1) Vs. 36-38, "Two Hosts" Who are the two different hosts in this home that Jesus gets to know better?
In verse 36, we see a Pharisee asked Jesus to eat with him. This is the 3rd story in a row where we have found Jesus eating in peoples' home.
In verses 37-38, we see another host invade the gathering. She is described as a woman of the city, who was a sinner. It was not her home, nor was she the one who invited Jesus to eat with her, but nevertheless she engaged the meal as a host. She brought a story of hospitality to the dinner that turns out to be in direct contrast with that of the home owner.
2) Vs. 39-43, "Two Kinds of Wisdom" How are two different view points of wisdom communicated here?
In verse 39, we see the home owner's perspective from a physical or human wisdom, 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." The homeowner knew the people of the town. He knew who had a checkered past or not. In his reasoning, he doubts the validity of Jesus being from God because He doesn't resist this woman's hospitality towards Him. He feels like Jesus should call her out and deal harshly and directly with her sins. If He is actually from God and here to do God's work, the home owner see no other possible right response than this one.
In verse 40, Jesus invites the homeowner into a dialogue concerning this issue. "Simon, I have something to say to you." What would you do if Jesus said this to you? We see that when Jesus engages people some respond in humble brokenness and others respond with a more confident posture sometimes because of self righteousness points of view and other times out of just not realizing Who He is. Simon then said "Say it Teacher."
In verses 41-43, we see the first part of the second kind of wisdom communicated from the perspective of Jesus which is described better as from a spiritual or Godly wisdom. Jesus starts with laying the foundation of the teaching with something His student can understand with common sense and or with human reasoning. "As certain money lender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which one of them will love him more?" Simon answered, "the one I suppose, for who he cancelled the larger debt." And He said to him "You have judged rightly."
Now Jesus will continue in His own way to point this student to applying this physical story that he can understand, to spiritual matters like forgiveness and a heart of hospitality. He will direct Simon to think about how everyone needs forgiveness, no one is immune to the need for a forgiveness that reconciles their account of sins with God. Self righteousness blinds us to our need for forgiveness and make us unnecessarily harsh in our dealing with people that are worse off than us. We all need Jesus. If we saw someone physically starving to death, the natural response should be to get them something to eat, or if they were thirsty or cold, we would try to meet that practical physical need. In the same way, we need to have an eye to see spiritual starvation, spiritual dehydration and spiritual coldness. We need to understand and rightly steward a desire to respond to sinners with spiritual food, water and clothes. Don't let your logical thinking from human wisdom cause you to neglect real practical needs right in front of you.
3) Vs. 44-47, Two Styles of Hospitality" How does Jesus explain the two different styles of hospitality, He has been shown in this home?
In a practical way, when a person would have invited a guest to dinner in this culture, it would have been the custom to give a bowl of water and a towel to the guest upon entering the home to wash His feet from the journey of walking on dusty trails. It would be a refreshing gesture that would allow the guest to feel a sense of relaxation before dinner. It would have communicated a homey and friendly environment. Also, much like we hug or shake hands with guests we invite to our homes, their custom was to give a kiss. The oil could have been offered as a hospitable gift of refreshment for the guest's forehead, if he had been in the hot sun on his journey and his skin had began to get very dry. It also could have been offered to show spiritual respect.
With this idea of hospitality considered by the basic standard of the culture in this day, Jesus compares the actions of the two hosts. The homeowner that invited Jesus and the uninvited host.
vs 44, I entered your house and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair
vs 45, You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet.
vs 46, You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.
As you walk through this list, be sure to go deeper than who was the best host. Ask why one was better than the other? Ask yourself how his or her perspective on who Jesus was changed the way they acted towards Him? When you see a person you really like or love, how does it change the way you act? You put on your best behavior, you are not casual and sloppy in your hospitality because you want the relationship to be rich. And why this description gets up close and personal, the teaching point is about how those who know they need forgiveness and cleansing act differently than those who don't realize the weight of the need for forgiveness of sin. Also, those who realize that Jesus is the only way to obtain this forgiveness also changes the way one responds to Him.
So picture this sinner seeking forgiveness and recognizing Jesus is the only way. She first invades a home she is not wanted in and ushers in the hospitality that Jesus deserved in a place where He was not being properly respected and tended to.
vs 44, I entered your house and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair
She meets the needs of His feet by first falling at them and pouring out her great grief and sorrow over her sins that have bound her up for way too long. She, at His feet, lays down her burdens and leaves nothing held back. Whatever she is regretful for, she pours them out through tears that physically meet the need of wetting His dry, dusty feet. She then used something that is much more honorable and valuable than a common towel and with her precious well groomed hair, used it to clean His feet. She did it with something of value and honor to her. She demonstrated a surrendered life towards Him. She made all that she was available to serve at His pleasure.
vs 45, You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet.
She then starts to kiss His feet to show her gratitude for Him. We may kiss someone's cheek or hand if we are semi fond of them and if we really like them our kiss may go to their lips. But anything other than that, it is usually not something we do with anyone other than a spouse. When we use a term like kissing someone's butt, that is figurative, but not something normally anyone does. It is a humiliating act that would devalue the person doing the kissing. But to kiss a persons dirty, stinky feet, that is a very humble and desperate posture and action. But here she is not actually kissing dirty, stinky feet because she has cleansed them with her tears and her precious hair. If you have ever had a foot massage, you know how comforting that can be. Here she massages and honors Him with something very few people will ever enjoy: the kissing of feet.
vs 46, You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.
If His feet were dry or stinky, she addressed that by applying ointment. If it would have been left up to the homeowner that invited Jesus to this dinner, He would have been mistreated, but because of this woman seeking to find forgiveness for her sins, Jesus was deeply cared for and made welcome. He physically had the cleanest, most cared for feet in the room. But more than that He was greatly honored and acknowledged as the only One worthy of worship.
In this woman's worship, she laid down her burden and confessed her sins with all her heart, surrendered her life, giving her very best to serve the Lord. She demonstrated an amazing amount of gratitude for His redemption and she gave of her wealth to add to His glory in this life.
4) Vs. 48-50, "Two Views on Forgiveness" How do these two hosts demonstrate the value of forgiveness?
So the uninvited guest believed that Jesus could forgive sins, while those who asked Him to come and have dinner, had not yet come to a place where they saw Him as the answer to their sin problem. Who is this who even forgives sins? Like we saw in story 4, here again we see an audience that is offended by a man talking about the forgiveness of sin because they rightly believe only God can do such a thing. Why do you think they do not realize who Jesus is? Why do you think the sinful woman believes Jesus can forgive her?
5) Who is Jesus? Can He forgive sins? Why do some people recognize He alone is the only hope for forgiveness, while others do not see this? Is there a form of self righteousness described and displayed in this story?
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