A Nail Through Our Rap Sheet

Luke 7:36-50

If you remember this account; There is a Pharisee named Simon who invites Jesus to come to his house and eat with him. While they are there, a woman comes into Simon's house weeping. She moves over to Jesus' feet and begins to cry. Her tears are many and are sufficient to wash the feet of the Son of God. To dry them, she lets down her hair and uses it to rub back and forth on the Masters feet. Then she brings out an alabaster flask of oil and anoints the feet of Jesus. It is presumed from the text that she is a very sinful woman, probably a prostitute.

Simon is appalled at this sight. And says to himself that if Jesus was truly a prophet, he would know that this woman was a prostitute and never let her touch him. Jesus responds to Simon's thoughts and calls Simon out on the table.

Jesus tells Simon a story of two debtors who both owed a debt to a moneylender. Neither could pay their debt, though one of the debts was much greater than the other. The moneylender decides to forgive the debt of both. Jesus then asks Simon the question, "which of them will love him more?" (which of the debtors will love the moneylender more). Simon answers correctly by saying that he supposes the person who had the greater debt.

In Jesus' story, the woman is the one who had the greater debt. She expressed her love for Jesus (the moneylender) the moment she walked in the door. Simon on the other hand, didn't greet Jesus, didn't offer him any water to clean his feet with; nothing. No love was shown from Simon. Jesus then says to her that her sins are forgiven. Her debt was great and she was never able to pay it; and yet the moneylender shows such mercy to her, by canceling her record of debt...But where is the record of debt? What happened to it?

Colossians 2:13-14 says..."And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross."

Her record of debt was brought up the hill of Golgatha, and nailed to the cross of Jesus! And so has yours if you are a Christian. Are you like Simon, or the prostitute? Do you love little, or do you love much? In the story in Luke, which person does Jesus commend? The Pharisee or the Prostitute? Which are you?