Jesus' Feet Anointed: The Repentant Woman's Act of Love

1. The Life of Christ (29) • Jesus’ Feet Anointed by a Repentant Woman • Luke 7:36–50 (NASB95) • 36Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him (Jesus) to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. • 37And (behold) 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, • 38and 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. • 39Now 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.” • 40And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” • 41“A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. • 42“When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” • 43Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” • 44Turning 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. • 45“You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. • 46“You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. • 47“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.” • 48Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” • 49Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” • 50And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” The Life of Christ (29)

2. The Life of Christ (29) • Jesus’ Feet Anointed by a Repentant Woman • Jesus is invited to a dinner party by a Pharisee named Simon. • In those times people reclined, rather than sat down in chairs, while eating. • “And behold” (vs. 37) is not translated in the New American Standard version but is a phrase used to focus the attention of the reader on what is about to happen. • The dinner party was attended by a well-known prostitute of that city, who had recently become a believer. • The series of verbs in this verse detail the woman's every move, much as if the onlookers were watching her every step (and they were). • That she attended the meal is not so surprising, as teachers often ate an open meal where listeners were welcome; however, for her to approach Jesus was unusual and took great nerve, especially given her reputation. The Life of Christ (29)

3. The Life of Christ (29) • Jesus’ Feet Anointed by a Repentant Woman • It was probably her intention to anoint His head with the perfume but being overcome with emotion, she began to weep. • When her tears fell on Jesus’ feet she knelt down to wipe them dry with her hair, then began kissing His feet, and finally used the oil to anoint them. • The Pharisees’ criticism was not spoken out loud; Luke records what he thought as he watched. • Simon knew of Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah and makes an assumption to justify his unbelief; his assumption was that Jesus was unaware of what kind of woman this was. • Jesus reads Simon’s thoughts and uses a parable to disprove his assumptions and expose his self-righteous view of himself. The Life of Christ (29)

4. The Life of Christ (29) • Jesus’ Feet Anointed by a Repentant Woman • In the parable the moneylender is Jesus, the debtor owing 500 denarii is the woman and the debtor owing 50 denarii is Simon. • A denarius was about equal to one day’s pay. • In the parable the lender forgives the debts of both, the one owing much and the one owing little. • This represents Christ dying for all sins on the cross and forgiving those who believe. • Jesus asks a straightforward question with an obvious answer: Who will be more grateful (thankful)? The Life of Christ (29)

5. The Life of Christ (29) • Jesus’ Feet Anointed by a Repentant Woman Jesus is the Moneylender Parable of Two Debtors Luke7:40-50 The Life of Christ (29)

6. The Life of Christ (29) • Jesus’ Feet Anointed by a Repentant Woman • Simon viewed salvation and sin as a matter of degree, not an absolute. • He believed his few sins were insignificant compared to her many. • This relative righteousness, or righteousness by comparison with others, is quite common but misses the point that one sin renders a person unrighteous in God’s sight. • Jesus wants him to recognize his 50 sins and quit concentrating on her 500. The Life of Christ (29)

7. The Life of Christ (29) • Jesus’ Feet Anointed by a Repentant Woman • Jesus died for all sins of all mankind. • The woman’s love was great because she recognized her debt was great, Simon loved little because he never realized his debt was also great. • Only by accepting the gospel would Simon see the magnitude of Christ’s work, as this woman did. The Life of Christ (29)

8. Pharisees Accuse (Blame) Christ • The Pharisees accuse Christ of casting out demons by the power of Satan • Matthew 12:22–37 (NASB95) • 22Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw. • 23All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?” • 24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.” • 25And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand. • 26“If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? • 27“If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges. • 28“But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. • 29“Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. • 30“He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters. The Life of Christ (30) The Life of Christ (30)

9. Pharisees Accuse (Blame) Christ • The Pharisees accuse Christ of casting out demons by the power of Satan • Matthew 12:22–37 cont. (NASB95) • 31“Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. • 32“Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. • 33“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. • 34“You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. • 35“The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. • 36“But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. • 37“For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” The Life of Christ (30) The Life of Christ (30)

10. The Life of Christ (30) • Matthew 12:22–37 • Pharisees Accuse (Blame) Christ • The Pharisees accuse Christ of casting out demons by the power of Satan • A demon possessed man, who could neither see nor speak, is brought to Jesus. • These physical afflictions or illnesses were caused by the demon. • Jesus heals the man by casting out the demon. • When Jesus cast out a demon it did not involve any elaborate speech or overt actions; He merely command the demon to come out and it did. • The multitude was amazed by this show of power and authority and asked the question, “This man can’t be the Son of David, can He?” The Life of Christ (30)

11. The Life of Christ (30) • Matthew 12:22–37 • Pharisees Accuse (Blame) Christ • The Pharisees accuse Christ of casting out demons by the power of Satan • Son of David is a title for Jesus based on the Davidic Covenant promise that David would have an ancestor, “son”, who would rule forever; it was a political title that focused on the establishment of an earthly kingdom. • If these people hadn’t been negative, the answer to their question would have been obvious to them. • The Pharisees need to find a way to downplay Jesus’ display of power and discredit and dishonor Him in front of the people, so they come up with a clever explanation of this miracle. • Their explanation is that Jesus is in league with Satan and has been given the power from Satan to command the demons. The Life of Christ (30)

12. The Life of Christ (30) • Matthew 12:22–37 • Pharisees Accuse (Blame) Christ • The Pharisees accuse Christ of casting out demons by the power of Satan • This is a blasphemous (profane, ungodly) lie, the logic of which Jesus easily refutes and then uses their insult as a chance to teach them sound doctrine. • Verse 25 says that Jesus knew their thoughts, showing that while certain things were kept from the Humanity of Jesus by His Deity, He was permitted to know the thoughts and spiritual condition of everyone He encountered. Jn. 2:24 • Jesus’ refuted or disproved their attacks in two ways. • If the workers of Satan began casting each other out, then Satan’s evil kingdom will not last long. • The Jews had exorcists who apparently engaged in casting out demons (they did not really have the power to do so; Acts 19:13-16). Jesus asks them where the power their exorcists had came from, implying that His power and theirs must come from the same place. The Life of Christ (30)

13. The Life of Christ (30) • Matthew 12:22–37 • Pharisees Accuse (Blame) Christ • The Pharisees accuse Christ of casting out demons by the power of Satan • In verses 28 and 29 Jesus says that He casts out demons by the Spirit and Power of God, which is a greater power than Satan’s. • The general thrust of verse 30 is straightforward; no one can claim to be neutral in the angelic conflict, he must side with Jesus or take Satan’s side. • Jesus uses a harvest metaphor; to gather is to provide the gospel to positive volition and participate in their salvation, to scatter is to work with Satan by keeping the truth from people. • In verse 31 Jesus begins to teach about two concepts; blasphemy (slander) against Christ and blasphemy (slander) against the Holy Spirit. • Blasphemyis a sin of the tongue in disrespects or slanders God, speech that is harmful or abusive to God’s reputation. The Life of Christ (30)

14. The Life of Christ (30) • Matthew 12:22–37 • Pharisees Accuse (Blame) Christ • The Pharisees accuse Christ of casting out demons by the power of Satan • Christ says that disputing and disagreeing with His words and misrepresenting Him can be forgiven, but to dispute the power of the Holy Spirit, which was the power Jesus used to cast out demons, will never be forgiven. • Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a sin that only those who are negative at God consciousness can commit. • The job of the Holy Spirit is to reveal the gospel to the unbeliever, • John 16:5–11 (NASB95) • 5“But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ • 6“But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. • 7“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Holy Spirit) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. • 8“And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; • 9concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; • 10and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; • 11and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. The Life of Christ (30)

15. The Life of Christ (30) • Matthew 12:22–37 • Pharisees Accuse (Blame) Christ • The Pharisees accuse Christ of casting out demons by the power of Satan • Someone who is a seeker at heart may blaspheme and refuse to believe for a time, but they may also come to believe at a later time. • Nebuchadnezzar and Paul are two examples of this. • The confirmed unbeliever never accepts the gospel, no matter how much evidence of the truth and power of God is presented by the Holy Spirit. • The Pharaoh of the Exodus generation and the religious leaders (and most Jews) of Jesus’ day are examples; Jesus is implying that they are in danger or committing this sin, or have committed it already. • In verses 33-37 Jesus teaches that a person’s spiritual condition is determined by his conduct, which others can see and evaluate. The Life of Christ (30)

16. Matthew 12:22–37 • Pharisees Accuse (Blame) Christ • The Pharisees accuse Christ of casting out demons by the power of Satan • He uses the metaphor of a fruit tree to tell those in His audience to begin to make a decision and to act on that decision; either side with Jesus and live like it or reject Him and continue to live in sin and unbelief. • In the analogy (comparison)each person is a tree that is either good (positive) or bad (negative). • This analogy has both a phase 1 and phase 2 application. • In phase 1 the good fruit represents divine good production by believers and the bad fruit represents the deeds of sin and darkness. • In phase 2 the good fruit are those who learn and apply God’s Word and the bad fruit are those who simply believe and go no further. • Notice in verse 34 that Jesus has the same opinion of the religious leaders that John the Baptist had. Matthew 3:7. The Life of Christ (30) The Life of Christ (30)

17. The Life of Christ (30) PHASE 1 PH1 PHASE 2 PH2 PHASE 3 PH3 PH2 The Time from Salvation to Physical Death or the Rapture PH3 is The Believer’s Eternal Home in Heaven Ph1 Salvation, The Point of Faith in Christ The Life of Christ (30)

18. Matthew 12:22–37 • Pharisees Accuse (Blame) Christ • The Pharisees accuse Christ of casting out demons by the power of Satan • In verse 35 Jesus says that each person’s heart is filled with their own viewpoint of life, which he calls a treasure. • In the analogy or comparison, this viewpoint is like a treasure that is spent by the owner for his own purposes. • The good treasure is Bible Doctrine and the bad treasure is human viewpoint or even worse, the viewpoint of Satan and the demons. • The positive believer will speak and act in a way reflecting Bible Doctrine and the negative person will speak and act in a way reflecting human viewpoint or demonic viewpoint. • In verses 36 and 37, Jesus refutes (disproves) the human viewpoint theory that what people believe is not important as long as they are sincere in their belief. The Life of Christ (30) The Life of Christ (30)

19. Matthew 12:22–37 • Pharisees Accuse (Blame) Christ • The Pharisees accuse Christ of casting out demons by the power of Satan • He states that “every careless word” shall be accounted for in the Day of Judgment. • The words of unbelievers will demonstrate their unbelief, which will result in being condemned to the lake of fire. • The words of believers will be used to demonstrate that they were righteous, while the words of unbelievers will demonstrate that they were not. • Therefore, be careful what you say and do, for everything will be judged by God at some point; this should result in believers having a proper fear of God and seeking to live in a way that is right before Him. IISam. 23:3 and Nehemiah 5:15 provide a contrast between a king who rules with the fear of God and ruler who does not. • The fear of God should motivate all believers to pursue the truth and live by it. IICor. 7:1 The Life of Christ (30) The Life of Christ (30)

20. The Life of Christ (30) • Matthew 12:22–37 • Pharisees Accuse (Blame) Christ • The Pharisees accuse Christ of casting out demons by the power of Satan • 2 Samuel 23:3 (NASB95) • 3“The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me, ‘He who rules over men righteously, Who rules in the fear of God, • Nehemiah 5:15 (NASB95) • 15But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver; even their servants domineered the people. But I did not do so because of the fear of God. • 2 Corinthians 7:1 (NASB95) • 1Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. The Life of Christ (30)