Little Big Sin

Luke 7:36-50 tells the story of a Pharisee (Simon) who invited Jesus into his home for a meal. Pharisees of course were a class of Jews who were super righteous. They interpreted the Law of Moses in a very strict way and were spiritually arrogant in their faith.

Simon didn’t just invite anyone in to his home. He certainly wouldn’t invite someone who might bring dishonor into his home like a Gentile or a Jew (who might be a hated Tax Collector working for the Romans) or an unclean leper or perhaps even worse… a prostitute.

Also Simon probably expected something in return… a favor by Jesus, maybe some miracle or anything like that which would bring honor to his house.

When Simon invited Jesus into his home he neglected something. He didn’t give Jesus water to wash his feet, he didn’t greet him with affection and he didn’t anoint Jesus’ head with any aromatic oils. These things may not be our custom today but they were back then and Jesus noticed the lack of hospitality and said nothing.

Simon is delighted to host Jesus and then a woman who was a known sinner walked into his house. Keep in mind that the city of Nain was a small town and in small towns everyone knows everyone else. This woman was probably guilty of some sexual sin, perhaps a prostitute and as such would not even be allowed in the Synagogue which was the social/religious center of every town. Her name is not given, but let’s call her Rachel… Rachel the prostitute.

Rachel knew who she was and that she would not be welcomed in Simon’s home. Rachel, probably with great temerity, entered Simon’s home. She didn’t intend to eat but just wanted to honor Jesus with an aromatic ointment.

And as she entered she started crying. When she was a little girl she never dreamed of being a prostitute. Perhaps circumstance had forced her into that occupation but she hated it and she hated herself every time a Jew made a wide berth around her on the sidewalk or when the whole village (except her and others like her) were gathered together in the synagogue... and she cried. She noticed Jesus’ feet were dirty so she washed Jesus’ feet with the only thing she had… her tears and dried his feet with the only thing she had… her hair. She kissed his feet and anointed them with the aromatic oil.

Simon sees in this scene the attention he deserved being directed on Rachel and as a true product of his religious upbringing mentally condemned Jesus for allowing Rachel the prostitute to even touch him.

Jesus of course could read minds but you didn’t really need that unique gift to figure out what was going on in Simon’s head and then Jesus identified for Simon and Rachel that there were two sinners in the room… Simon who was inhospitable and of course Rachel.

Sometimes we get so busy looking at others and the sin that rules their lives that we fail to look inwardly and see the sin that we own which is by comparisons sake small but which Jesus still holds us accountable for.

Sometimes because all we can see is the sin of others, we think we are better than them and treat them accordingly and compound our sin.

Jesus said that Rachel’s “faith” had save her because she “loved much” in understanding who she was and in honoring the one who could lift her out of the mess she had made of her life.

Rachel risked the wrath of Simon the Pharisee to reach out to the only hope that she had to reverse the course of her life. Simon was so blinded by Rachel’s great sin that he couldn’t see that he too was a sinner. Let’s open our eyes and see who we are and reach out to Jesus Christ.