It Don't Take All of That | There’s Power in Your Praise, Pt. 4
Worship is the outward, visible expression of gratitude for the inward transformative work of God. - Pastor Charlie Dates
Luke 7:36-50
Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.”
And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” “A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.”
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 has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
We all know something about people who do too much…
Like the celebrity who wears a full-length fur coat to court…
Or when a team exaggeratedly celebrates after scoring a touchdown while knowing they are about to lose the game…
They are doing too much.
But when it comes to praising God in church, when is it too much?
When we say someone is doing too much, we mean there’s an acceptable range of flare, a boundary by which you can express yourself. When someone exceeds the amount of flare we’ve prescribed for them we conclude that they’re doing too much. It don’t take all that.
The woman in the text is viewed by the religious elite as someone doing too much. It doesn’t take all of that.
CULTURAL CONTEXT
In this era, there weren’t many theaters or places to watch movies. A dinner for an itinerant preacher sponsored by a prominent person in the community was a big social deal. Simon the Pharisee recognized there was something different about Jesus and held this dinner.
People didn't need an invitation to get in the house. Someone needed an invitation to sit and eat, but anyone could stand around and listen to the invited guest. Jesus is the invited guest.
Jesus has taken the countryside by storm, doing things they've never seen.
During this time, people ate in a reclined position on their left side with their heads toward the table and ate with their right hand.
His feet are exposed. There were no-closed toe shoes so people walked through the streets and the dirt. Animals traveled the same path as humans, so people could step in anything. Washing a guest's feet would be acknowledging and honoring them.
Also in that era, oil was used to ease the sun's burn on your forehead. Sometimes a little fragrance was added.
When Jesus came, no one washed his feet or put oil on his head. Even though he was a sought-after guest.
He's ignored and dishonored. But he isn't in his feelings yet. He's lying there, eating.
The Woman's Response to Jesus
When the woman is introduced, she's introduced as a sinner. Her presence and her profession were publicly known. She has a negative reputation.
This woman sees that nobody has poured oil on his head or washed his feet, so she does it. She takes her most valuable possession, an alabaster vial full of perfume. Some say it was worth a year's pay.
But she sees Jesus and shows how much she values him by pouring her most valuable possession.
When she got close to him, water began falling from her eyes like rain. Something happened to this woman when she got close to Jesus. She recognized who Jesus was and took care of him like he took care of her.
This is lavish and extravagant worship.
We should be the type of church that brings something to Jesus. Our worship should cost us something because it cost him everything.
Worship emerges from a heart that recognizes that God did something that God didn't have to do.
Simon the Pharisee's Response to the Woman
Simon thinks to himself that Jesus should know who the person is who is touching him. He doesn't say it out loud.
Jesus hears what Simon is thinking, and this is when Jesus gets into his feelings...
He responded to Simon's invitation, but nobody washed his feet and no one put oil on his head. Except the woman. And the reason she's doing it is because she remembers her many sins. She did not lack self-awareness. It takes her all of that because she's been through all of that.
People who've been through something understand. For some of us, it does take all of that.
Jesus forgave her sins, which were many. Forgiveness of sins is divine language. Regular human beings didn't talk like that.
We don't know how she heard about Jesus but she experiences something that changed the way she lived and thought.
She may have sought healing from her trouble, but he delivered her soul from hell.
She didn't have to work for her forgiveness. It happened to her. Forgiveness isn't something you earn. It's something you receive.
The original language shows that her forgiveness was a completed action with continual results. The forgiveness will travel with her in the future.
Jesus is our advocate with the Father. He paid our bill over 2,000 years ago.
Moving forward we should be quick to give him all of that and then some.
Reflection Questions
How does the way you express your gratitude to God reflect the value you place on His work in your life?
Are there areas in your worship where you’re holding back, afraid of “doing too much”? What would it look like to offer God more?
Like the woman in Luke 7, how can you respond to God’s forgiveness with a heart of extravagant worship?
How can you intentionally bring something of value—whether time, resources, or praise—to God this week as an act of worship, recognizing all He has done for you?