Unveiling the Heart of Worship: A Deep Dive into Luke 7:36-50
Discover a Tale of Contrasting Hearts: When Humility Meets Extravagant Love. Journey through Luke 7:36-50 and explore the transformation of a prideful Pharisee’s home into a House of Worship. In this blog, we show three markers of what the heart of worship looks like.
-
A Sinful Woman Forgiven
36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning 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 from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among[a] themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Every household has its own way of operating. Certain qualities and attitudes mark every house.
Simon the Pharisee, one of the main characters in our passage, his house and heart were marked by religious pride, self-righteousness, and excessive concern about impressing others.
However, the text offers a contrasting picture of another house. This house was marked by humility, love, and gratitude. It also comes from a lady’s heart who would have been known in the community for less than admonishing reasons.
Simon, this wealthy religious leader, invited Jesus to a banquet at his house. This was a big shindig that was advertised through the community. However, while Jesus was invited as the chief guest, it came more out of curiosity than devotion to the King.
The whole affair was an effort to boost his self-righteousness, which only ended up exposing his pride. Simon knew everything about religion, liturgy, theology, ethics, temple worship, and the law. But he knew nothing about God’s unconditional love, mercy, forgiveness, and his own sinful heart.
These banquets were open to all, but those who were not really welcome knew it and didn’t usually attend. However, on this occasion, an unnamed woman (Jesus knows her name), “a sinful woman” (likely a prostitute based on verse 39), shows up to everyone’s surprise and turns Simon’s home into a House of Worship. By taking an expensive bottle of perfume, worth about a year’s wages for a rural worker, she uses it to anoint Jesus’ feet in an unusual display of gratitude and reverential awe.
Let’s examine what a true house or heart of worship is:
What Does Heart Worship Look Like?
1) Marked by Brokenness
This unnamed woman had been labeled; she wore the Scarlet Letter of Shame. The town’s people knew what kind of person she was. She was one of the ones the religious folks talked about to make themselves feel better about their less apparent, hidden sins.
When the Apostle Paul writes about the nature of sin, let us notice how he frames sin in two categories:
“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1
There are sins of the flesh, and there are sins of the spirit.
The woman was guilty of sins of the flesh. Simon was guilty of the sins of the spirit. He displayed a critical spirit that flowed from his pride & hard heart.
Simon is satisfied with himself but judgmental of others. He said to himself: “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” He was judging the woman AND Jesus!
Simon looked at the woman and only saw her reputation. He made the same mistake we often make, thinking that some lives are worth more than others. Jesus looked at the woman, and He saw only her. He doesn’t see what we’ve done but who we can become!
Simon is blind to Whose presence he is in, but the woman, whose heart and life have been awakened, knows exactly Who stands before her. In Jesus’ holy presence, she became aware of her sinful heart. That’s a grace in itself! Have you ever come to that realization?
Dr. Robert Mullholland Jr., a former teacher and mentor, once wrote:
“I realized I was a mud pie with a thin layer of Christian frosting trying to pass myself off as an angel food cake, but the mud kept seeping through. I needed God to take that mud and breathe into it the breath of life” (Dr. Robert Mulholland Jr., The Deeper Journey, pp. 23-24).
Sometimes, the more religious we are, the more blind we are to our sinful hearts. We tend to think that shame and sin happen to someone else, and we have the unholy habit when the word “sinners” is mentioned of thinking in terms of “they” (those other people) rather than “we.”
This sinful woman carried a gnawing, nagging sense of awfulness to her shame because of who she was. She not only was awakened to her sinful heart in Jesus’ presence. We can assume she probably heard Jesus preach and say, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” She had so many sores on her soul and wounds of her heart, but she could sense the Presence of God in Jesus and accepted His invitation to love her amid her mess.
There is something about our weakness, sinfulness, and mess that Jesus is attracted to. Only in our sin and shame are we summoned to wholeness.
2) Marked by Extravagant Love
I can see the woman walking into Simon’s house, and immediately, the room grows silent, mouths drop, and whispers start sailing through the air about her. She doesn’t hesitate or look for the food to fill her belly or the wine to numb her pain. Instead, she finds Jesus and begins pouring herself out to Him in an act of extravagant love that would’ve been considered improper—she lets her hair down in public, which was outside the box.
Right there in public, she gives herself fully to God, holding nothing back. She wept, washed, wiped, kissed, and anointed Jesus’ feet.
Contrast that against Simon’s lack of outpouring anything—He showed no hospitality at all. None of the usual amenities or customs were honored for Jesus as his guest. That includes anointing of oil for the head, ritual foot-washing, and a kiss of greeting.
We can’t be poured out for God if we’re plugged up with ourselves. Simon was so full of self, including pride, criticism, and judgment, that he couldn’t see over himself. When we have become awakened to our sinful hearts and Jesus’ healing love and forgiveness, we’ll want to live a life of extravagant love being poured out like costly perfume.
3) Marked by Forgiveness and Salvation
Jesus knew why the woman was there. Without her ever asking, He says to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Jesus never attacked a sinner. He said, “I forgive you.”
This was very different than how he responded to Simon earlier. Meanwhile, He confronted the self-righteous with a vengeance because He knew they couldn't be forgiven until they felt their guilt and shame. Nor could they ever experience the joy of being forgiven.
In his book What Money Can’t Buy, Michael Sandel says: “There are so many things money can’t buy—but these days, not much.” Almost everything is up for sale, and if you have enough funds, you can buy what you want. For example:
The right to the jump to the head of the line at Universal Studios: $149.
Vacationers can cut for all rides and shows with a front-of-the-line pass.
Your doctor’s cellphone number: $1,500 to $25,000.
Some doctors offer their patients cellphone access and same-day appointments if they are willing to pay these annual fees.
The right to shoot an endangered black rhino: $250,000.
South Africa lets some ranchers sell hunters the right to kill a limited number of rhinos as an incentive to raise and protect this endangered species.
However, while money can buy many more things, there’s one thing that money still can’t buy: salvation and forgiveness. We all need it and can have it as a free gift, but only if we turn to Jesus in faith.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8
The good news is that sinners, not “they” but “we,” can find forgiveness through faith in Jesus. No one is too far gone, too sinful, or bad to be forgiven. When we see our need and receive forgiveness, our hearts will love us much!
TL;DR
Luke 7:36-50 shows two contrasting households.
One marked by religious pride and self-righteousness: Simon the Pharisee, proud of his religious knowledge, invites Jesus to a banquet to boost his ego but fails to recognize his own heart’s sinfulness.
The other by humility, love, and gratitude: An unnamed “sinful woman” enters the scene, anointing Jesus’ feet with costly perfume as an act of extravagant love.
True worship is explored through three aspects:
Brokenness: The woman, labeled a sinner, recognizes her sin in Jesus’ presence, while Simon’s pride blinds him to his spiritual shortcomings.
Extravagant Love The woman pours out her heart in love for Jesus, contrasting with Simon’s lack of hospitality and self-centeredness.
Forgiveness and Salvation: Jesus forgives the woman, highlighting the power of grace and the gift of salvation available to all who turn to Him in faith.
This passage underscores that no one is beyond forgiveness, and true worship emerges from recognizing our need for grace and responding with love and humility.
Related Reading
