Luke 7: 24-50, Four Beautiful Words

Jesus has just responded to a question from the disciples of John the Baptist. Jesus then takes some time to explain the role of "The Baptizer".

Luke 7: 24-35, True Religion
After John's messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: "`I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."

(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus' words, acknowledged that God's way was right, because they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.) 

"To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: " We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry. ‘For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, `He has a demon. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, `Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners."'

But wisdom is proved right by all her children."

The Old Testament quote in verse 27 ("I will send my messenger...") is from Malachi 3:1.

The culture of Jesus's time includes three groups,  the righteous religious people (the Pharisees and "experts in the law"), the less acceptable people who had been baptized by John ("even the tax collectors") and thus were looking for the Messiah, and a vague third group of people "of this generation", who were watching the others. Jesus is always quick to confront the religious people and generally comforts everyone else! Here he challenges the third group to look deeper than the surface religiosity.

It is easy for us "religious people" in our age to think that being religious is some type of aid to a wholesome life. But it may not be.

For the philospher/psychologist, there may be a deeper question: Is there something inherent in legitimate religious expression that lays a seed for eventual stagnation and rigidity? (More simply: must every good revival eventually go bad?)

Some questions given me by this passage:
1. What does it mean, “The ... least in the kingdom of God is greater than [John the Baptist]”?
2. What does it mean, “But wisdom is proved right by all her children”?

Luke 7: 36 - 50, Four beautiful words
Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner."

Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."

"Tell me, teacher," he said. "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."

"You have judged correctly," Jesus said. Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

According to the NIV footnotes, a denarius would have been a typical day's wage.

This passage, on the heels of several before it, gets to the heart of the teachings of Jesus. The social structure, rich Pharisees who can host parties amidst desperate, weakened sinners, is overturned by the One who invites weak people to follow him and dismisses the proud and powerful!

In the midst of the scandal of this intimate encounter, as a "sinful woman" kisses Jesus's feet, Jesus utters four beautiful words, "You sins are forgiven."  He said that earlier (Luke 5:20) to the paralytic.

In this passage, Jesus answers Simon, but there is no indication that Simon has said anything out loud.

In Luke 7:21-22 (in the previous blog), many miracles are mentioned. Then Luke says “and the good news was preached to them.” What was that good news?   It was those four beautiful words, "Your sins are forgiven."