Dining with Simon the Pharisee

from Dining with Jesus

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!”

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. Turning to 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, with her tears, has washed my feet and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but she hasn’t stopped kissing my feet since I came in. You didn’t anoint my head with olive oil, but she has anointed my feet with perfume. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little.” Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?”

And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
Luke 7:36-50

What was this fellow thinking? When these events occurred Jesus was already a well-known teacher. He was famous for performing miraculous healings, and crowds struggled to get close to him. The Pharisee invited Jesus to a meal, but then was rude to him when he accepted the offer. Not only did he fail to treat Jesus as an honored guest, he didn’t even treat Him like a regular guest.

Jesus does not criticize this lack of courtesy until the man’s thoughts begin to accuse Jesus. In the Middle East to greet someone with a kiss was not an expression of intimacy but a standard greeting, as it is still today. In fact, it is a customary greeting repeatedly encouraged in the letters of Paul. Because of the influence of Anglo-Saxon culture in our country, we don’t usually greet each other in this way. Personally, I enjoy our less demonstrative, less affectionate Anglo-Saxon ways.

In fact, when I first visited Eastern Europe, those dear brethren wanted to hug me and kiss me on the cheek, and it made me uncomfortable. However, after I’d been in Ukraine for a while, I realized that they’re a lot closer to what I read in the Bible than we are. Their behavior would be consistent with Jesus’ expectations and with Scripture. My personality and “heavily starched” upbringing should not be allowed to overrule the directives of God’s word.

Jesus was denied this customary greeting in this Pharisee’s home. I am embarrassed to think I may have more in common with him than with Jesus and his disciples.

It was also standard practice to provide your guests with foot washing. Although this task was assigned to the lowest ranking servant in the household, it was standard procedure to make sure this service was provided. It fulfilled a practical need in that culture. Still, when Jesus showed up for dinner, nobody did this for Him. It seems pretty clear that this Pharisee treated Jesus rudely, because he didn’t love Jesus. Although he invited Jesus to dinner, he was still trying to decide if Jesus was a genuine prophet.

There was another person in the room who greeted Jesus with a lavish display of affection. In fact, the Pharisee and his friends were uncomfortable with her emotional and very physical expressions of love. They dismissed her unsophisticated behavior as a reflection of what an improper person they knew her to be. She had a reputation as a sinner. They concluded that Jesus must be so unspiritual that He could not even recognize what was obvious to them. They were the good people. This woman was a bad person. Jesus should know the difference.Really? Jesus knew far more.

Jesus knew what they were thinking. Jesus begins to instruct the Pharisee about forgiveness and love. He rebukes the appalling lack of common courtesy by his host. He celebrates the woman’s behavior, which came from a heart overflowing with love and gratitude. She loved much, because she had been forgiven much. The self-righteous Pharisee was unloving and, in fact,unforgiven. Those who refuse to acknowledge their sin will not receive God’s forgiveness.

Sadly, there are many very religious people in this situation. God makes it abundantly clear in scripture that not all who say,“Lord, Lord” are genuinely trusting Jesus. “Many,” Jesus says,“will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name and in your name cast out demons?’ And I will say to them, ‘Depart from me. I never knew you, you who practice lawlessness.’” There are many people doing things in Jesus name who do not love Him at all.

May God grant us the faith to confess our sins, receive His forgiveness and then serve Him out of love!