“SHE IS A SINNER!”

Luke 7:36-40                                (ESV)

“36 One of the Pharisees asked HIM to eat with him, and HE went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table.

37 And behold, a WOMAN OF THE CITY, who was A SINNER, when she learned that HE was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment,

38 and standing behind HIM at his feet, weeping, she began to wet HIS feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed HIS feet and anointed them with the ointment.

39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited HIM saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, HE would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching HIM, for “SHE IS A SINNER”."

40 And JESUS answering said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he answered, "Say it, Teacher." 

This passage of scripture is so rich with “nuggets” that can’t be overlooked that this devotional will be quite lengthy.  I’ll apologize up front to you who are like me, with a very short attention span, but The SPIRIT is saying too much that I cannot ignore!  

To begin with, “One of the Pharisees” immediately brings to mind those who were of the establishment, or the “temple religion”.  The Pharisees were known for STRICT adherence to “the law” and living by the rules that man added to “the law”.  Generally, they were not recognized as followers of CHRIST, for they would have to humble themselves to do that and that was something that was foreign to them!  “Denying themselves” (Matthew 16:24) wasn’t on the “to do” list of the Pharisees, not were they interested in serving anyone!  “They thought” they were the elite religious leaders of the time who should be consulted to determine just who was going to Heaven, instead of allowing GOD to be GOD!  

On the other hand we have “a WOMAN OF THE CITY, who was A SINNER”!  She approached JESUS from behind and washed HIS feet with her tears and then anointed HIS feet with ointment.  Humbling herself before JESUS was not an issue for her.  She knew who she was......... AND she knew WHO HE was!  

When your EYES are opened to SEE the Sovereignty of ALMIGHTY GOD, you quickly begin to SEE how “undone” you really are. Conversely, until we recognize WHO our CREATOR is and what all HE has done, we will have a falsely elevated opinion of everything we look at, especially our fellow human being.   

This Pharisee said that this WOMAN OF THE CITY was a SINNER, but it doesn’t indicate who he thought he was?  Evidently he thought JESUS was okay coming to his house because society couldn’t see his heart.  But he didn’t realize that JESUS could SEE “the thought and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12)!  HE SEES the SPIRITUAL, which most of us would prefer NOT be seen, for “our righteousnesses are as FILTHY RAGS” (Isaiah 64:6) before a HOLY GOD!  

The Pharisee said of the woman “SHE IS A SINNER”!  He didn’t need to convict her, the HOLY SPIRIT was already working on her heart.  But do we do the same thing to people who sin differently than we do?  The standard we are going to be judged by is not an earthly one, rather a HEAVENLY ONE!  Scripture states (Romans 3:10; Psalms 14:2-3) that “None is righteous, NO NOT ONE”!  Unless we want to be a the Pharisees and condemn even when we are guilty, we must worry about our own lives and let the HOLY SPIRIT convict her that “SHE IS A SINNER”!!!