Jesus was kissed on his feet

JESUS WAS KISSED ON HIS FEET
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
LUKE 7:44-47 44 Then he turned toward the woman
and saidto 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. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but
this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped
kissingmy feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but
she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I
tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her
great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven
little loves little.”
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
Christ And Simon: The Correcting Word
Luke 7:40
W. Clarkson

There were some goodpoints about Simon.
1. He was an eminently respectable man; he was so in the true sense ofthe
word, for as a virtuous man he could respecthimself, and his neighbours
could rightly respecthim; he conformed his conduct to a high standard of
morality.
2. He was an open-handed, hospitable man.
3. He was an open-minded man. It was not every Pharisee that would have
invited Jesus Christto supper, or would have given him such freedom to
speak his mind without resentment. But he was a much-mistaken man. He
was quite wrong in three important points.
I. HIS ESTIMATE OF JESUS CHRIST. When he found that Jesus did not
resentthe attention of "this woman," he came to the conclusionthat he could
not be a prophet, or he would have knownthat she was a sinner, and, knowing
that, he would have repelled her. Here he was wrong in his conclusion;and he
was also wrong in his reasoning. His argument was this: a man as holy as a
prophet would be certainto repel such guilt as is present here; when the Holy
Prophet comes, the Messiah, ha will be more scrupulously separate from sin
and from sinners than any other has been. Here he was completely mistaken.
The Holy One came to be the Merciful One; to say to guilty men and women,
"Your fellows may despair of you and abandon you. I despair of none, I
abandon nobody. I see in all the possibilities of recovery;I summon you all to
repentance and to life. Touch me, if you will, with the hand of your faith; I
will lay my hand of help and healing upon you."
II. HIS VIEW OF THAT WOMAN.. A sinner she had been; but she was
more, and indeed other than a sinner now. That word did not faithfully
describe her state before God. She was a penitent. And what is a penitent? A
penitent soul is one who hates the sin that had been cherished, who has cast
out the evil spirit from him, in whom is the living germ of righteousness,who
is on the upward line that leads to heavenly wisdom and Divine worth, on
whom God is looking down with tender grace and deep satisfaction, in whom
Jesus Christ beholds a servant, a friend, an heir of his holy kingdom. This is

not one to turn away from in scorn, but to draw nigh unto in kindness and
encouragement.
III. HIS ESTIMATE OF HIMSELF.
1. He thought himself a very long way on in the kingdom of God as compared
with that poor woman; he did not know that, she being poor in spirit and he
being proud in spirit, she was much nearer to its entrance-gatesthanhe.
2. He thought himself in a position to patronize Jesus Christ, and
consequentlywithheld some of the usual courtesies fromhis Guest;he did not
know that it was on himself the distinction was conferred.
3. He supposed himself to be possessedof all the cardinal virtues: he did not
know that he lackedthat which is the crowning excellence ofall - love, the love
that can pity, that canstoop to save. We draw two main lessons.
1. That Christ makes much of love. Dwelling on the various manifestations of
this woman's feeling, he declares theyare the signs of her love, and he then
traces her love to her deep sense offorgiven sin. God wants our love, as we
want the love of our children and of our friends, and cannot acceptanything,
howevervaluable, in its stead: so Christ wants the pure, deep, lasting affection
of our souls. No ceremonies, orservices, oreven sacrifices, will compensate for
its absence (see 1 Corinthians 13.). And the measure of our love will depend
on the depth of our sense of God's forgiving love toward us. Hence it is of the
first importance that we
(1) should understand how much God has forgiven us, how greatand serious
our guilt has been (see preceding homily);
(2) should recognize how greatand full is the Divine forgiveness, how much it
includes - how much in the sense ofoverlooking the past, and in the way of
granting us present favour and of promising us future blessedness.Our
wisdom and our duty, therefore, is to dwell on the greatness ofGod's mercy to
us in Jesus Christ, to rejoice much in it, to let our souls bathe in the thought of
it, be filled continually with a sense ofit. For they who are (consciously)
forgiven much will love much; and they who love much will be much beloved
of God (John 14:23).

2. That we should be ready to receive Christ's correcting word. Simon was
wholly wrong in his estimate of men and of things; but he was not unwilling to
hear Christ's correcting word. "Master, sayon," he replied, when the great
Teachersaid, "I have somewhatto sayunto thee." Let us see to it that this is
our attitude. Our Lord may have something very serious to sayto us, as he
had to those sevenChurches in Asia Minor, which he addressedfrom his
heavenly throne (Revelation2., 3.). When, through his Word, his ministry, his
providence, he does thus correctus, calling us to a renewedhumility, faith,
love, zeal, consecration, are we ready to receive his message, to bow our head,
to open our heart, and say, "Speak, Lord; thy servants hear! Master, sayon"?
- C.
Biblical Illustrator
Simon, seestthou this woman?
Luke 7:44
Penitence worth seeing
N. Rogers.
Not only with the bodily eye, for with that he saw and mistook, but with
considerationand observation. The deportment of a true penitent is worth our
seeing;their carriage andconversationis worthy observation.
(N. Rogers.)
Thou gavestMe no waterfor My feet
N. Rogers.
And, to reasonfrom the less to the greater, if ritual observances are requisite
for the full welcome offriends, think it not enough in entertaining your
Saviour that you give Him the substance of goodusage, neglecting the

compliments. Simon, you see, here gave Him both meat and welcome, yetthe
neglectof washing, kissing, and anointing is not well taken. When we come to
His house, and to His ordinances, as to the word, sacraments, prayer, we
make Him goodcheer, He esteems Himselfthen feasted;but if we perform not
these things with the decencyof outward carriage, we give Him neither water,
kiss, nor oil. Believe it, our-best actions receive eitherlife or bane from their
circumstances;the substance ormatter of a work may be good, and yet the
work cannot be so called, unless it be done mode et forma. Velvet is good
matter to make a garment, timber goadmatter to build a house; and yet the
one may be so marred in the cutting and the other in the framing, as that
neither the one nor the other shall attain the name of good. What is goodin
the substance may be sin in the circumstance, and for want of care about the
manner, the best work may be done thanklessly.
(N. Rogers.)
She hath washedMy feet with tears
N. Rogers.
There are two sorts of tears, as shows St. Austin. Some are commendable,
others are discommendable.
1. Commendable tears are natural or spiritual. Natural tears, as Jeremiah
31:15. These discovernatural affection, and being well bounded are not to be
blamed (Luke 23:28).
2. Spiritual tears are either tears of passionand contrition, as Matthew 26:75,
or of compassionand devotion, as Jeremiah 9:1, 2; Luke 19:1. Tears culpable
or discommendable are likewise of two sorts, temporal or infernal.
1. Temporal, are those shed in this life by wickedones. And they are of two
sorts, worldly or hypocritical.(1)Worldly tears are those which are occasioned
merely for worldly losses.Ofthese we read in Ezekiel8:14; Hosea 7:14;
Hebrews 12:1.(2) Hypocritical tears are those which are produced from
dissimulation and deceit. Of these we read in Jeremiah41:5, 6.

2. Infernal tears are those shed by the damned in hell (Luke 13:28;Matthew
24:51;Matthew 25:30).
(N. Rogers.)
The smart of sin a goodsign
N. Rogers.
And as it is in a diseasedbody or with some old sore, if in the dressing of the
wound no pain be felt, we conclude the flesh is dead, but when the patient
begins to complain of the pain and is sensible of the smart, then it is takenfor
a goodsign that the cure is in a goodforwardness.
(N. Rogers.)
Is shedding of tears absolutelynecessaryin godly sorrow
N. Rogers.
?: — May not the heart be drowned, and yet the eyes dry? Tears are additions
and necessaryappendences oftrue repentance, but not always necessaryand
true tokens of it. Some have repented truly who have not wept, and some have
wept bitterly who have not repented truly. All who shed tears are not
straightwaypenitents; the hardest marble againstsome weathermay weep.
And how often do we see the dew to stand on the blasted corn or grass. There
are eyeing waters spokenof by Jeremiah, as well as clouds without water,
spokenof by St. Jude. It is an easymatter to give you instances (Genesis 17:3,
4; 1 Samuel 24:17; Malachi2:13). Tears are deceitful things; nothing sooner
dried up than a tear, and, therefore, not to be trusted too far. For a man may
as well go to his grave's end by wateras by land.
(N. Rogers.)
Tears few at first

N. Rogers.
In a deep or fresh wound in the body, there is not first that pain felt, nor so
much blood seen, as is in a little cut of the finger, because the part is astonied
for the time. So is it sometimes with the soul. The wine vessel, youknow,
without vent runs not though it be ready to burst.
(N. Rogers.)
Tears vocal
N. Rogers.
— Tears have a voice with them, nay, they are not only vocal, but
importunate. "What do you weeping, and breaking my heart?" saith St. Paul
(Acts 21:13). You may remember how the tears of Moses, whilsthe was
floating in an ark of bulrushes on the water, prevailed with Pharaoh's
daughter. "The babe wept," saith the text, "and she had compassiononhim"
(Exodus 2:6).
(N. Rogers.)
To answerthe greatnessofour sin with the greatness of
N. Rogers.
our sorrow: — According to the proportion of the one, should the other be
proportioned. Look how grievously we have sinned, so greatly should our sins
be bewailed and lamented. A deep wound must have a large plaster, and our
repentance, as showethSt. , must not be less than our fault.
(N. Rogers.)
Sorrow for sin must not be slight
N. Rogers.

Where sins are great, think it not enoughthat your sorrow be slight. If thy
sins be small and little, thy sorrow may be the less, but if great, thy grief must
be suitable. A garment that is deeply soiledcannot, without much rubbing and
many layers, become clean. Where there is a deep pollution, and of a scarlet
tincture, there must be not only ablutio, but balneatio, a soaking andbathing
in the tears of contrition, as is required in Isaiah 1:16. But may not a man
exceedin sorrow, may he not grieve over much? A man cannot exceedin the
displeasure of his will againstsin, yet he may in the testificationof his
displeasure by weeping and macerating of his body. Too much moistening
chokes a plant, when moderate moistening quickens it. Too much rain gulls
the earth, and standing waters on low grounds breed nothing but flags and
rushes. So it is with our hearts when they prove standing pools.
(N. Rogers.)
Sorrow for sin measuredby duration
N. Rogers.
— A torrent may run fasterfor the present than a continual current, but the
current is to be preferred, and hath. more waterin it than the torrent. One
keeps openhouse at Christmas, but all the year after the gates are shut; he
hath takenup a city's refuge. Another keeps a constant and full table all the
year, though at that time he may not be comparedwith the other for
abundance. Which of these two now would you count the best housekeeper? I
suppose you will grant the latter. So is it here.
(N. Rogers.)
Grace quickenedby tears
N. Rogers.
By tears, likewise, graceis quickened. They are not like wellwater, springing
out of the bowels of the earth, nor like rain, distilling from the clouds which

clearthe air, but they are as the dew of Hermon, which makes all herbs to
flourish. Such as mourn for sin grow up as the lily, and fastenthemselves in
grace like the trees of Lebanon. They are like the former and the latter rain,
they make the heart fruitful in all goodworks, as you see here in Mary. It is a
sovereignwater, and will fetch the sinner againto the life of grace though
never so far gone. As for glory hereafter(Psalm 126:5). Thus as the sun draws
up vapours from the earth, not for itself, but to restore them back again;so
cloth God our tears. But the bottle spokenof (Psalm 56:8), and the vial
(Revelation5:8), are for the saints both. In them He preserves both their tears
and prayers. Not a drop of their eye-waterwill He suffer to run in waste, He
catchethevery tear before it comes to the ground; and till death close up those
two fountains, Jorand Dan, flowing from Mount Lebanon, they shall never
fail running, but then shall our souls be wafted in them from grace to glory, as
they were first transported by them here from sin to grace.
(N. Rogers.)
The city of waters takenby Satan
N. Rogers.
If, in case whathath been said of the goodwhich our tears procure for us
prevail not, then give me leave to add a word of the greatdanger which
follows upon the neglectof them, and it shall be only by wayof allusion to that
we read (2 Samuel12:27). Joabhaving taken the city of waters, he sentto
David and willed him to come quickly to take the city itself, well knowing that
it could not hold out, the city of waters being cut off before. Thus when Satan
hath takenthe eyes and cut off the pipes, can you think your soulcan long
hold out againsthis temptations?
(N. Rogers.)
Wiped them with the hairs of her head
N. Rogers.

1. In true repentance there is a converting of those things which have been
abused to the service ofsin to the service of God.
2. That the best ornament of the body, in the judgment of a penitent, is not too
goodto be employed about the meanestpiece of service which concerns
Christ.
(N. Rogers.)
Truth impressed by living examples
H. Clay Trumbull.
After all, there is no so forcible way of impressing truth as by a living
example. The parable of the two debtors could but faintly show the powerof
forgiveness to win gratitude, in comparisonwith that vivid picture of the
penitent, trusting, grateful woman, washing the feet of her Saviour with her
tears, and wiping them with her dishevelled hair. And so it has been from the
beginning. Would you realize the powerof one person in tempting others to
ruin? Seestthou this woman Eve, or this woman Jezebel? Would you realize
the beauty of fidelity in friendship? Seestthou this woman Ruth? Would you
realize the grandeur of moral heroism? Seestthou this woman Esther? '
Would you realize the holy influence of a mother's love and faithfulness? Seest
thou this woman Jochebed, orthis womanHannah, or this woman Eunice?
Would you realize the power of unwavering faith? Seestthou this woman of
Syro-Phoenicia? Wouldyou realize the force and beauty of any trait of human
character, orthe preciousness ofany truth which God would have his children
to bear in mind? Seestthou this woman before you, who illustrates it as it
could not be taught in any other way? That woman is your mother, your wife,
your sister, your friend, your neighbour. Look at her glorious example, and
thank God for the blessedness ofHis grace in a willing and trustful human
heart.
(H. Clay Trumbull.)

Seestthou this woman?
S. Cox, D. D.
Simon had not seenthe woman yet He had only seenthe sinner. Look, then,
on the woman at last, O Pharisee. Look upon her in the light of the parable
you have just heard. Look on thyself, too, for as yet thou hast not seenthyself
— the Pharisee hiding the man from thy incurious eyes. Thou poor blind
Pharisee I if love be the proof of forgiveness, how much hast thou, loving so
little, been forgiven?
(S. Cox, D. D.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(45) Thou gavestme no kiss.—This also, as we see in the case ofJudas (see
Note on Matthew 26:49), was a customarymark of respectto one who claimed
the characterofa Rabbi. So the disciples of Ephesus kissedSt. Paul on
parting (Acts 20:37). So the “holy kiss,” the “kiss ofpeace,” becamepart of
the ritual of most of the ancient Liturgies (Romans 16:16; 1Corinthians
16:20).
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
7:36-50 None can truly perceive how precious Christ is, and the glory of the
gospel, exceptthe broken-hearted. But while they feel they cannot enough
express self-abhorrence onaccountof sin, and admiration of his mercy, the
self-sufficient will be disgusted, because the gospelencouragessuchrepenting
sinners. The Pharisee, insteadof rejoicing in the tokens of the woman's
repentance, confined his thoughts to her former bad character. But without

free forgiveness none of us can escape the wrath to come;this our gracious
Saviour has purchasedwith his blood, that he may freely bestow it on every
one that believes in him. Christ, by a parable, forced Simon to acknowledge
that the greatersinner this woman had been, the greaterlove she ought to
show to Him when her sins were pardoned. Learn here, that sin is a debt; and
all are sinners, are debtors to Almighty God. Some sinners are greater
debtors; but whether our debt be more or less, it is more than we are able to
pay. God is ready to forgive; and his Son having purchasedpardon for those
who believe in him, his gospelpromises it to them, and his Spirit seals it to
repenting sinners, and gives them the comfort. Let us keepfar from the proud
spirit of the Pharisee, simply depending upon and rejoicing in Christ alone,
and so be prepared to obey him more zealously, and more strongly to
recommend him unto all around us. The more we express our sorrow for sin,
and our love to Christ, the clearer evidence we have of the forgiveness ofour
sins. What a wonderful change does grace make upon a sinner's heart and life,
as well as upon his state before God, by the full remissionof all his sins
through faith in the Lord Jesus!
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
Thou gavestme no kiss - The kiss was a tokenof affectionor a common mode
of salutation, and Simon had evenneglectedthis mark of welcoming him to
his house. It was often used among "men" as a sign of salutation. Compare
Genesis 33:4;Exodus 18:7; Matthew 26:49.
Hath not ceasedto kiss my feet - How striking the difference betweenthe
conduct of Simon and this woman! He, with all the richness of a splendid
preparation, had omitted the common marks of regardand affection. She, in
humility, had bowedat his feet, had wateredthem with tears, and had not
ceasedto kiss them. The most splendid entertainments do not always express
the greatestwelcome. There may be in such entertainments much insincerity -
much seeking ofpopularity or some other motive; but no such motive could
have operatedin inducing a broken-heartedsinner to washthe Saviour's
"feet" with tears.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary

45. no kiss—ofsalutation. How much love was here? Any at all?
Matthew Poole's Commentary
See Poole on"Luke 7:40"
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
Thou gavestme no kiss,.... A tokenof civility among friends, when they met
togetheron any occasion. The Jews have a saying (b), that
"all kissesare foolish, excepting three; the kiss of grandeur or dignity, as in 1
Samuel 10:1 and the kiss at parting, as in Ruth 1:14 and the kiss at meeting,
as in Exodus 4:27 (of which sort this kiss may be thought to be), to which some
add the kiss of consanguinity (or that used by relations to one another), as in
Genesis 29:11'
but this woman, since the time I came in. The Vulgate Latin and Syriac
versions read, "since she came in"; and so two of Stephens's copies;which
seems to be the more agreeable reading, seeing Christ was in Simon's house
before this woman came;for she knowing that he was there, came thither
after him:
hath not ceasedto kiss my feet; which shows, that this actionwas repeatedby
her times without number, even ever since she came into the house.
(b) Shemot Rabba, sect. 6. fol. 91. 3, 4.
Geneva Study Bible
Thou gavestme no kiss:but this woman since the time I came in hath not
ceasedto kiss my feet.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
45. no kiss]The ordinary salutation of respectin the East, where the first
thing when two friends meet and wish to do eachother honour is to try to kiss
eachother’s hands. The kiss on the cheek is betweenequals and also to
superiors. Absalom, to gain favour, kissedevery man who came near him to

do him obeisance;2 Samuel 15:5. “The king kissedBarzillai,” 2 Samuel 19:39.
Hence this was a natural signalof recognitionfor the traitor to give; Matthew
26:49. See Acts 20:37. Hence the osculum pacis, Romans 16:16, &c.
I came in] There is another reading, εἰσῆλθεν, ‘she came in’ (L and some
versions), which is probable, for the woman only ascertainedthat Jesus was at
the house after He had entered it.
Bengel's Gnomen
Luke 7:45. Φίλημα, a kiss)This Simon had omitted, owing to the smallness
(the little degree)of his love: otherwise we do not read of even any of His
disciples or friends having kissedthe face of Jesus, whichhad something
remarkable about it, ch. Luke 9:29; but the highestdegree of love, such as
here in Luke 7:38, and the utmost familiarity of intimacy, as in John 13:25,
stopped considerablyshort of that liberty. We do not read of His having
kissedeventhe little children. The traitor alone (for the unprecedented
familiarity of a kiss was not a thing alien to his treachery) with impure mouth
profaned the face of the Lord: exceptin this instance, it remained intact and
unviolated by sinful flesh.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 45. - Thou gavestme no kiss:but this woman since the time I came in
hath not ceasedto kiss my feet. "Thou gavestme no kiss of respecton
entering, to which as a Rabbi I was surely entitled; she hath repeatedly kissed
my feet."
Vincent's Word Studies
Ceased(διέλιπεν)
Only here in New Testament. Common in medical language, meaning to be
intermittent, and to discontinue giving remedies for a time.
To kiss (καταφιλοῦσα)
The compound verb has the force of kissing tenderly, caressing.

END OF BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Kissing the Feetof Jesus
(Luke 7:36-50)
Introduction
One of the most humiliating acts that a person can do to another person is to
kiss their feet. It requires one to bow down in a prostrate position; and to kiss
one of the dirtiest parts of the human body. Symbolically and socially this is
one of the most humble acts that a lowly servant might be required to perform
upon their master. Becauseofhuman pride, no natural person would
voluntarily perform such an act upon another, without first seeing themselves
as a popper and as a slave before their master, to whom they owe their very
existence.
In contrastto what we just said, we should understand that one of the greatest
honors that a personcould have bestowedupon them in this life, was to have
been so privileged as to be able to kiss the feet of Jesus. Very few people
recognizedthis honor and privilege, and were so privileged to take advantage
of it. How many of us might be compelled to envy this woman? Our inward
response to this question is a goodmeasure of our spirituality, beloved!
This morning we want to answerthe question: Just what did kissing the feet
of Jesus revealabout this woman?
1. First, kissing the feet of Jesus showedthis woman’s humiliation.

-This woman was a well knownsinner (vs. 37-39)
-She was probably a prostitute (as suggestedhere by the word sinner)
-Beloved, this womanknew and owned her sin, and took her rightful place as
a sinner.
-Praise the Lord for work of the Holy Spirit in humbling lost sinners!!!
-How do you see yourself this morning???
-Before a personever has hope of being saved, they must see themselves as
wicked, vile, undone sinners before the Holy God of Heaven.
-Before a personwill ever be lifted up out of the miry pit of sin, they must
realize their condition, and humble themselves before the feet of the Savior.
-Have you seenand ownedyour sin this morning? Have you humbly taken
your rightful place as a sinner, as it were, at the feet of Jesus?
2. Secondly, kissing the feetof Jesus showedthis woman’s subordination.
-This woman recognizedJesus as her Lord and her God!
-Beloved, a personwill never be saveduntil they understand and acknowledge
that Jesus is their Lord; that He is the very Sonof Godsent down from the
Father in Heaven. This modern notion that men can acceptJesus as Savior,
and later acceptHim as Lord, is a lie of the Devil. If Jesus is not your Lord,
be sure He is not your Saviour either! Belovedwe don’t make Jesus Lord, He
is LORD! And we must know Him as our Lord before we’ll ever receive Him
as our Savior.
-This woman recognizedthat Jesus Christthe LORD, had powerand
authority from Heaven to forgive her sins. My friends, only the God can
forgive sins…

-This woman took her rightful place as a savedsinner slave before her
Heavenly Master, the LORD JESUS CHRIST!!! She bowed her knees to
Jesus, to whom she owedall of her eternalsalvation as a sinner saved by the
grace powerand grace of God.
-Do you know Jesus as LORD;do you believe that He is the Son of God?
-Do you believe that Jesus has powerto forgive your sins?
-Have you takenyour rightful place as a servant before your LORD and
Savior in submission to His revealedwill?
3. Thirdly, kissing the feet of Jesus showedthis woman’s love and adoration
for her Lord and Savior.
-This was an evident tokenof this woman’s deep love for her Savior. (vs. 47)
-Beloved, how much sin we were forgiven by the Savior, is evidenced by how
much we love Him!
-And how much we love the Savior is evidencedby how much we manifest
that love for Him.
-And how much we manifest our love for the Saviour is evidencedby how
much we worship Him in humble submission to His will.
-Truly the act of this womankissing her Savior’s feetwas the most sincere
form of worship and adoration that one could show for their Lord.
-How much and in what ways, beloved, do we show our love and adoration for
Jesus???
-Are we faithful in worshipping Jesus publicly according to His prescribed
way in His house of worship, which today is His Church? (Eph. 3:21)
-Do we sing aloud our praises to Jesus, from a heart of love for our Savior?

-Do we listen attentively to the preachedWord, and rejoice in the truths of
God?
-Do we worship Him in our daily lives; in prayer and praise; and in
meditation upon His Holy Word as we go through our days?
-How much do we love Jesus this morning?
-Beloved, if the love of Christ does not constrainus to worship our Lord and
Savior, then nothing else that I know of will!!!
4. Fourthly, kissing the feet of Jesus was this woman’s way of confessing
Jesus.
-She was not afraid to confess Jesuspublicly before men.
-She wasn’t afraid to own her Savior, even in the presence ofHis enemies.
-She chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the
pleasures of sin for a season.
-She esteemedthe reproachof Christ greaterriches than the treasures of this
world.
-How do we confess Jesus?
-Have we confessedHim publicly before the Lord’s Church?
-Have we confessedHim in the waters of Baptism?
-Have we confessedHim in the world, by telling others of the One Who is
mighty to forgive and to save sinners?
-How strong is our confessionofJesus?
-This woman was just a harlot sinner woman; despised by the world; a social
outcastif ever there was one. But which one of us has a confessionlike this
woman?

In Conclusion:
Who is willing to kiss the feet of Jesus?
-Who will humble themselves at His feet, and take their rightful place as a
sinner?
-Who will bow their knee to Jesus Christ their Lord; the Son of God from
Heaven?
-Who will manifest their love for Jesus, because theyare forgiven of all their
sins?
-Who will confess Jesusbefore men, and follow Him in obedience to His
commands?
-Not the proud and haughty, self-righteous sinner; who see no need for Jesus;
who think they will go to Heaven because oftheir filthy rags.
-But only those who know and own their sinfulness and unworthiness.
-Only those who recognize Jesus as the One Who has power to forgive their
sins.
-Only those who have faith to believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
-How is it with you this morning?
http://sovereigngrace.homestead.com/files/SermonKissingtheFeetofJesus.htm
Scriptural Osculation:Kissing The FeetOf Jesus
Contributed by GeraldManning on Apr 9, 2019

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Scripture: Luke 7:36-50
Denomination: Nazarene
Summary: The word, kiss, appears some 37 times in the Bible, the first being
in Genesis...a kiss of betrayal.
1 2 3
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SERMON:SPIRITUAL OSCULATION: KISSING THE FEET OF JESUS
Luke 7:36-50
One of the PhariseesaskedHim over for a meal. He went to the Pharisee’s
house and sat down at the dinner table. Just then a woman of the village, the
town harlot, having learned that Jesus was a guestin the home of the
Pharisee, came with a bottle of very expensive perfume and stoodat His feet,
weeping, raining tears on His feet. Letting down her hair, she dried His feet,
kissedthem, and anointed them with the perfume. When the Pharisee who
had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this Man was the Prophet I
thought He was, He would have knownwhat kind of woman this is who is
falling all over Him.”
Jesus saidto Him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Oh? Tell me.”

“Two men were in debt to a banker. One owedfive hundred silver pieces, the
other fifty. Neither of them could pay up, and so the bankercanceledboth
debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?”
Simon answered, “Isuppose the one who was forgiven the most.”
“That’s right,” said Jesus. Thenturning to the woman, but speaking to Simon,
He said, “Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no
waterfor My feet, but she rained tears on My feetand dried them with her
hair. You gave Me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn’t quit
kissing My feet. You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed
My feetwith perfume. Impressive, isn’t it? She was forgivenmany, many sins,
and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is
minimal.”
Then He spoke to her: “I forgive your sins.”
That set the dinner guests talking behind His back:“Who does He think He is,
forgiving sins!”
He ignored them and said to the woman, “Your faith has savedyou. Go in
peace.”
The story that Don Scottread for us a few moments ago is, to me, one of the
most powerful stories in the Scriptures. it has so many ways to approachit,
that one hardly knows how to begin. I didn't flip coin to decide the approach,
but I suppose I could have. What I I finally did decide was to look at kisses in
the Bible, and see where that might lead us.
The word, kiss, appears some 37 times in the Bible, the first being in Genesis...
a kiss of betrayal. That is the story where Rebeccaand Jacobconspiredto
trick Isaac into giving the blessing to Jacob, rather than the rightful one,
Esau. Isaac askedJacobto come near and kiss him ... so he could smell the
clothing to make sure it was Esau. What a way to introduce such a word of
beauty and sweetnessinto the Biblican narrative!
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The next scene where we see the word, kiss, is when Jacobsaw Rachel... the
most beautiful sight his eyes had everbeheld! Readit in Genesis 29:
While Jacobwas in conversationwith them, Rachelcame up with her father’s
sheep. She was the shepherd. The moment JacobspottedRachel, daughter of
Laban his mother’s brother, saw her arriving with his uncle Laban’s sheep,
he went and single-handedly rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and
wateredthe sheepof his uncle Laban. Then he kissedRachelandbroke into
tears.
Now, that is more like it! I don't know what Rachelthought about all that, but
she sure tickledJacob's fancy. I mean, really! To agree to work 7 years for
her, only to be betrayed, and then agree to work another 7 years for her? If
that isn't love, then the oceanis dry, there's no stars in the sky, and sparrows
can't fly ....
The next kiss I want to mention againinvolves Jacob, but this time, it's a bit
different. He is going to meet his brother, Esau, after an absence ofabout 20
years .... and is frightened out of his mind, thinking Esau will harm him. But,
no! Heed the Bible: Genesis 33:1-4 ... "He led the way and, as he approached
his brother, bowed seventimes, honoring his brother. But Esauran up and
embracedhim, held him tight and kissedhim."
The kiss of forgiveness, welcome,and glad to see ya, Bro! I love this one, too!
There's a number of kisses as historygoes forward... kisses betweenJoseph
and his brothers, betweenJosephand his father, again, Jacob.... (boy! Jacob
sure was involved in a lot of Biblical osculation(that's a fancy word for
kissing). Kisses betweenAaron and Moses, kissesbetweenMoses andhis
father-in-law .... and then, we jump to the book of Ruth 1:8-9 ....After a short
while on the road, Naomitold her two daughters-in-law, “Go back. Go home
and live with your mothers. And may God treat you as graciouslyas you
treated your deceasedhusbands and me. May God give eachof you a new
home and a new husband!” She kissedthem and they cried openly."

When Samuel anointed Saul to be King over Israel, he kissedSaul. The Bible
talks about kisses betweenJonathanand David, and David and Absalom.
In an allegory, Righteousnessand truth kiss in Psalm 85. And, here's the ones
you have been waiting for ....
From the Song of Solomon! The woman is speaking:"Kiss me—full on the
mouth! Yes! Foryour love is better than wine, headier than your aromatic
oils. The syllables of your name murmur like a meadow brook. No wonder
everyone loves to sayyour name!"
And again:The kisses ofyour lips are honey, my love, every syllable you
speak a delicacyto savor. Your clothes smelllike the wild outdoors, the ozone
scentof high mountains. Dearlover and friend, you’re a secretgarden, a
private and pure fountain. Body and soul, you are paradise, a whole orchard
of succulent fruits— Ripe apricots and peaches, orangesand pears;Nut trees
and cinnamon, and all scentedwoods; Mint and lavender, and all herbs
aromatic;A gardenfountain, sparkling and splashing, fed by spring waters
from the Lebanon mountains.
And a third time: "His words are kisses, his kisseswords. Everything about
him delights me, thrills me through and through! That’s my lover, that’s my
man, dear Jerusalemsisters."
From there, though ... we take a tremendous jump to Luke's Gospel, and the
story of a woman's kiss on the feet of Jesus. Sucha tremendous accountin the
life of a lady of the evening, who anointed Jesus for burial!
Oh, how the disciples complained, especiallyJudas!It is very interesting that
such an act of devotion could be so roundly condemned by those who were
witnesses.Judas thought the anointing oil should have been sold, so he could
get his hands on the money. Simon thought Jesus should have known better
than to have this woman kissing His feet. The others complained that Jesus
had no right to forgive sins .... and on and on it goes.

Oh, how easyit is to scoffat pure love .... if we don't understand it. I don't
know how many times I have sinned, the same way. I see a couple together,
and think, "Whatcould he possibly see in her?" Or ... "What could se
possibly seenin him?"
Or, it may take the track of "with her looks, she could have done a lot better
than she did!" Or, perhaps, "with his money, he could have done so much
better than her!"
And I ask myself...Jerry, whatbusiness is it of yours? It's their lives, their
decisions. And, knowing me the way I do, had I been there at that meal on
that evening, I would have found fault with the whole scene, too, I suppose. I
would likely have been thinking ..."Iwish it was ME she was paying attention
to...."
And I strongly suspectI would not have been the only one thinking something
like that.
O Friends! How we fail to recognize love when we see it! It's no wonder that
God had to love us first! We just don't know the first thing about love.
We know how to graspthings to ourselves. We know how to take advantage of
our friends, neighbors, business associatesand the like. We know how to offer
fake love, all along intending to achieve some personalgain. We know how to
flummox people with praise, all with the intent of getting into their wallet,
somehow.
But we don't know about love, any more than did the folks in Jesus'day. Here
He is, the One they have soughtfor hundreds of years, and failed to recognize
Him, when He was in their midst.
There's another interesting thing, here .... it was the lowly shepherds to whom
the messageofHis birth was given, and oh, how they RAN to see Him! And

here, it is the lowly womanwho recognizes Him for what He is, and what He
can do.
I hear Paul saying, "Because the foolishness ofGod is wiserthan men; and the
weakness ofGod is strongerthan men. For you see your calling, brothers, how
that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are
called: But God has chosenthe foolish things of the world to confound the
wise;and God has chosenthe weak things of the world to confound the things
which are mighty..."
And that brings us to the final kiss I want to mention this afternoon....a
midnight kiss, if you please. Judas!Judas, the betrayer! Judas, the one who
could have been me, as greedyas I am. Judas, the one who wanted Jesus to be
King, NOW, so he could be the ROYAL treasurer!Jerry, the one who has
betrayed our Lord probably more than most.
Judas, for 30 pieces of silver, betrayed our Lord. What has been YOUR price,
down through the years? Maybe not money .... but something ... something
has causedeachand every one of us to betray our Lord, at one time or
another.
We are like disciples when Jesus told them at the Last Supper that one would
betray Him .... and we ask, 'Is it I, Lord?' Am I the one who will betray you?
The stark thing, to me, in this verse is : DON'T WE KNOW? Don't we know,
whether or not we would ever betray our Lord?
Robert Frost, in his famous poem, THE ROAD NOT TAKEN, penned these
words:

I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages andages hence: Two roads
diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made
all the difference.
And, friends, I say to you this afternoon ...somewhere agesandages in the
future, we will think back about our own lives, and we will see that the hard
road, the steeproad, the difficult road describedin the Scriptures, is the one,
the less traveledone, that we are either glad we took, or with sorrow realize
that it's the one we should have taken.
And so it is, concerning Jesus. Have you kissed the feetof the Master, with
that lady of the evening, or have you, like Simon, completelymisjudged the
entire scene, becauseyou didn't WANT to know Jesus?
Have you kissedthe feet of Jesus, standing beside the lady of the evening, or
have you, like Judas, sold your very soul for a few coins?
Would you kiss the feetof Jesus, in public, like as did the lady of the evening,
or would you be ashamedto do so?
What a difference in the outcome ......... Amen.
Kissing the feet of Jesus
Friday, 08 July 2016
Three weeks ago,on the 11th Sunday of ordinary time, we heard the story of a
woman who approachedJesus atthe home of a leading Pharisee who had
invited Him to dinner. Mostof us know the story well.
“Standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her
tears, and wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissedhis feet, and
anointed them with ointment…” (Lk 7:38).

“While this was going on, the Pharisee thought 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’”(Lk 7:39).
Knowing his thoughts, Jesus told a parable about a creditor who forgave the
debts of two persons, one a large and another a smaller amount. After asking
the Pharisee who of the two would love the creditor more, he answered, “The
one, I suppose, to whom he forgave more” (Lk 7:43).
After affirming his answer, Jesus said, ‘Therefore I tell you, her sins, which
are many, are forgiven, for she loved much’… He said to her, ‘Your sins are
forgiven … your faith has savedyou; go in peace’” (Lk 7:47-50).
Just days after this gospelwas read, in all of the Catholic churches throughout
the world, a womanemployed as a stripper outside the Diocese ofLincoln
decided to travel to Lincoln to party with some friends. As you canimagine,
the alcoholwas flowing and once the word spread to the young men hanging
around what her professionwas, one decidedto take advantage of her. During
the ensuing struggle, she managedto break awayand was found wandering
the streets ofLincoln with her clothes torn and in shambles.
After seeing her in obvious distress, a friend of CSS brought her to us. After
she refusedto involve law enforcement, while doing her best to coverherself
because ofher torn clothing, we took her to our St. Louise Gift & Thrift store
and clothed her. Afterwards we gave her a rosaryand while looking at the
corpus of Jesus hanging on the cross, she saidwith greatemotion, “I’m not
worthy of this!”
It was then we informed her of her God-given dignity of being a daughter of
God the Father Who createdher in His image and likeness. We then calleda
cab to take her to a friend’s house. She was told to call us if she ever needs
anything.
I need not tell you that a seedwas planted and what is necessarynow is water
and fertilizer, i.e. prayer and penance. During this year of Mercy, please pray
for this young womanand if you can, please perform a little actof penance.

We are not worried that we may never see her again because, “One sowsand
another reaps” (Jn 4:37) – in other words, we have sownthe love of Jesus
Christ in her heart and another will witness her conversionas Jesus will say to
her, “Your sins are forgiven … your faith has saved you” (Lk 7:48-50).
https://www.lincolndiocese.org/op-ed/seedlings/6240-kissing-the-feet-of-jesus
What is the significance ofanointing the feet of Jesus? - AFTB
Postedon Nov 15, 2015
There are two caseswhere a woman anointed the feetof Jesus. Let’s begin by
reading Luke 7:36-38, “And one of the Pharisees desiredHim that He would
eat with Him. And He went into the Pharisee’s house, andsat down to meat.
And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that
Jesus satat meat in the Pharisee’s house, broughtan alabasterbox of
ointment, And stoodat His feet behind Him weeping, and beganto wash His
feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissedHis
feet, and anointed them with the ointment.” This unnamed woman, who is
simply called“a sinner,” was compelledto enter into a Pharisee’s house in
order to anoint the feetof the Savior of sinners. We believe it was a display
her love and affections for the Lord Who had forgiven her, for the Lord Jesus
said, in verse 47, “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are
forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth
little.” She “lovedmuch” because she had been “forgiven much,” and she was
willing to lavish upon her newfound Saviora whole box of precious perfume
to show to all in the house her appreciationand gratitude for being forgiven.
The secondcase ofa womananointing the feet of Jesus is found in three
passages:Matthew 26:6-13;Mark 14:3-9; and John 12:1-8. Let’s read John
12:1-3, “Then Jesus sixdays before the Passovercame to Bethany, where
Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raisedfrom the dead. There they

made Him a supper; and Martha served:but Lazarus was one of them that
satat the table with Him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard,
very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair:
and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.” In the first case noted
above, the anointing took place in the house of a Pharisee, but in Mark 14:3
we learn that this anointing happened “in the house of Simon the leper.” The
former was done by an unnamed sinful woman; this was done by Mary, the
sisterof Martha and Lazarus. We saw that the anointing by the unnamed
sinner was to signify the love of a newly forgiven soul, but with Mary there
was another reasonthat constrainedher to empty her box of costly ointment
upon the Savior’s feet. That reasonis given in John 12:7, “Let her alone:
againstthe day of my burying hath she kept this.” Mark 14:8 is even more
specific, for it says “She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to
anoint My body for burial” (NKJV). She anointed the Lord Jesus’feetin view
of His impending death and burial! She was no doubt expressing her love for
her Savior, as in the case ofthe sinful woman in the home of the Pharisee, but
she had also entered into the truth that the Lord Jesus was onHis way to the
cross to die for her and this was her chance to anoint Him in anticipation of
His burial. I have always admired Mary for she seems to have been the only
disciple that truly believed Jesus whenhe announcedthat He would be
crucified, buried and then rise from the dead the third day. Mary BELIEVED
HIM and expressedher faith by anointing His feet! The Lord Jesus was so
moved by her faith that He declared, in Mark 14:9 “Assuredly, I sayto you,
whereverthis gospelis preachedin the whole world, what this woman has
done will also be told as a memorial to her” (NKJV). (179.7) (DO)
http://answersfromthebook.net/what-is-the-significance-of-anointing-the-feet-
of-jesus/
JESUS FORGIVES A SINFUL WOMAN: 7:36-50

In the last essaywe studied Luke 7:18-35, a sectionfeaturing Jesus and
John the Baptist. In this essaywe study Luke 7:36-50, which is a story about
Jesus’forgiveness ofa sinful woman. The story begins when a Pharisee
invites Jesus to dinner, an invitation he accepted(v. 36). Jesus caredabout,
and was interestedin, all people, regardlessoftheir socialstatus. He was
willing to eatwith Pharisees, taxcollectors,and sinners alike. People in the
upper ranges of Jewishsocietycriticized Jesus forhis obvious lack of
discrimination in dining companions;but some, like this Pharisee, were
friendly to him.
Howeverthe friendly Pharisee thought Jesus wentover the line when
an unexpected person arrived on the scene. Butfirst, let me set the scene.
The guests would have been reclining on divans around the table. I’m sure
you have seenpictures of the Last Supper that show Jesus and his disciples
reclining around the table. The arrangementwould have been similar here.
It meant that the guests’feetextended back behind them, as opposedto under
the table, as in our culture.
Then “a womanof the city” who is described as “a sinner” came in.
She was carrying “analabasterjar of ointment,” or perfume. She may have
been a prostitute. And the perfume may have been purchased with the money
earned from her sinful lifestyle. However, there is no way to know with
certainty (v. 37).
Now you may be wondering, “How did she get in there?” If it were a
Greek style house, and that’s a big if, then the dining room would have had an
open side facing a central courtyard that would have been accessible from
outside the house. But apart from that, I don’t know how she would have
gotteninto the house. But she did.
The woman came up behind Jesus. Heroriginal intention may have
been to anoint his head with the perfume. That would have been a rather
typical means of honoring someone. Butit appears that she was overcome
with emotion. She beganto weepcopiously, and the tears fell on Jesus’feet.
That evidently embarrassedher; and having no other means of drying off his
feet, she undid her hair and dried them with her hair.

I believe that act best showedhow emotional she was. Jewishwomen,
even prostitutes, did not let their hair down in public. That just wasn’t done.
But this woman was so emotional she didn’t hesitate to let her hair down to
dry Jesus’feet. Thenshe beganto kiss his feet and to anoint them with the
perfume.
You can imagine the shock of the people sitting around the table. First,
the womancrashedthe party. She was uninvited. Second, she broke Jewish
convention by letting her hair down in public. Third, she humiliated herself
by kissing Jesus’feet. And fourth, she anointed his feet with her perfume, an
act that was not normal. But just as stunning was the fact that Jesus
obviously was permitting all of this. He made no objectionto her expressions
of love. I believe everyone there was stunned.
In verse 39 we see that the host Pharisee did not say anything out loud,
but he had plenty to say to himself. He thought, “If Jesus were a real prophet,
he would have knownhow much of a sinner this woman was.” The
implication was that a realprophet would have knownthat she was a great
sinner and would not have allowedsuch an unclean womanto touch him.
But Jesus knew more than the Pharisee realized. He even knew what
the Pharisee was thinking, as the parable Jesus tells the Pharisee indicates. As
you see, the parable, found in verses 40-43 perfectlyfits the situation of the
woman and the Pharisee. It is about a creditor who was owedvery different
amounts by two debtors. One debtor owedhim 500 denarii, a huge amount.
That was equivalent to more than a year and four months pay for a laborerin
that culture. The other debtor owed 50 denarii, the equivalent of less than
two months pay. Therefore the smallerdebt was significant, but nowhere
near as significant as the largerdebt. Unfortunately, neither debtor was able
to repay his debt. So the creditor, in a fantastic act of compassionforgave
both debts.
Then Jesus askedSimon, the Pharisee, “Whichofthem will love him
more?” And the Pharisee rightly answered, “Isuppose the one for whom he
cancelledthe greaterdebt.” You will notice that the Pharisee’s response was

a bit tepid. The Pharisee may have answered cautiously, because he saw
where Jesus was going with parable.
Then Jesus brought Simon’s attention back to the womanand spoke to
him once again, this time with a scathing rebuke. Notice that Jesus draws
three contrasts betweenSimon’s lack of actions as Jesus’hostand the
woman’s actions in the situation.
First, a goodhost in that culture always provided water for the
washing of guests’feet. Simon had not done that. But the woman washed
Jesus’feetwith her tears and dried them with her hair (v. 44).
Second, it was the custom to offer a kiss of peace to a guestupon
arrival at one’s home, but Simon had not done that. Yet the woman had
kissedJesus’feetagainand again(v. 45).
Third, it was customary, if one had a specialguestwhom one wanted to
honor, to anoint that guest‘s head with oil when they arrived. Simon had not
treated Jesus as a specialguestby doing that; but the woman anointed Jesus’
feet with expensive perfume (v. 46).
Then came the kicker. Jesustold Simon, “Therefore I tell you, her
sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has showngreatlove.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little” (v. 47).
Jesus’point was clear. In Jesus’parable, the amounts of debt that the
two debtors had incurred representedthe sins of the womanand the Pharisee
respectively. She indeed had a great debt of sin. And his debt of sin was
minor in comparison. But her sins were forgiven (v. 48), and as a result, she
loves much. Jesus doesn’tsaywhether or not the Pharisee’s sins were
forgiven. But in any case, he loves little. It may be that the Pharisee had no
idea how greathis sin debt was. But the result is the same. He loves little in
comparisonto the woman whom he despised.
Now I believe it is important not to misunderstand something here.
Parables are like analogies. Theybreak down when pressedtoo far. Jesus was
not saying that one has to be a gross sinner in order to have much love for
him. Every sinner, no matter how big or small his or her forgiven sin debt is,

enters into a love relationship with Jesus, and experiences greatlove for Jesus.
This parable was aimed at this particular Pharisee, andapplied to him in a
direct way. Simon saw the sinfulness of the woman, but he didn’t see his own
sinfulness. Becausehe was blind to his sinfulness, he loved little. The story
ends in verses 49-50 with the astonishment of the dinner guests at Jesus’
ability to forgive sins; and Jesus’declarationto the woman that her faith had
savedher.
Turning to application, the first lessonwe should take from this story is
that we do not want to make the mistake of the Pharisee and fail to see our
own sinfulness. That is very scary. Some people shut themselves off from
God’s forgiveness, becauseofspiritual blindness.
Second, like the woman, we must confess andrepent of our sins.
Whateverour sin debt may be, we are sinners who need to repent and receive
forgiveness. Withthat transaction, we enter into the love relationship with
Jesus that I mentioned earlier, and we love him much. Praise the Lord!
And third, we must not forgetthat Jesus is the forgiving Savior.
Remember, the woman’s tears and kisses did not save her. She was savedby
her faith (v. 50).
BOB DEFFINBAUGH
Wordless Worship of an Unnamed Woman (Luke 7:36-50)
Introduction
Of all the secularexperts, MichaelLandon is, in my opinion, one of the most
effective at creating drama on the televisionscreen. I can still remember
scenes from “Bonanza” and“Little House on the Prairie” which nearly
brought tears to my dry, masculine, eyes. Luke is even better at drama than

MichaelLandon. The story of the woman who washedthe feet of Jesus with
her tears and her hair is one of the most moving accounts in the New
Testament. My fear in teaching this passageis that I (we) will over-analyze it,
and in the process losethe thrust of this greattext. It is something like telling
a joke, which is not immediately understood. The more we seek to clarify the
details, the more we lose the impact of the joke.
In the laboratory, one must often kill the object being studied in the process of
seeing its parts. Frogs, forexample, do not come to or from the lab living and
jumping. So, too, I fear that as we look at the parts of this very moving story
we might miss the thrust of it for having consideredits details. In biblical
words, I fear that we might “strain the gnats” of this text, but “swallow its
camels.” Letus open our hearts as well as our minds to the messageofthis
text for us.
There are three principle characters in this story, all of which are relevant to
us. The Lord Jesus is, of course, the star of the story. He, unlike the others,
deals with this woman in love and forgiveness. The woman, who is never
named, is the recipient of our Lord’s forgiveness. She represents the “sinners”
who are strangely attractedto Jesus. The host, Simon, was a Pharisee, and as
such he represents at leastthe perceptionwhich many “sinners” have of the
church and of Christians. It is from these characters andtheir relationship
with eachother that the messageofour story is to be found.
The Structure of the Text
The structure of our text canbe outlined as follows:
(1) The Setting—vv. 36-38
(2) Simon’s Thoughts and Jesus’Response—vv. 39-47
(3) Jesus’Response to the woman—vv. 48-50
The Uniqueness of this
FootWashing in the Gospels

Eachof the gospels has an accountof the washing of Jesus’feetby a woman.
Let us briefly considerthese other accounts:
Matthew 26:6-13 While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as
Simon the Leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabasterjar of very
expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the
table. 8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?”
they asked. 9 “This perfume could have been soldat a high price and the
money given to the poor.” 10 Aware of this, Jesus saidto them, “Why are you
bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 The poor you
will always have with you, but you will not always have me. 12 When she
poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13 I tell
you the truth, whereverthis gospelis preachedthroughout the world, what
she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
Mark 14:3-9 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a
man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabasterjar of very
expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the
perfume on his head. 4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one
another, “Why this waste ofperfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than
a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her
harshly. 6 “Leave her alone,” saidJesus. “Whyare you bothering her? She
has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you,
and you canhelp them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8
She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to
prepare for my burial. 9 I tell you the truth, whereverthe gospelis preached
throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
John 12:1-8 Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrivedat Bethany where
Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was
given in Jesus’honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those
reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard,
an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’feetand wiped his feetwith her
hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance ofthe perfume. 4 But one of
his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why
wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a

year’s wages.”6 He did not saythis because he caredabout the poor but
because he was a thief; as keeperof the money bag, he used to help himself to
what was put into it. 7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “ It was intended that
she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have
the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
It is my personalopinion that the accounts of Matthew, Mark, and John all
deal with the same washing, but that Luke’s accountis a unique incident,
recordedonly in his gospel. John’s accountinitially seems to differ from those
of Matthew and Mark, primarily due to the fact that the dinner appears to
happen at the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. While John’s account
tells us that Martha served, it does not specificallyindicate that the meal was
served at her home. If the home of Mary and Martha was too small to
entertain a large group, then Simon the leper (a former leper, healed by Jesus,
I assume)may well have volunteered his home. Martha would likely have
insisted that she serve.
The similarities betweenthe three gospelaccounts and that of Luke are
superficial. The name Simon is was as common in the ancient world as
“Smith” is in our phone books. “Simonthe leper” is hardly synonymous with
“Simon the Pharisee.” In fact, a link betweenthe two would be unthinkable to
a Pharisee. Luke’s incident appears to occurmuch earlier in Jesus’ministry
than that of the others, which occurs just prior to our Lord’s death (thus
serving as a preparation for His burial). In Luke’s account, “Simon” silently
protests;in the others’ accounts, the disciples protest (John narrows the
protest down to Judas). Simon the Pharisee couldnot grasphow Jesus could
let such a sinful womantouch Him, while the disciples were troubled by the
waste ofthe perfume, which could have been soldso that the money could
help the poor.
All things considered, I believe that the incident described by Luke in his
gospelis different from that described by Matthew, Mark, and John.140 Let
us seek to learn from Luke what it was about this event which made it worthy
of so much attention.
The Setting

(7:36-39)
We are not told preciselywhen this incident occurred, nor the name of the
city. The principle characters are Jesus, Simonthe Pharisee, andthe woman
with a soiledreputation. It is interesting that Luke gives us the name of the
host, but not of the woman. Omitting her name is, in my opinion, a gracious
act, purposely done.
At first look it would seemthat there are two people equally zealous to see
Jesus:Simon the Pharisee andthe sinful woman. Simon could easilyconverse
with Jesus in the comfort of his home, around a meal. For the woman, getting
close to Jesus was no easymatter. Her sinful life, known to all who lived in her
town, made it difficult for her, a woman, to seek outJesus, a man. If she
owned a home, she could not invite Jesus there, for this would be
inappropriate, especiallyif she were a harlot, for this would be her place of
business.
Reports of Jesus’ministry and teaching had somehow reachedthis woman,
and she was most eagerto see the Savior. When she learned that Jesus was to
have dinner at the house of Simon, the woman knew it was her opportunity to
see Jesus. Fromour Lord’s words, it would seemthat she arrived at Simon’s
house before Jesus:“You gave Me no kiss;but she, since the time I came in,
has not ceasedto kiss My feet” (Luke 7:45).
If the dinner were to begin at 7:00 P. M., the woman seems to have arrived at
6:45. She was there, ready and waiting. With her, she brought a containerof
perfume.141 It is my opinion that this woman came prepared to anoint the
feet of Jesus, the humble task usually delegatedto the lowestservant. Perhaps
she would be permitted to do this.142
The washing of Jesus’feetcan best be understood in the light of our Lord’s
words of rebuke to Simon, and when comparedto the Lord’s washing of His
disciples’feet as recorded in John chapter 13. As the Lord entered the house
of Simon, custom and normal hospitality would have it that Jesus wouldhave
been greetedwith a kiss, His feet would have been washed, and His head
anointed with oil.

The woman no doubt waited near the door for Jesus to arrive. She probably
expectedthat Jesus’feetwould have been washedby one of Simon’s servants.
After His feet were washed, the womanwould then likely have planned to
anoint His feet with the perfume she had brought. Imagine the look on her
face when she realized that Jesus’feet were not going to be washed. She did
not let the dirty feetof our Lord keepher from what she had intended to do.
She dared not kiss Jesus onthe face, as Simon should have done, but she could
kiss His feet, His dirty feet. She had come with no basin, no water, and no
towel. Nevertheless, as she beganto kiss His feet, the tears beganto flow,
something most unusual for a woman of her profession.143 As the tears began
to flow, the woman must have noted that the little streams of tears carried the
dirt of the road as well. She used the waterof her tears to washHis feet,
something she could hardly have planned in advance. Since there was no towel
available to her, she used her hair to dry Jesus’feet. Imagine this, the woman
used her hair, the most glorious part of her body (cf. 1 Cor. 11:15), to dry the
feet of Jesus, the most ignoble part of one’s body! She did not do her duty
quickly, so as to quickly finish an unpleasant task. She persistedat kissing the
feet of our Lord (cf. v. 45).
This woman’s worship of Jesus was at a greatcostto her. It costher the
expensive vial of perfume, and the humility to kiss, wash, and dry the dirty
feet of the Lord Jesus. Butthere was a higher price than this paid by the
woman. In my opinion, the greatestprice which she paid was facing the scorn
and rejectionof the self-righteous Phariseesandother dinner guests at that
meal. Jesus did not give her a “dirty look,” but it is inconceivable to think that
all of the others did not. Simon’s disdain, revealedby his inner thoughts, must
also have been evident in his eyes, and so too for the other guests. “Whatin
the world are you doing here?” must have been etched on the faces ofthe
guests. It could hardly be otherwise for a Pharisee, whose holiness was
primarily a matter of physical separationfrom sin and from “sinners.” The
woman’s desire to see and to worship Jesus was greaterthan her fear of these
guests. Theirscorn was a high price to pay, but to the womanit was worth it.
Simon’s Thoughts and Jesus’Teaching
(7:39-43)

No doubt a greatpart of Simon’s motivation was to “check out” Jesus. Was
this man really a prophet? Was His messageto be believed? And how did His
messagecompare with that of the Pharisees? Was He a threat, or an ally? Just
who did Jesus claimto be and what was to be done about Him? Should He be
resisted, opposed, put to death, or should be ignored? Could He be recruited
to their side? These may have been some of the questions in Simon’s mind,
suggesting some ofhis motivation for having Jesus over to dinner.
Simon’s reasoning is most illuminating. It went something like this:
Premises:
If Jesus were a prophet, he would know people’s character
If Jesus knew this woman was a sinner, He would have nothing to do with her
Conclusions:
Since Jesus has acceptedthis woman, He does not know her character
Since Jesus does not know this woman is a sinner, He cannotbe a prophet
Since Jesus is not a prophet, I/we canreject Him, His message& ministry
Simon, like many of us, was being very logicalabout his thinking and his
response to the Lord Jesus. The problem with logic is the same as the problem
with computers: your output is only as reliable as your input. To put it
differently, there was nothing wrong with Simon’s logic, other than the fact
that he based his conclusions ona faulty premise. His first premise—If Jesus
were a prophet, He would be able to discern the characterof those around
Him—was correct. Jesus,in fact, went beyond Simon’s expectations. Jesus
was not only able to detect the woman’s character(“… her sins, which are
many,” v. 47), He was also able to know the thoughts of Simon, His host (v.
39). By conveying to Simon that He knew His thoughts, Jesus proved that He
was at leasta prophet.
Simon’s secondpremise was entirely wrong, a reflection of his erroneous
thinking as a Pharisee. Simon, like his fellow-Pharisees(remember that the
word Pharisee means “separate”), assumedthat holiness was primarily a

matter of separation. Holiness was achievedby keeping oneselfseparate from
sin and from sinners. According to this view, Jesus would have to shun this
sinful woman in order to remain holy. Simon concludedthat either (1) Jesus
didn’t know this woman’s character, or(2) that whether or not He knew
about her sinfulness, He was physically contaminated by her, and thus could
not be holy.
Our Lord knew exactly what Simon was thinking, as well as why his thinking
was wrong. Jesus’words to Simon in verses 40-47 exposethe error of
Pharisaicalthinking, and explain why the “Holy One of Israel” would draw
near to sinners, even to the point of touching them and being touched by
them.
A Story for Simon (40-42)
The question which best expresses the issue which causedthe Phariseesto
draw back from Jesus is found early in the gospelaccounts:
“Why do you eatand drink with the tax-gatherers and sinners?” (Luke 5:30;
cf. Matt. 9:11; Mark 2:16).
Simon could not conceive of Jesus knowinglyallowing this woman to touch
Him by washing His feet. Why would Jesus possiblyassociate withsinners?
Jesus gave the answerby telling a story and then extracting a principle.
The story was a simple one. A money-lender loaned money to two different
individuals, neither of which were able to repay their loan. The one had
borrowedten times more money than the other. The money-lender forgave
the debt of both men. “Which of the two,” Jesus askedSimon, “wouldlove the
money-lender more?” Simon’s cautious answerwas that the one who owedthe
most would love the man the most. Jesus confirmed the truth of his response.
Underlying it was the principle, THOSE WHO ARE FORGIVEN MOST
LOVE MOST.
Jesus now takes the principle and applies it to Simon and the sinful woman.
Simon shunned the woman because she was a sinner, and expectedJesus to do
likewise. Jesusrebukes Simonby showing that in every respectthe woman has

outdone Simon in her acts of love and devotion. Simon did not show Jesus
even the minimum courtesyof washing His feet. This woman not only washed
His feet, she did it with her tears and her hair. Simon did not bestow a kiss on
Jesus’face;the woman did not cease to kiss the feetof Jesus, which, at first,
were dirty feet. Simon did not anoint the head of Jesus with oil; the woman
anointed His feet with expensive perfume. The woman outdid Simon in
showing love to the Lord. The woman was, at leastin Simon’s mind, a greater
sinner. The woman was, as Jesus pointed out, the greaterlover as well. From
both the story which Jesus told and from the supper which Simon held, the
one who was forgivenmore loved more.
There is a problem here, which has troubled theologians and Bible students
over the years. In verse 47 it would appearthat Jesus is telling the womanthat
she is forgiven because she loved much. It is not difficult to acceptthe
statementthat those who are forgiven much, as a result love much. It is
difficult to acceptthe statement that those who love much are forgiven much.
To love because you are forgiven is a natural response to grace. To be forgiven
because you love is works. There are thus some who would teachthat on the
basis of this text we must love in order to be forgiven. This makes forgiveness
the product of our works, rather than a gift of God’s grace.
It may be over-simplistic, but I think that the problem can be resolvedby
taking note of who Jesus is speaking to, and the issue which He is addressing.
In verse 47, Jesus is speaking to Simon the Pharisee. He is answering the
question, “Why does Jesus seek outand associatewith sinners?” The Lord’s
answeris found in His response to Simon:
“Simon, I seek out sinners and associatewith them because they love me more
than ‘saints’ like you Pharisees do.”
Think about it for a moment. If God’s purpose for the incarnation was to be
loved by men, whom would you expectthe Lord Jesus to associate with if it
were true that “he who is forgiven much loves much”? If the principle is true,
then we would expectour Lord to seek out those who were the greatest
sinners (and in the minds of the Pharisees,this womanqualified as one of the
city’s greatsinners).

Jesus is therefore addressing the question, “Why does Jesus seek out
sinners?” rather than the question, “How is one saved?” The relationship
betweenforgiveness and love is the basis for our Lord’s actions in seeking and
receiving sinners.
The body language ofour Lord in verses 44-47 is most significant. All through
the dinner, Jesus’back was to the woman, who was anointing and kissing His
feet. He was, atthe same time, facing His host, Simon. Now, once Simon’s
rejectionof Jesus is revealed, in contrastto the woman’s worship, Jesus turns
His back on Simon and faces the woman, eventhough He is still addressing
Simon (cf. v. 44). Jesus is, by His actions, rejecting Simon and accepting the
sinful woman. What an incredible statementis being made here!
Jesus’Words to the Woman
(7:48-50)
When Jesus speaks to the woman in the final verses ofour passage, He now
makes clearto her the basis for her forgiveness:“Your faith has savedyou; go
in peace” (Luke 7:50).
Let there be no doubt as to the basis for one’s forgiveness. Itis not works. It is
not the work of loving others, even God’s Son. Forgivenessis the gift of God,
granted to those who have faith.
The question is this: “What was it that the woman believed by faith?” If the
woman’s faith saved her, what was the substance of her faith? What did the
woman believe that saved her? I believe that the text strongly implies the
answer:THE WOMAN BELIEVED THAT IF SHE CAME TO JESUS AS A
REPENTANTSINNER, JESUS WOULD NOT SEND HER AWAY.
The “bad news” of the Pharisees—”Jesusassociateswith sinners”—was good
news to this woman, because she acknowledgedthat she was a sinner. The
only people who will bristle at the thought that Jesus has come to seek and to
save sinners are the self-righteous, those who do not think they need saving.
This woman did not dispute the fact that she was a sinner. She rejoicedat the
reports that Jesus receivedsinners. She came to him as a sinner, believing by
faith that He would not send her away—andshe was right. Of all those who

went to the dinner, only this woman is said to have left forgiven. Oh, the
marvelous grace ofGod toward we sinners!
Conclusion
The first lessonofthis incident is that Christ came to seek and to save sinners.
A woman who was considereda great sinner by her peers was forgiven by our
Lord, while those who thought themselves righteous went awayunforgiven.
There is a strange attractionto Christ for those who will admit they are
sinners, and who wish to turn from their sins. Jesus is never more
approachable than He is to sinners. In John’s gospelwe read these words of
greatencouragementto every sinner:
“All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me; and the one who comes to Me
I will certainly not castout” (John 6:37).
While it is true that Jesus is the sinless Sonof God, who hates sin and who will
ultimately judge sinners, the messageofthe gospelis that in His first coming
Christ came to save, not to condemn. Jesus thus said to the woman caughtin
adultery, “Neitherdo I condemn you; go your way; from now on sin no more”
(John 8:11).
This is because in His first advent, Jesus came to bear the penalty for man’s
sin Himself, and to save men from eternal damnation. All who come to Him
for forgiveness andsalvationwill be saved. None will be turned away. But
there is yet another coming of Christ, when He comes to judge. At that time, it
will be too late. Those who come to Him them will tremble in fearof Him, and
rightly so.
My admonition to you who have never come to Christ as this womandid is
that you come now. Come, trusting that He will receive you, that He will
forgive you, that He will save. No one is more accessible to sinners than
Christ. No one is more repulsive to the self-righteous than Christ. May eachof
us be like this woman, rather than like Simon the Pharisee.
The secondlessonwhichwe canlearn from our text is to recognize the
characteristicsofself-righteousnessas evident in the life of Simon the
Pharisee. I cannotdwell on the evils of Pharisaismhere, so suffice it to

mention just a couple of characteristics ofSimon which are evident in our
text, which could be true of us as well. Simon was more interested in passing
judgment on God than he was on God’s judgment of him. Simon felt that his
home would be more righteous by keeping sinners, like this woman, out, than
by inviting sinners in. Many churches feelthe same way. Simon was inclined
to see some sins as greaterthan others in the eyes of God. Sexualsin was
unforgivable, but pride was acceptable.
Simon thought of religion as something to be preserved; Jesus thought of true
religion in terms of penetration. Simon wanted to keepsinners out, Jesus went
out to sinners. Some of Simon’s error is the failure to grasp the change from
the old covenantto the new. The Old Testamentdealt with sin as incurable,
and thus the principle defense was simply to avoid contactwith sin and
sinners. The new covenantcame with a solution for sin. The new covenant
could change hard hearts to softones. Thus, Jesus did not feel compelled to
deal with sinners the way the Old Testamenttaught—seek to destroyor to
avoid them.
The Pharisee lookedat sin something like the way we look at AIDS. It has no
cure, and thus the best course ofaction is to avoid any and all contact. But,
you see, the gospelteaches that Jesus is the cure for sin. Thus, Jesus did not
need to avoid sinners, He could seek them out, just as we could aggressively
attack AIDS if there was a foolproofcure.
Somehow Simon and the other Phariseesofthe New Testamentfound it
difficult to be “touched” by those they would not touch. In all of the New
TestamentI fail to see one incident in which a Pharisee was touchedby the
misery, the sin, the shame, the grief of anotherhuman being. It is little wonder
that the Old Testamentprophets had to speak so often about mercy and
compassion. I see none of it in the Pharisees in the gospelaccounts. To have
compassionobligates one to minister to others. To lack compassionallows one
to use others for one’s own personalgain, at their expense. Jesus, who did not
hesitate to touch or be touched by sinners, was constantly“touched”
(emotionally) by them. May we be like Him.

The painful reality is that our churches often reflect the mood of Simon’s
house than they do of Jesus Himself. We ought to welcome sinners, if they
acknowledge themselvesas sinners, and if they seek to be savedfrom their
sins. All too often, sinners are shunned by the church, more than they are
sought be it. May we learn from our Lord to be more like Him and less like
Simon.
Lastly, we learn a greatdeal about worship from this woman who washedthe
feet of Jesus with her tears. It is true that we do not have the opportunity to
washthe feetof Jesus, as the woman in our text did, but we can learn a
number of principles pertaining to worship from her actions. Considerthese
principles with me as we conclude.
(1) Worship is for sinners. The womanwho worshipped Jesus was a sinner.
Our Lord neither denied this, nor minimized it. It is important to recognize
that sinners canworship God. As you think through the complex rules and
regulations of the Old Testamentlaw, it becomes evidentthat God established
worship for sinners. Otherwise, it would not have been necessaryto have all of
the intricate rules and rituals and sacrifices. Worship, in the Old Testament,
was for sinners.
So, too, in the New Testament. As our Lord said, it is our awarenessofour
own sinfulness, in conjunction with the knowledge ofour Lord’s perfection,
which stimulates worship. Those ofus who are most sensitive to the
magnitude of our sin, should also recognize the magnitude of God’s
forgiveness, thus stimulating our worship.
I sometimes getthe impressionthat when we come to the Lord’s Table we
think that we have to reachsome kind of momentary sinlessness before we can
worship. How foolish. Even momentary sinlessnessis impossible. When Paul
warns againstobserving the Lord’s Supper “in an unworthy manner” (1 Cor.
11: 27)he is referring to the inappropriateness of the drunken excessesin the
Corinthian observance ofcommunion. There is a world of difference between
an “unworthy manner” (and adverb, “unworthily”) and an unworthy state
(being a sinner). While we will be sinless when we worship God in heaven, we
worship as sinners on earth.

(2) Worship takes place atthe feetof Jesus. The proper position for our
worship is at the feet of Jesus. It suddenly occurredto me that the feetof our
Lord are very frequently mentioned in our text. While Simon did not evendo
justice to our Lord’s head, the woman was only comfortable at Jesus’feet. She
kissedthem, washedthem, and dried them with her hair. She did not feel
worthy to do otherwise. Particularly in Danieland the Book ofRevelation,
men find themselves falling at the feet of Jesus, whenthey recognize Him as
God. Worship at the feetof Jesus acknowledges His greatness andour
unworthiness; His perfection, and our sinfulness. Worship that exalts man is
not true worship.
(3) Worship is preoccupationwith the person of Jesus Christ. The woman who
worshipped at the feet of Jesus was preoccupiedwith Him, and Him alone.
The fact that there were those presentwho disdained her did not matter, for
she caredonly about what her Lord thought about her. The fact that many
present were hypocrites did not prevent her from worshipping, for her
worship was focusedon the Savior.
(4) Worship is not concernedabout receiving something from our Lord as
giving something to him. Jesus was approachedby many people, most of
whom wanted something from Him. I do not wish to minimize this or to
condemn it. If I lived in Jesus’day and were blind, I would want to come to
Jesus for Him to restore my sight. But this woman’s worship was expressedby
her giving to Jesus, not getting from Him. Too often, our prayers are like a
wish list for Santa, at Christmas time. Too seldom, our prayers are praise and
adorationalone, without any request, where our only desire is to be in His
presence, forever.
(5) Worship involves the emotions. The tears of the woman who worshipped
Him by washing His feet are most significant. The worship of this woman was,
may I say, emotional. Those of us in our tradition tend toward a very
intellectual worship. We could use a gooddeal more emotion. Remember that
we are to love the Lord our God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Worship should involve the mind and the emotions.

(6) The worship of this woman was without one word. It took me a while to
realize that while our Lord spoke to this woman, Luke did not recordso much
as one word which she spoke to Him. It is possible that she spoke to Him, but
Luke does not find it necessaryto record the fact if she did. I make a point of
the silence ofher worship because some womenseemto chafe at the fact that
their leadership in public worship if forbidden in the New Testament
Scriptures. I also would point this out for the benefit of those men who think
that they canonly worship when they speak publicly. The best worship may
be wordless.
(7) Finally, worship is not easilyhindered. There were many reasons why this
woman could have stayed awayfrom Jesus and not worshipped Him. She was
not invited. She was not wanted. She might be expelled. She would be scorned.
There would be hypocrites there. But in spite of many difficulties, the woman
did what she desperatelydesired to do—she worshipped Jesus. Why is it that
a couple drops of rain, a late Saturday night, and we find worship too
difficult.
May God enable us to worship as this woman did, to the glory of God, and for
our delight.
140 Morris writes, “EachGospelhas a story of an anointing of Jesus by a
woman (Mt. 26:6-13;Mk. 14:3-9;Jn. 12 1-8). There are goodreasons for
thinking that the other three are describing one and the same incident, but
Luke a different one. They refer to an incident in the last week ofJesus’life,
Luke to one much earlier. The ‘sinner’ of Luke’s account wet Jesus’feetwith
tears, wiped them with her hair, kissedthem and anointed them, which is
different from what the others describe. And the ensuing discussionis
different. In Luke it is concernedwith love and giving to the poor. There is no
reasonfor holding that the woman in the other Gospels was a ‘sinner’ (John
says she was Mary of Bethany). Some have held that Luke’s ‘sinner’ was
Mary Magdalene, but this is sheerspeculation.” Leon Morris, The Gospel
According To St. Luke, The Tyndale Bible Commentary Series, R. V. G.

Tasker, GeneralEditor (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company, 1974), p. 146.
141 From Proverbs 7:16-17, it would seemthat perfume may have been part
of this woman’s tools of her trade. With it, she may have adorned herself and
her bed. Now, she was eagerto employ it for the most noble purpose,
anointing the feet of the Savior.
142 Some have puzzled as to how his womanwould have been permitted to
enter Simon’s house and to be present during this meal. The explanation is to
be found in the culture and customs of that day: “Thata woman, uninvited,
and of such a character, should have pressedinto the chamber, and should
have been permitted to offer such homage to the Saviour, may at first sight
appear strange;but it can easilybe explained when we [remember] that in the
Eastthe meals are often almostpublic. We must remember her present
earnestness, too.” R. C. Trench, Notes on the Parables ofOur Lord (Grand
Rapids: BakerBook House [reprint], 1948), p. 104.
“At a dinner at the consul’s house at Damietta, we were much interested in
observing a custom of the country. In the room where we were received,
besides the divan on which we sat, there were seats all round the walls. Many
came in and took their places on those side-seats, uninvited and yet
unchallenged. They spoke to those at the table on business or the news of the
day, and our host spoke freelyto them. We afterwards saw the same custom
at Jerusalem.” —Narr. ofa Miss. of Inquiry to the Jews from the Ch. of
Scotlandin 1839, as citedby R. C. Trench, p. 204, fn. 2.
“In the Eastthe door of the dining room was left open so the uninvited could
pass in and out during the festivities. They were allowedto take seats by the
wall, listening to the conversationbetween the host and guests. ThenJesus sat
at table with Simon the Pharisee, a woman of the city entered. Instead of
sitting by the wall and listening, she lavished her affectionon Jesus:(a) she
wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head; (b) she
kissedhis feet; and (c) she anointed his feet with ointment (vss. 37-38). That
Jesus permitted the act evokeda negative response from his host (vs. 39).”
Charles H. Talbert, Reading Luke: A Literary and TheologicalCommentary

on the Third Gospel(New York: The CrossroadPublishing Company, 1984),
p. 86.
143 If this womanwere a prostitute, she would have tended to become “hard”
and would never have intended to show her emotions, especiallyin front of a
man. I have not dealt with such women, but I have dealt with many men in
prison. Crying is not something which a prisoner ever does in prison, for it
shows “weakness” (atleastin the minds of prisoners). I believe the same is
true for women like the one we find in our story. Her tears are thus especially
significant. If one wonders how a few tears could washthe feet of our Lord, I
suggestthat the many bottled up tears of her pastflowed in abundance on this
occasion.
Talbert writes, “B and B’ involve explanations to two questions:first, why is
the womanknown to be forgiven by her display of affectionand second, how
can Jesus pronounce the confirmation of her forgiveness? Thesequestions will
shape the discussionof the passage whichfollows… There are two possible
ways of reading vs. 47. (1) “Becauseofher conduct her many sins have been
forgiven.” Here the sinful woman’s love is understood as the cause ofher
forgiveness. (2)“Her many sins have been forgiven, as is evidenced by her
conduct.” Here the woman’s love is viewedas the evidence of her forgiveness.
(2) “Her many sins have been forgiven, as is evidencedby her conduct.” Here
the woman’s love is viewedas the evidence of her forgiveness. The second
reading is linguistically possible (e.g., 1:22; 6:21) and is demanded by the
context. The New English Bible’s reading is to the point: “And so, I tell you,
her greatlove proves that her many sins have been forgiven; where little has
been forgiven, little love is shown.” Why is the woman knownto be forgiven?
The answeris that her display of affectionis evidence of it.” Talbert, p. 87.
Plummer also says, “This is a verse [v. 47] which has been the subject of much
controversy. What is the meaning of the first half of it? We have to choose
betweentwo possible interpretations.
(1) “Forwhich reason, I say to thee, her many sins have been forgiven,
because she loved much” … Her sins have been forgiven for the reasonthat
her love was great; or her love won forgiveness. This is the interpretation of

Roman Catholic commentators (see Schanz), and the doctrine of contritio
caritate formata is built upon it. But it is quite at variance (a) with the parable
which precedes;(b) with the secondhalf of the verse, which ought in that case
to run, “but he who loveth little, wins little forgiveness:; (c) with ver. 50,
which states that it was faith, not love, which had been the means of salvation;
a doctrine which runs through the whole of the N.T. This cannot be correct.
(2) “Forwhich reasonI say to thee, her many sins have been forgiven (and I
say this to thee), because she loved much” … This statement, that her many
sins have been forgiven, is rightly made to Simon, because he knew of her
greatsinfulness, he had witnessedher loving reverence, and he had admitted
the principle that the forgiveness ofmuch produces much love. This
interpretation is quite in harmony with the parable, with the secondhalf of
the verse, and with ver. 50. There were two things evident,—the past sin and
the presentlove,—both of them great. A third might be known, because
(according to the principle just admitted) it explained how great love could
follow great sin,—the forgiveness ofthe sin.” Alfred Plummer, The Gospel
According to S. Luke, The International Critical Commentary Series,
(Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1969), pp. 213-214.
GLENN PEASE
FOCUS ON FEET BasedonLuke 7:36-50
Centuries ago the Danes decidedto invade Scotland. They very cleverly
moved their greatarmy in the night so they
could creepup on the Scottishforces and take them by surprise. In order to
make this advance as noiseless as possible they came barefooted. As they
neared the sleeping Scots, one unfortunate Dane brought his footdown on a
bristling thistle. He let out with a roar of pain that was like a trumpet blast

which rang through the sleeping camp. The Scots were alerted, and quickly
grabbed their weapons, and the Danes were driven back.
One could say that they came within one foot of victory, but one foot led to
their defeat. The thistle from that time on was adoptedas the national emblem
of Scotland. Feetare vital for the onwardmarch, but they can also be your foe
and lead you to defeatbecause oftheir weakness. Notallhave the feetof the
Kentucky backwoods farmerwho never wore shoes. One day he came into
the cabin and stoodby the fireplace with his callusedfeet. His wife said,
"You'd better move your feet a mite, you're standin on a live coal." He
replied, "Which foot?" Unfortunately, most foot soldiers do not have feetthat
tough. Even Achilles, the greatGreek warrior, had one weak spot, and that
was the heel of his foot. It was by means of an arrow in his heel that he was
brought to defeat. Our feet determine whether we stand or fall in more ways
than one.
The statue, or government, or organization, with feet of clay is easily
toppled. When we want somebody to become independent, we tell them to
stand on their own two feet, and to getboth feet on the ground. The unstable
position and shakyargument puts a man where we say he doesn't have a
leg to stand on. All of the many texts about the Christian walk and the
Christian stand make clearthat feet are essentialequipment for the Christian
life, for you cannot stand or walk without feet.
The feet can bring you to defeat, or they can march you to victory. Either
way the feet play a major role in every life, and that includes the life of our
Lord. There are 27 references to the feet of Jesus in the New Testament.
That is likely a greaterfocus on feetthan you will find in the biography of any
other man. Biblical times were times of far greaterfootconsciousness. There
are 4 Hebrew and 2 Greek words for feet. There are 162 referencesto feet in
the Old Testament, and 75 in the New Testament. Feetwere justmore
conspicuous in that world where walking, marching, and cleaning of feet, and
sitting at the feet of others, were daily events.
The feet of Jesus were exposed, and so more people beheld the feet of
Christ than other greatmen of history. The feetof Jesus were the centerof so

much of His activity. In Matt. 15:30 we read, "Greatcrowds came to Him,
bringing the lame, blind, the crippled, the dumb and many others, and laid
them at His feet, and He healedthem." Mary became famous for sitting at the
feet of Jesus and soaking in the wisdom of His teaching. Many were laid at
His feetunable to walk, and Jesus lifted them up and stood them on their own
two feetagain, and enabled them to walk and be restoredto the world of folks
with feet that would function again. Only those who have lostthe ability to
walk can appreciate how
beautiful it must have been to be laid at the feetof one, who because He
createdfeetcould fix them, and make them work again.
"I cried because I had no shoes till I saw a man who had no feet," is a
popular saying, but here were crowds who wept for joy, for those with no feet
walkedawayfrom the feetof Jesus having been made whole. Walking is
being revived in our day for health and exercise, but in the day of Christ
walking was a necessity, andthat is why one of the most frequent miracles of
the New Testamentwas that of making the lame walk. To be put back on
your feet was to be given new life. We take our feet for granted, and do not
often considerthat they are one of the wonders of creation.
Leonardo da Vinci called the feet, "A masterpiece of engineering and a
work of art." There are 26 bones in eachfootor 52 in both, and that is one
forth of the bones in our body. By means of these instruments the average
person by the age of55 has walked70,000 miles, or2 and one half times
around the world. Gilette Burgess may sound silly, but he was rightly amazed
when he wrote
My feet, they haul me round the house, And hoist me up the stairs. I only have
to steerthem, and They ride me everywheres.
Another poet wrote some lines that became more wellknown.
Lives of great men all remind us We canmake our lives sublime, And
departing leave behind us Footprints in the sands of time.
Jesus did so more than any other who has ever lived, and we want to sit at
His feetand focus on them, for His footprints have changedthe course of

history. Every place the feet of Jesus touched have become places ofdeep
interest, study, and research. We cannotlook at all 27 references, andso we
will only geta foot in the door of this lowly yet lofty subject. We will focus on
the feetof Jesus from the point of view of them being instruments of
sovereignty, suffering, and of service. Firstlets look at His feet as
I. INSTRUMENTS OF SOVEREIGNTY.
Many ancientmonuments picture the kings with their feet on the necks of
the vanquished to show they are sovereignand victorious. They have the
enemy in complete subjection. The feet are symbols of power. We see this
very thing in Joshua 10:24 where we read, "When they had brought the kings
to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israeland said to the army
commanders who had come with him, 'come here and put your feet on the
necks of these kings.'So they came forward and placed their feeton their
necks." This was to encourage the commanders and give them assurance of
victory over the enemy.
We see Pauldoing the same thing on a spiritual level for the soldiers of the
cross. He writes in Romans 16:20, "The God of peace will sooncrush Satan
under your feet." The image of the song Onward Christian Soldiers is very
biblical, for Christians are to march forward like an army of footsoldiers
conquering territory that is under the powerof Satan, and liberating those he
holds captive. Our feet are weapons of warfare, and by means of our feet we
are to gain victory and sovereigntyover Satan. In Epb. 6 where Paul
describes the whole armor of God that we are to put on, he does not neglect
the feet, but urges us to have our feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel.
The point is that foot powerwas, is, and will ever be, a primary power, for the
feet of our Lord will forever be a place where we worship His majesty and
glory.
Paul in I Cor. 15;25 says of Jesus, "ForHe must reign until He has put all
His enemies under His feet." The last enemy to be destroyedis death, and
when this final foe is fully vanquished the whole universe will be under the
sovereignfeetof Christ. This is the plan of God that Paul explains in Eph. 1.
He says that this is why God raisedJesus and exalted Him to His own right

hand, "..farabove all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title
that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And
God placedall things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over
everything for the church." He who has the most powerful feet is the head.
When the Apostle John was caught up to see a vision of the ascended
Christ he was very consciousofhis Lord's feet. In Rev. 1:15 he says, "His feet
were like bronze glowing in a furnace." And in verse 17 he says, "WhenI saw
Him I fell at His feet as though dead." One day all who loved Jesus will
experience the wonder and joy of falling before His sovereignfeet.
Lo, at His feet with awful joy The adoring armies fall! With joy they shrink to
nothing there Before the eternal all.
Whenever you fall at the feet of Jesus you have arrived at a high point in
your spiritual life. William Cowperwrote,
Tis joy enough, my all in all, At thy dear feetto lie; Thou wilt not let me lower
fall, And none can higher fly.
We many never in time walk where Jesus walked, but all who submit to
His Lordship will walk with Him in white, and our feet will walk with His on
golden streets, and all over a redeemedand perfectedearth. Following the
footsteps ofJesus will be forever, for His feet will our guide for all eternity.
We will sit at His feet;worship at His feet, and serve at His feetwith joy
forever and ever. "Footprints of Jesus that make the pathway glow. We will
follow the steps of Jesus whereverthey go."
When Jesus comes againHe will come, not with the feetof the lowly
carpenter, but with the feet of a sovereignLord. His feet will then be
instruments of sovereigntyas all will bow before His feetand acknowledge
Him as sovereign. B. Whitney Allen wrote,
Downthe minster aisles ofsplendor, From betwixt the cherubim, Through
the wond'ring throng with movements Strong and sweet, Sounds
His victory-trend approaching With a movement far and dimThe music of
the coming of His feet.

Jesus was kissed on his feet

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Jesus was kissed on his feet