series with the last message – The Dismissed. The encounter happened at the house of a Pharisee named Simon. Jesus had been invited for dinner and while he was there, a woman of the city – a sinner, came to Simon’s house because she had heard that Jesus would be there. It was common at the time for people in the city to come and watch when prominent people ate together. She had a reputation and was known for her sin, and Simon thought Jesus shouldn’t be touching her because of her reputation.
Jesus knew who she was and everything about her. He was there for her and Simon than night. She came seeking the Messiah. She came seeking transformation. She came seeking forgiveness. She wanted out of her life of sin and into a life of forgiveness and freedom. She came already grateful for what He would do for her because she was desperate, and she believed. Just as in the other stories in this series we see that all are invited to come and see the truth found in Jesus.
Even though Simon dismissed the woman, Jesus did not. He is the Messiah, King of Kings, ruler over all, and yet this woman with a bad reputation was invited into his Kingdom, in the same way Simon was. Jesus told a parable in response to Simon’s condemnation of the woman: Jesus replied to him, Simon, I have something to say to you. He said, Say it, teacher. A creditor had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Since they could not pay it back, he graciously forgave them both. So, which of them will love him more? Simon answered, I suppose the one he forgave more. You have judged correctly, he told him. Luke 7:40-43 Jesus told Simon this parable so he would see his own sin and realize that he is a sinner like the woman. Both need what only Jesus can give and in that regard they are the same. Jesus was there to forgive the woman who came seeking change and he was there to make Simon aware of his own sin. In this story we see how Jesus recognizes the woman that has been dismissed, lifts her up, and forgives her. What can we learn from this example Jesus gives us?
How can we demonstrate Jesus’ love and acceptance to the marginalized and dismissed among us? Yesterday Pastor Jim gave us some guidelines to help us follow the example Jesus left for us.
1. Humble yourself before God and others. – Do you struggle to humble yourself with God and others? Jesus approached Simon's pride, not to condemn him but to save him. Jesus was there for the woman and the pharisee. He reminded Simon that he was no better than the woman and they both needed Jesus.
Why do we marginalize people?
Our own unhealthy sense of pride. – We marginalize others by building ourselves up by tearing others down.
Unbiblical standards we have put on ourselves and others. Legalism and expectations of perfection that no one can reach. We marginalize those who cannot keep up.
A lack of compassion and love for others. We are selfish and our world revolves around us. We do not want to be inconvenienced or interrupted. We don’t have time for compassion.
We have forgotten that we too were once outsiders. – We lose perspective. We forget what it feels like to be lost and without Jesus, especially when we have grown up in church and never known anything different.
2. Recognize all people as created in the image of God. All of us are created in the image of God. We are all on the same level at the foot of the cross. We all have the exact same inheritance offered to us for eternity and we will all be at the same table in heaven. With that in mind we need to view everyone here on earth as
3. Extend mercy and grace. God has extended such elaborate mercy and grace to us how can we not extend mercy and grace to others? How much have you been forgiven by God? Think about what he has done for you. We cannot be a living testimony of what he has done for us without extending mercy and grace.
As you go through this week remember to be humble, recognize everyone around you as created in the image of God and extend mercy and grace as you have been given.
Read Luke 7:36-50. How have you judged those around you? Have you seen them as created and loved by God or as something “less”? How will you demonstrate the mercy and grace of Christ to those around you this week?
