Bible Studies for Life: June 14

Making Others a Priority • Luke 7:36-48

By Jessica McMillan

“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” “All that glitters is not gold.” These are helpful sayings that reiterate that appearances can sometimes be deceiving. The Bible reminds us that God evaluates people based on their heart (1 Samuel 16:7). We are also admonished in the New Testament to refrain from judging others based on appearances (John 7:24) and to avoid showing superficial partiality (James 2:1-9).

The passage for today opens at a banquet at the home of a Pharisee named Simon. His failure to offer basic hospitality and his criticism of a “sinful” woman’s act of worship underscore Jesus’s authority to forgive. This account challenges readers to reexamine the meaning of real righteousness and the priority Jesus placed on serving others.

Luke 7:36-39 

Banquet etiquette in early Jewish culture included reclining around a U-shaped table with the guest’s head near the table and the feet extended away from it. The host would provide clean water so that servants could wash the feet of guests, since they surely would have been dirty from travel. Also, a kiss of greeting and anointing with oil was customary. It was not uncommon for passersby to see a banquet being held and stand in the background to watch what was going on.

Simon the Pharisee provided none of these customary practices at his banquet but was critical when the “sinful” (v. 39 NIV) woman provided all of them extravagantly with her tears, her hair, her kisses, and her perfume. She understood the depth of her sin and the beauty of God’s forgiveness, and her expression of worship came in the form of extending the hospitality that Simon neglected. 

Luke 7:40-43 

In sarcasm, Simon commented that if Jesus were indeed a prophet, he would know what kind of shameful woman was touching him — using a term that some scholars say indicates a sexual advance toward Jesus. In turn, Jesus told a little story to teach that people who recognize how much they have been forgiven by God often respond with greater love and gratitude. We are not told if Simon “got it,” that they both were sinners with a common debt. This passage not only demonstrates that Jesus was willing to associate with the religious elite, but he was not bothered by “sinful” people who would not have been allowed otherwise to associate with that group. Simon saw the intrusion of a “sinner,” and Jesus saw the beauty of a forgiven worshiper. Simon’s sarcasm backfired because it just proved the fact that Jesus was indeed a prophet with authority to forgive even the most egregious sin.

Luke 7:44-48

Jesus took the opportunity to affirm the woman for providing the heartfelt hospitality that Simon failed to provide, and then he confirmed her forgiveness in the presence of all those in attendance. But like Simon, we are often tempted to make judgments about people based on their appearance, past, political views, and behavior. Jesus looks beyond the surface into the depths of the heart and sees individuals made in the image of God. 

Jesus saw the callous and critical heart of a self-righteous jerk, AND he saw the heart of a devoted “sinner” who was transformed by grace. He met the needs of people regardless of their social standing or filthy appearance. We, too, are called to look beyond mere labels and share his love and compassion to those who need it desperately. We all stand in need of God’s forgiveness. When we recognize our own need for grace and the measure of it that he has bestowed upon us, we are more likely to extend grace to others.

McMillan is on faculty at NOBTS and is a member of Roseland Park Baptist Church, Picayune.