“Her Many Sins Have Been Forgiven” | Luke 7:36–50

Show Notes

Episode 758: 
In this episode, Chris and Kyle read from Luke 7, recounting the story of a Pharisee named Simon who invites Jesus to dinner. During the meal, a sinful woman enters, weeping and anointing Jesus' feet with expensive perfume. The Pharisee judges her harshly, questioning Jesus' prophetic abilities for allowing such a woman to touch him. In response, Jesus shares a parable about two debtors, illustrating the depth of forgiveness and love that comes from recognizing one's own need for grace.

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You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun, in practical ways. Hey, everybody, welcome to the Bible Guys. I am Chris and I am Kyle. Are you happy to be here? I'm so happy to you? Are you? Yeah? I do. This is great good. I feel like I'm learning. Whenever I'm on these things, I'm learning. And it's obviously great to learn from you and learn from Jeff. And I know that this is a podcast a lot of people listen to, so that's great. Yeah, yeah, it's fun to be part of. Very humbling and appreciate all of our listeners, especially the faithful ones. And so Jeff is out of the country this week, and so today we are the Bible Guys, and this is Kyle. You always said your name right, yeah, and sorry, that's all good. And we're in a series talking about the famous sayings of Jesus and this week has a theme, and the theme is Jesus and the Outsiders, which of course I love. That's sort of my movie, by the way, The Tiders. Oh yeah, it's great. I watch that when I was like in middle school, and I remember learning because at the time than when the movie had come out and when we read the book. Then I watched a movie and I realized all those actors were like famous, like they're making great films at the time. It's kind of funny, you know, all the different. Actually, that's that's the breakout role for a lot of them. Yeah, that was awesome. That was one. I think that was Tom Cruise's first. Yeah, Patrick Swayze. Patrick Swayey Swayze, Matt Damon, got Matt Damont, med Dylan, Matt Dylan, the Karate Kid. Yeah, yeah, Ralph Macchio, it was a couple. Of couple of the ladies event Oh yeah, Fameilia yep. Yeah, I mean before Mighty Ducks and all that. Yeah, it's pretty awesome. Yeah, there was a lot of them in there. Yeah. There's been people I've talked to over the years who've like never like read the book, didn't know about the movie, and they're like, like you show them with just that cover and they're like, those people were in that movie. Yes, Yes, it's like an A list actors. And that was also the breakout role for Diane. Lane, Yeah, who played Yeah, yep, yep, Yeah, that's awesome. So anyway, hey, enough about that. We want to start out with a segment called the anti bucket list. I think I've only done this one time. Okay. Uh so it says this, instead of naming the things that you want to do, name a couple of things that you hope to know ever have to. Do again, things you hope to never have to do again. Yeah, so you did it. You're thinking yourself, never again. Yeah, I would say an easy one. This is not a trip. This is like I might have some trips I wish I could never do again, or places i've been, but I would never want to have the flu again. I know that's impossible to say that, but wait a minute, dude, come onbod he chooses to get the flu at first. True. I guess it's not a bucket list, no, but that's something that's it. I never like some of the ti bucket list. I don't want to die, Okay, I don't want to have cancer. I don't want my kids to get kid. When I think of something I don't ever want to do, I guess that's maybe it. Maybe I was just thinking I never want to do that. I can't do this bucket list. Is this is something I really want to do. This is something I never want to do. About and experience that you've chosen to do in the past within your control that you want to you will never choose to do again. Okay, man, that's tough. Okay, fine with that in mind. Yes, I would say last year, although I would love to go to Africa again or travel far, sitting in an airplane for twenty hours may not be for me. Okay, I don't think. I don't think I'm built for this. Yeah, and so I would I would probably say, and I am almost embarrassed to say this, but there are some kind well you know what, I'm not going to name the country. There are some countries that I've been to that I would choose not to go back to. You know, I'm gonna choose a safe country. Yeah. Yeah, I will never go back to South Sudan again. Oh why Because I didn't realize when I was there how unsafe it was interesting, and so it's like it's almost like Haiti now, it's like going to Haiti. Now there's a good chance you won't come back. Yeah, right, because it's it's lawless. Right. That was South Sudan when I went there, and so I didn't realize how unsafe it was until there was like life threatening things that happened, and I thought to myself, I can't believe I went yeah. I was ignorant when I went yeah, so how about that. Okay, I'll throw another one out then. Okay, I've never done this yet, but it's something I avoid just for some random reason. But I would not go on a carnival cruise. Here's why did you ever hear about the poop Cruise? Is a documentary about it on Netflix? Nope, it's about the cruise. We probably heard about it like five ten years five ten years ago where they had like a fire happened in the engine. All of a sudden, they the boat is out in the middle of the ocean, and then all of a sudden, the sewage started rising up on the showers and people were like sleeping anywhere. It was like it was like the cruise from Hell, and it happened to be carnival cruise. And I know it won't happen, but one I go on, but just purely out of like I won't do it. Yeah, I never heard of it. Yeah, you gotta look at it's good documentary. The poop cruise is what they call it. Okay, all right, how about this? Before you said that, before you said that, I had a really good thought cruise? Oh what was it? And I thought to myself, I'll never do that again. I literally can't believe that I had a really good addition to this. No, no, no, you you threw me off with. I was so fascinated with your. Heart, with your just send you the link, you know, want just documentary. It's like, but I, what did I do that recently that I thought to myself, I'll never ever do that again. Oh I know what, I know what I thought of? I get motion insigma. So I was actually on a thing called the spider. Oh okay, right, and. There's a I got a ride at the at the at the fair or or even Cedar Point. Now it's still there where the thing literally the whole thing turns and then the arms go up and down on the spider arms, so you were going up and down while you're turning. And then there's a like a spinner where there's like four four like like buckets, four buckets. That thing spins and then your bucket spins. Oh my goodness, not good. So your bucket is spinning motion while you're while you're spinning as four things while you're going up and down while the whole thing's spinning. And so when I tried that, I got so emotion in thickness and I thought to myself, I will never do that again. That's terrible. Yeah, that's terrible. Keep you on sky diving. Before I went three times, I think I would do that again. Although the last time that I went. Do you know that. The first time I went, it was just epic. The second time I went it was still pretty great. And the third time I went, I literally had this thought, this is how, you know, like I'm over things pretty quickly. I literally jump out of the plane and as I'm jumping out of the plane, it was super cold. I was sort of miserable, and I actually thought to myself, I think this is the least time I'll do this. Wow. As I'm falling, and I thought to myself, yeah, I think I'm done. Like it's sort of lost its luster for me. Yeah, that's not worth anymore. That's fair. That was incredibly I have not gone. That's what I was curious to see. Because you've done it a few times. I didn't know if you would say the same. That that's true. Yeah, yeah, yeah, No, I would never do it. I would never do it where I'm controlling it. I would never do that. That That freaks me out so. Bad, gotcha, gotcha. But I jumped tandem where somebody is in control of it. Yeah, I'm fine with that, but I would never do it by myself ever. All right, I'll end one. This one's for Jeff. Okay. I will never visits Ohio for the rest of my life. I'm done. I'm done with the state of One's not true. Unfortunately, after I'm not vacationing in Ohio. Okay, all right, well, hey, that's that could be true. Yeah, you could consciously say that. That's for Jeff wherever you're at, Jeff. Okay, very good. Well, Hey you know I'm from Ohio, right, I know? I okay? Okay, Yes, Well, hey, that was a great segment. And so we are going to be caught talking about the famous saying that Jesus said, and he said her many sins have been invented. Yes, and this once again is all about the outsiders. Yeah. Man, this is a woman who is notoriously known to be a sinner. Yeah, so Luke seven is where we're going to be picking up today, and we're both actually, yeah, you're reading out of the NLT I'm reading out of the NLT so, and starting in verse thirty six, it says this, one of the pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him. So Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them. When the pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, if this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of a woman is touching him. She's a sinner. Then Jesus answered his thoughts Simon. He said to the pharisee, I have something to say to you. Go ahead, teacher, Simon replied. Then Jesus told them this story. A loaned money to two people, five hundred pieces of silver to one and fifty pieces to the other, but neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more than that? Simon answered, I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt. That's right, Jesus said. Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn't offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with their hair. You didn't greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. I tell you her sins, and yes there are many, have been forgiven. So she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only a little love. Then Jesus said to the woman, your sins are forgiven. The men at the table said among themselves, who is this man that he goes around forgiving sins? And Jesus said to the woman your faith has saved you go in peace. I love this. It's honestly very similar to what we read on Monday, a little bit of the where he came to the defense of the woman, you know, just the whole the men at the table adultry. Yeah, yeah, sorry, yeh could woman caught an adultrey and you have these men at the table, and who is this man forgiving sins? Like? What is it like? It's it's very very similar. Yeah, it is similar in that Jesus is forgiving a woman who is known to have a sinned and she's being judged by the people around them, right, and Jesus forgives her. So that part is and is almost sort of like almost lident, right, But the circumstances in which this happens are are different. And then also Jesus decides to teach, whereas before he knew that their motivation and the woman caught in adultrey was to trapp him. Yeah, in this particular case, they were judging her for different reasons. They were actually judging her actual actions. Like for instance, they thought to themselves, this woman has wasted this money and she could have sold it for the poor. Now does it say it in this one, it doesn't does, see, no, does it. But in another one of the Gospels it actually talks about this story, and it gives us a little bit more insight from one of the other writers, where I think it might have been Judas who said, look at this woman. She has broken out this alabaster jar of perfume. And she could have sold all this money and given it to the poor, but she's wasted it here, right, And so let's talk about that for seconds, since I've already brought it up. So in alabaster is a mineral. It's like a rock, but it's a beautiful white rock. And so this alabaster jar in itself would have been expensive and it would have been beautiful. So it is something of prominence, something that is designed for, you know, obviously somebody who's important. And then then this alabaster jar of perfume. Uh, this this this, oh, g whizz the oil? Yeah, the oil it was Uh, there's a name for it. I can't believe I'm forgetting it. What was in the alabaster jar? What kind was it? Murr? Was it murrh? No? It was called something. You want to look it up? Yeah, let me see you look it up. Okay, keep going, keep going anyway. So it was very expensive, and in most scholars believe that it would have been a year's salary. Imagine that, so you know, imagine everything you make a year, right, all that, all those hundreds of millions of dollars that you make a year, right, and so you know, your entire year's salary represented in this jar. And so people even today would say, what a waste. And yet she is expressing everything that she has. That's like an offering. So she's giving it to God himself, and she's pouring it out, annoying his feet with oil. And what she's really doing is as a describing worth to him, and she's giving him this offering of you know, quite possibly it doesn't say so quite quite possibly everything that she has. The other scholars say that perhaps she's a prostitute. Sorry yard. It's a very thick, uh almost like a molasses type perfume, and so it's very concentrated and so Nard could be actually be uh you know, diluted and spread throughout. And so this this Nard is very very very expensive. And so anyway, I knew, I knew it had a name. And anyway, the point is is that you know, this woman is uh notoriously known as a sinner, and yet Jesus decides to teach and he didn't do that elsewhere. And what he's trying to do is he's trying to actually teach them about her heart and about God's position uh to to his forgiveness to her right because because it's unlike the adulterous woman that we read on Monday, because that again had no basis of justice, that was just them using this woman as a you knows, as a means. Tool to their own agenda. Essentially, don't put him to trap him. But this one has legitimate repentance involved. Jesus is recognizing all the good they're not. And all they think to themselves is why has she come in here? And why is this sinful woman allowed to touch a rabbi? Because remember, culturally he would have been unclean, yes, right, he would have had to be unclean and go wash, yes, to be even touched by a woman like this. The thing I found interesting too is a couple of things. One is I like that it says that Jesus says, then Jesus answered his thoughts, so he hurt all of that like Jesus literally. And again, these are the Jesus powers that Jeff and I were talking to. Yeah, he get into this big thing, big debate, and he goes, oh no, he goes, we could Jesus didn't have any special Jesus powers. Besides what the Holy Spirit can get to us? Right? Well, I don't know about you, but I don't. I mean, right here, Jesus answered his thoughts. I can't do that. Yeah, Jesus answered his thoughts. So he's sitting there in his mind silence. Hey, for all of our listeners, remember when Jeff was gloating the other week, Yeah, about saying, like, hey, there's proof that Jesus didn't have any powers. Besides, and I use the word power's tongue in cheek, right, but I said, there's so many examples, partures where Jesus has has abilities that are beyond just the normal human being. Because I know he's a hundredercent manah, I mean obviously he's an undrescent man. I also know that he's suppressed many attributes of his deity, right, and all of that's really clear, right, But at the same time he made the comment and said, I'm doing these things so that people would know I'm the Messiah. So there has to be some things that Jesus reserves to go above and beyond to prove his messiah ship. That was my only point, right, So if Jesus answers this thought, then that would then the chef's theory. Yeah, then that means that you and I would have the ability to the power of Holy spirit minds. You know, I'm gonna put myself in Jeff's shoes right now. He would say, Yes, Chris, that's called discernment. Yeah, that's what it is, that spiritual gift, the discernment. Yeahah yeah, yeah, it could be. But that still doesn't know. But this is literally, like he said, he read his thoughts and then responded to his very thoughts of this person being you know what, I'm. Going to concede on this. Maybe maybe maybe God could give us discernment beyond our ability. It could be that. All right, let's move on so that Jeff doesn't get a bile. Sorry, but I was gonna say. So that stood out to me is that he he heard his thoughts and responded to it. But then also, it's so interesting because we see in these stories you have these pharisees constantly trying to like one up these common folk, these people that they saw, and it was this and it was cool. It's cool how Jesus points out the fact that the pharisee actually overlooked several things that he should have done correctly, like the way the way this woman greeted him and took care of him as a guest. You talk about the ceremonial cleaning, There's so many things that was that were already overlooked. And it was interesting because Jesus calls him out on it is like, look what she did, but look what you didn't do. Look what she's done, but look what you haven't done. And it was probably a very humiliating thing for somebody like him, this dispharisee who thought he was something special. He didn't treat Jesus like a special guest, since she's kind of treating him like an average Joe. Then this woman comes along, He's like, how could this man? How could he do this? Does he not know that she's this this sinner? Like how could she be associated with? How could he be associated with this person? I love it because Jesus like, hey, just you know, you know you have your flaws too, bro, Like, I love that kind of put him in his place. Yeah, and so let me let me address the fact that this lesson, right, we talked about the lesson is the distinctive part. And he says, a man loan money to two people five hundred pieces of silver into one fifty pieces, but either the coup play him, so you kind of forgive them both canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more? After that? And then they said, I suppose the one whom he canceled a larger debt. He said, yeah, that's right. And then he said to the woman, you know, and then she's talking. She's talking about the fact that she's more of a her, she's done more notorious things than the people perhaps in the room, and yet she's forgiven more, and so she's she's thankful more. Right. Well, let me let me just say this. There are people listening out there. Most most of everybody who listens to our podcast are Christians, right, I would say almost all right, because Christians want to grow and there may be some people who might be inquisitive or listening. And and by the way, if you are, you know the plan of salvation is by faith, not by not by deeds. So anyway, my point is this is that my wife, her story of salvation is simply this. She's like, well, when I was five years old, I received Christ. I never did anything wrong before then, really, and then my parents were Christians, and I grew up in a great household. The end, that's her, that's her big, huge story. And then there then she married somebody like me who God saves me from, you know, you know, being in juvenile a couple of times, you know, all these different things where look at that that beated and looked, huh okay, there we go. So God saves me from from this notorious lifestyle. And there are people who would say, man, I don't have a story like that, yeah, right, Like like my story is sort of like Liz's story. It's like, you know, I don't have this, you know, ray big story. God didn't save me from five hundred pieces of silver because I didn't have that big of a dace, right, God only forgave me I have fifty pieces of sober, or technically like Liz, two pieces of sober. Right, Here's what I would say, and this is this is this is a very strong truth. Every listener is the five hundred pieces of silver, because we all deserve hell. So one sinner, one sin makes you sinner, right, and therefore one sin separates you from God. Every single one of us are in the same vote. If you've been rescued from Hell, then you are the person with five hundred pieces of silver being forgiven. Yeah, paid the price for yep. Right, So let's not let's not forget that. So now Jesus obviously is referring to the sins that she's doing in culture, in society, which are greater, right, But let's not forget the fact that if you have a Liz type story, that you can be as grateful as this woman because all of us have been rescued from Hell. Yeah, and if heaven is the only thing that we get by accepting Christ, it will have been more than worth it. Yeah right. I think what he's doing there too, is he's kind of challenging the thinking of the Pharisees who thought that this woman was too far gone, And. It's exactly right, I think. Like so for me, I have a cousin of mine who, when he was growing up was man like a hellion like in the area like just the type of person who I would always try to be a good example to him is a few years not going to be. I always try to talk to him about Jesus. But it was one of those things. You know, you ever meet those people who you're like, I wonder if they'll ever become a Chratian, Like I bet you all these people come, but I do wonder if he'll ever become like you know those people. Yeah, That's that's what he was like in my life, like just somebody who I was like, Man, I'm gonna pray for him, I'm gonna try to guide him, but that is man, God has really got to do something with him. So sure enough, what ended up happening was he got into college, like after you graduated high school, and this was like addicted to it, to you know, drug addict. He in tons of debt early on in college, car accidents, all this stuff. Like just just I'm like, how is he still alive? Honestly, is like nineteen twenty years old. He becomes friends with somebody that I know, he starts attending our churches young adult ministry, and I found out a few months later, like he's been going and so I'm like, wait, my cousin's been going to this young adult ministry. So I go to meet up with him get lunch. I'm like, hey, I've been heard you've been going to church. I was like, what's what's And I'm thinking in my mind, I'm like it must be for some girls. He's trying to, you. Know, like there's there's got to be some sort of heard plenty of stories like that. Yeah. So then sure enough he's like he's like no, no, He's like, actually, I wait till like the service starts, and then I leave before it's over because I want my focus to be like intentionally on like God. And I was like, I'm like, who is this person? Like I'm already like my mind are you? My mind is blown? Right. Then a few weeks later, you know, he ends up joining a small group with some guys. He starts meeting some guys that they start telling me, oh, your cousin's amazing. I'm like, really, do we know the same person? Then a few if you want, after that, I'm over at his house. We're hanging out and he's like he's like showing me. He's like, oh, I've been reading these books. He shows me, he's reading not a fan. Remember that book by Kyle Edelman, The God. What was the one with Francis Chan that was really popular? I had, like the red Crazy Love. Yeah, he's reading that and he's telling me, he's like, you know the book Crazy Love. The thing I love about it is like when he's saying these things, I'm like, who are you Like? This was a person who I could have never imagined speaking in those terms or having a soft heart towards God, and then God just wrecked him. And I think when I read a story like this, it's a reminder that there are those people, and there's that God is working on those people that you think there's no chance that they'll ever come to know Jesus. And God is working on those people. Yeah. So a moment ago, I said that there could be people listening who aren't Christians, and probably most are. But if you're listening to the podcast because somebody sent this to you, just know this, You're not too far gone. Nobody is too far gone. In fact, no matter how far away that you feel from God, you are one step away. Yeah, and the one step away is a step of faith. And so you know the Bible says that we have to just realize that everybody's a sinner and that that sin separates us from God. And the Bible actually says that sin demands a price, and that price is death. Romans five says the payment of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So the Bible talks about how good deeds aren't a way to get to heaven. Heaven is not a reward for good deeds. The only thing we have to do is not trust in ourselves to get to heaven, but trust in what was done for us already in the cross of Cavalry. So the Bible says, with childlike faith, we just pray and put our faith in trust. We confess believe, we have faith, and so we just say, God, come into my life. I trust you, I believe in you. I believe in your death, beryl and resurrection, and I'm gonna put you first in my life. I repent of my sins. I'm sorry of my sins. God, I'm asking you to save me and my soul. So a simple and by the way, there's not a formulated prayer. You just express that with any words that you want to with your heart and real that God saves sinners by faith, even those who are uneducated, who feel notorious, who feel far from God, and who have faith. So here's here's this woman, and she is, you know, pouring everything out. And Jesus is saying, this woman has done all the things that you should have done as Christian. And that's my favorite part, right because they're like, oh, she's this, you know, she she could have sold this for the poor, and I can't believe she's in here, and I can't believe she's doing this. She's she's making a disruption. And these people feel like they're superior. Yeah, like, doesn't it feel like entitled or superior? It doesn't say that, but it's sort of the posture, isn't it. And what Jesus is saying is is he's really saying you should have been more like her. Yeah she's chosen once better. Yeah, yeah, you should be more like her because you didn't do any of these things for me and she did. And then and then I love also the part at the very end where he says, your faith has saved you go and you go in peace, and really it's it's her repentance. It's her acknowledgement that he is Jesus, he is Lord. She is treating him like a king, only a spiritual king, and you know, recognizing his lordship. And he's saying, it is your faith that has saved you. And I love that he says that, because he says that in response to their rumblings, who is this man that he goes around forgiving sins? They're putting the pa they're putting the authority on him, which he does have authority, right yeah, but he's then announcing that it's actually her faith that has saved her. It's cool, right, yeah, And so it's it's really cool. Yeah. My only to find a takeaway I'd like to say too, is the story starts off with this Pharisee Simon. I would just say, don't be that guy. Right, as Christians here we are in twenty twenty five, don't be that guy. You know, we as we have a responsibility to still like to not just you know, like you're saying, have that posturing or pretending like you're something special or concan rink yourself above others. We should do exactly what Jesus did in this In this scenario. Yeah, that's great. Good. Well, hey that is our time, so thanks for joining us and hopefully we will see you next time on the Bible guys. See it h