• The Woman and Jesus (Luke 7:36-38, 47-48, 50)– She was admittedly “a sinner” (7:37, 47)– She felt the strong contrast between the sinlessness of Jesus

& her own sinfulness (7:38a)– Her actions expressed humility and a changed heart (7:38)

• In lowliness, she washed His feet with her tears & wiped with her hair• In love, she kissed His feet• In liberality, she anointed His feet with costly ointment

– Jesus gave her what she needed most: forgiveness and peace (7:48, 50)• Jesus commended her “love” (7:47) and her “faith” (7:50)

• The Pharisee and the Woman (Luke 7:40-43)– What a contrast we see between the Pharisee & the woman

• She was one kind of sinner; he was another (but both were sinners)• She was penitent; he seemed to have no sense of personal sin• She was concerned with her condition; he with another’s condition• She was immoral in conduct; he was cold, critical and self-righteous• She spoke nothing (apparently); he spoke criticism• She loved much (7:47); no evidence he loved at all• She had faith (7:50); he did not (7:39)

– Jesus did see one thing they both had in common: both in debt for sin (7:41-42)• The focus was not on the amount of sin but the awareness of sin• Jesus was equally willing to forgive both of them

• The Pharisee and the Woman (Luke 7:40-43)– What a contrast Jesus saw between Simon & the woman

• Simon was an inconsiderate host, neglecting host’s duties (7:44-46)• Simon gave no water for His feet; she washed with her tears and hair• Simon gave no kiss of welcome; she had not ceased to kiss His feet• Simon not anoint His head w/ oil; she anointed His feet w/ precious

oil– The biggest thing the Pharisee & the woman had in common:

• They both obtained what they sought:– She sought forgiveness and it was granted– He did not seek forgiveness and none was granted

• Jesus wanted to forgive both, but both of them could not be forgiven

• Jesus and the Pharisee (Luke 7:39-47)– The Pharisee judged that Jesus could not be a prophet, else

He would have known and repelled this woman (7:39-40)– Jesus did know her, her sins, and the thoughts of Simon (7:40)– What a stark contrast between Jesus and the Pharisee:

• Jesus looked on the woman as an object of pity & compassion (7:44);the Pharisee looked upon her as an object of contempt.

• Jesus did not shun her presence, because He wanted to save her;the Pharisee tho’t the presence of all such should be avoided (7:39).

• Jesus forgave the penitent (7:47);to the Pharisee, forgiveness was a foreign term, not in his vocab.

• Jesus sent her on her way with a word of encouragement (7:50);the Pharisee apparently spoke no word of kindness.

• Lessons:– All sinners are in desperate need of Divine compassion.– Loveless and self-righteous men keep themselves aware of the sins of others but not

of their own.– The sense of guiltiness may differ in degree, but the absolute inability of man to

atone for sin is common to all.– As sin is against Christ, to Christ belongs the right and power to forgive it.– Sometimes when someone’s sins are not flagrant or open to the public, they may not

be conscious of their awful need.– Those who have wandered far enough to have felt the world’s scorn realize most

fully the goodness of God in pardoning them, and hence are moved to greater expressions of gratitude than are given by the self-righteous.

– The blessing we seek is not proportioned to the quantity of sins, but is proportioned to the quality of sinful sense which we feel.

– We all have sin enough to destroy our souls, but many of us fail to love God as we should, having an insufficient sense of our own sinfulness.