Luke 7:36-50
The Silent Request
For years, this story confused me. It is very similar to another
story in the Scripture. Let me read it to you. \\#Mark 14:3-9\\
You can see why I tried to associate these two stories together. They
have some similarities:
1. Both take place in a Simon’s house.
2. Both take place over a meal.
3. Both involve a woman slipping in and anointing Jesus.
4. In both events, the anointing oil is contained in an alabaster
box.
5. In both events, someone had something negative to say about
the anointing act.
However, there are some major contrasts in the stories.
1. In Luke, Simon is called a Pharisee. In Mark, he is called a
leper.
a. Being a Pharisee suggests the man was lost.
b. Being a leper suggests the man had been healed by Jesus
and one would think would be saved.
2. Luke’s story seems to take place in the earlier part of Jesus’
ministry. Mark’s takes place near the death of Jesus. (Jesus
said the woman anointed Him for His burial.)
3. In Luke, the emphasis is on the woman being a great sinner who
loved. In Mark, the emphasis is on the woman being a great
lover who gave.
4. In Luke, the woman anointed Jesus’ feet. In Mark, the woman
anointed Jesus’ head.
5. In Luke, the objection made concerned the quality of the
woman. In Mark, the objection being made concerned the
quality of the gift.
6. In Luke, the objection came from Simon. In Mark, the
objection came from Jesus’ disciples.
7. In Luke, Jesus answered with a parable. In Mark, Jesus
answered with a rebuke and a promise.
8. In Mark, I believe the woman came seeking to worship. In
Luke, the woman came seeking salvation.
Let me say plainly, I do not feel the two stories are the same, and I
hope I never confuse them again. If you think that not possible then
consider:
1. Simon was a very common name. I find at least seven different
Simon’s mentioned in the New Testament.
2. It would not be uncommon for people to collect their burial
ointment and if they were going to collect it, they would
want it stored in a jar that would perserve it, an alabaster
box.
I. Notice Simon and the woman.
A. Simon
1. \\#Luke 7:39\\ He is called a Pharisee and \\#7:40\\ he
was named Simon.
2. What can be said about Simon?
a. Simon was curious about Jesus.
(1) This is earlier in Jesus’ ministry and many
Pharisees were curious about Jesus in the early
days.
(2) Being curious was better than being critical or
contemptuous.
(3) This curiosity lead him to invite Jesus into his
home for a meal.
b. \\#Luke 7:44-46\\ Simon was disrespectful. Even though
had invited Jesus to his home, his disrespect for Jesus
was evident and was noticed by Jesus.
(1) \\#7:44\\ He offered no water for Jesus to wash
His feet.
(2) \\#7:45\\ He offered no kiss (a greeting, like
our handshake).
(3) \\#7:46\\ He offered no oil. (Probably only done
by the wealthier Jews for those they respect,
but Jesus is implying this man would have been
able to do it.)
c. \\#7:39\\ Simon was decided.
(1) He was decided about the woman. She was a sinner
and nothing more.
(2) He decided about Jesus.
i. He said, "If He were a prophet…."
aa. Simon was not even considering that
Jesus might be the Messiah, only a
prophet.
bb. A Simon concluded that Jesus was not
even that!
ii. Simon was NOT a believer in Jesus Christ.
B. The woman
1. The woman was never named.
2. The woman was obviously a well-known sinner.
a. Both Simon \\#7:39\\ and Luke \\#7:37\\ acknowledge
her sinfulness.
b. This type of undebated and undescribed sin probably
means she was a prostitute.
3. But on this day, she came to Jesus with four gifts:
a. \\#7:38\\ She came with a broken heart.
(1) She was weeping. I can think of two reasons for
her weeping.
(a) Perhaps she was weeping because she was so
happy. Women do that.
(b) Perhaps she was weeping because she was so
unhappy. She understood who she was, a
sinner in need of forgiveness.
(2) I believe she was weeping because she was unhappy
with her life.
b. \\#7:38\\ She came with a humble spirit. Three things
point to this woman’s humility.
(1) To get down to Jesus’ feet, she had to be bowed.
(2) In order to anoint Jesus’ head, she would have to
look up. The text only speaks of her washing
His feet for which she would have looked down.
(3) She was Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiped them with
with the hair of head. A woman’s hair is her
glory. \\#1Cor 11:15\\
c. \\#7:38\\ She came with a substantive gift.
(1) Like the story in Mark 14, this woman came with
an alabaster box.
(2) This is likely the life-savings of this woman,
saved for her burial.
(3) Whether the actual contents was much or not, it
was likely all she had.
(4) She opened that box and poured the contents onto
Jesus’ feet and washed Jesus’ dirty feet with
her hair and tears.
d. \\#7:38\\ She came with devoted love.
(1) She kissed His feet.
(2) By kissing His feet, she indicated that she was
not worthy to kiss any other portion of His
body.
4. Notice that she did not come with an audible request.
a. The Bible never mentions her speaking at all!
b. She sought no healing for her herself or another.
c. She did not request forgiveness or salvation.
(1) At least not with her words.
(2) I suspect that she felt too unworthy to even ask.
(3) Yet, I believe the woman was offering a silent
request.
(4) Tears do speak a language that human ears cannot
hear.
(5) In silence, she said, "I am sorry. I love You.
I am sorry. I love You."
C. There were two lost people around the table that day.
1. The woman did not get saved until verse 48.
Luke 7:48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
2. As far as we know, Simon never got saved.
D. For there were two attitudes represented at that table.
1. The woman was too broken to ask for salvation.
2. Simon was too proud to ask for salvation.
3. Which was the better attitude to have?
II. Notice the parable.
A. All of this perplexed Simon.
1. He probably did not understand why the woman was doing
what she was doing.
2. He certainly did not understand why Jesus let her.
B. Jesus gave a simple story to explain.
1. Two men owed, one much and one less.
2. In the story, both were forgiven.
a. That implied that God would save both those who owed
much—had committed many sins—and those who owed
less—had committed fewer sins.
b. Thank God for that. God will save from the uttermost
to the gutter most.
3. Which would love the most?
4. Simon correctly answered, "The one to whom the more was
forgiven."
C. Jesus explained the situation and the story.
1. The woman had done much wrong but knew it.
2. Simon may have broken fewer of God’s laws but did not see
the debt he still owed.
3. The woman with many sins ended with salvation while the
moral man with fewer transgression may have left lost!
4. The Bible does not tell us how things ended for Simon.
III. What can we learn?
A. Pride is the worst of sins.
1. This woman may have been a harlot but that sin did not do
to her what Simon’s sin did to him.
2. Pride blinds us of our need for Christ.
B. Everyone regardless of how many sins they have committed are
welcome to come Christ.
1. The woman was as welcome as Simon.
2. Simon was as welcome as the woman.
3. I preach more to Simon than I do to the woman, but good,
moral people need Jesus too.
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