Jesus Loves Prostitutes
Luke 7:36-50
Skip Heitzig
Luke 7 (NKJV™) | |
36 | Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat. |
37 | And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, |
38 | and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. |
39 | Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner." |
40 | And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." So he said, "Teacher, say it." |
41 | "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. |
42 | "And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?" |
43 | Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have rightly judged." |
44 | Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. |
45 | "You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. |
46 | "You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. |
47 | "Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." |
48 | Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." |
49 | And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" |
50 | Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace." |
New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.
It was Blaise Pascal who noted, "There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus." In our text today, we find a woman, the city prostitute who acutely felt the need to have the vacuum of her heart filled. She discovered that Jesus loved her with a wholesome love—the kind of love every woman is searching for.
Jesus loves people—all people: prostitutes, drug addicts, abusers—and you. This profound truth is at the very heart of the gospel. Jesus loves the unlovable and touches the untouchable, and during His time on earth, He was compassionate and merciful toward people from all walks of life. What would it be like if you personally encountered Him? Join Pastor Skip Heitzig in this series to learn more about God's radical love for you and fall more in love with the living Savior.
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Prostitution is mentioned frequently in Scripture; the word harlot is used seventy-six times (with primary references in Leviticus 19, Proverbs, and 1 Corinthians 6). Two prostitutes even appear in the genealogy of Christ: Tamar and Rahab. Jesus pointed out that prostitutes were among those who repented at the preaching of John the Baptist (see Matthew 21:32), and He shocked the religious leaders by telling them that "tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you" (Matthew 21:31).
Research into modern-day prostitution is heartbreaking. The sex trade is big business; in Miami alone, it's a $235-million-a-year industry. One in ten men in the world have purchased a prostitute. The average age of entry into prostitution is thirteen, the overwhelming majority being girls. Most are recruited or coerced into prostitution and are especially targeted within forty-eight hours of running away from home. It's a deadly job; statistics for job-related fatalities measure 18 deaths per 100,000 for police officers, 70 per 100,000 for airline pilots, and 204 per 100,000 for prostitutes. Over 95 percent have been threatened with a gun or beaten, and over half have been assaulted or raped. Our text tells us of a meeting between Jesus and a prostitute at the house of Simon, a Pharisee. Three distinct interactions occurred that show us the pitfalls of self-righteousness and the power of forgiveness.
First, we consider the interaction between the patriarch—Simon—and the prostitute (see Luke 7:36-38). Most likely, Simon invited Jesus over in order to interrogate Him. However, when a prostitute barged in, the center of gravity shifted. It was unusual for such a woman, a "sinner" (in those days, this word could only mean a prostitute), to be at such a meeting, and only Jesus welcomed her. Weeping, she loosened her hair and kissed Jesus' feet, pouring oil on them. We don't know the depth of her pain or why she became a prostitute, but we can guess why she was there. It's possible that, shortly before this meal, she had heard Jesus preach, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me...and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:28-29). She understood that Jesus was her best shot at a new start. A prostitute once said, "Prostitutes have very improperly been styled women of pleasure; they are women of pain, of sorrow, of grief, of bitter and continual repentance." Ignoring Simon's disdain, this prostitute rushed to Jesus, weeping from remorse and pain, desperate for hope. Read 2 Corinthians 1:3-7. Have you ever been desperate for God's forgiveness and love? How can that experience help you have compassion for someone like this woman?
Next, we see the patriarch and the preacher (see Luke 7:39-47). Simon mistook this woman's act of repentance and devotion for a sexual advance and criticized Jesus in his thoughts. Jesus read Simon's mind and replied to him out loud. The story Jesus then told revealed that Simon had a wrong view of everyone at the meal. In Simon's mind, Jesus was not a prophet, the woman was too sinful and filthy to be there, and he, Simon, was the most discerning person in the room. Jesus' story revealed that Simon's manner was inhospitable, his heart was judgmental, and his sin was invisible (hers was outward, and his was inward—until Jesus called him out on it). Like Simon, when we view life through the lens of legalism, we distort everyone and everything. Jesus rebuked him for not being as broken about his sin as she was about hers. Religion is the world's biggest blind spot in seeing our need for God; religion made Simon inhospitable to Jesus, judgmental toward this woman, and prideful in his attitude. The prostitute's sins were sins of the flesh; Simon's were of the spirit. Hers were overt and known to all; his were covert, known only to Jesus. What Simon saw insulted him, but what he heard should have convicted him. Describe a time when you have been unfairly judgmental. How did God bring you to a point of repentance?
Finally, we see the preacher and the prostitute (see Luke 7:48-50). Jesus was now face to face with this woman whose face was riddled with tears and shame, and He declared to her that her sins were forgiven. How wonderful she must have felt then! Jesus was not put off by her reputation, His knowledge of her past, or even Simon's judgment of her. Jesus knew that her heart was broken, filled with shame and remorse, and that she hated her lifestyle and wanted change. Others in the house were angry because Jesus told her that she was forgiven, but she was not angry—she was hungry. They were self-righteous; she was made righteous. The love she never found in all of her passionate encounters with men she now found in a single encounter with this unique Man, Jesus Christ. She learned that God has a big eraser. Simon's sin got exposed; this prostitute's sin got forgiven. Simon had years of theological training and yet no understanding of grace. She understood it after a few moments in Jesus' presence. Read Romans 5:20-21. What are the dangers of being self-righteous? How big is God's grace? How can you show grace when you meet someone who, on the surface, seems unworthy of it?
Here are three takeaways from this passage: First, everyone sins; face it. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), and the worst sin of all is self-righteousness—it's an affront to the cross of Christ. Second, God's business is forgiveness; seek it. This woman knew that she was a great sinner, and she came to Jesus as her great Savior. Finally, God's Word is true; believe it. Jesus spoke a promise to this woman that she was saved and forgiven. Your sin can be forgiven, too!
Adapted from Pastor Skip’s teaching
The BIG Idea We all need forgiveness. God stands ready to forgive any sin, from prostitution to self-righteousness.
Figures referenced: Will Rogers, Martin Luther, Laura Schulman, Tina Hoffman
Cross references: Leviticus 19; Proverbs; Matthew 11:28-29; 21:31-32; Luke 7:36-50; Romans 3:23; 5:8; 1 Corinthians 6; Hebrews 11:31
Date | Title | Watch | Listen | Notes | Share | Save | Buy | |
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1/25/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves People Mark 10:21;Philippians 1:8-10 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary Welcome to our new weekend series, Jesus Loves People! For the next many weeks, we will observe how Jesus' love for people was displayed and conveyed to a cross section of society. We will see Him as He loves the most religiously devout folks to the weak and doubting, from the prostitutes to the priests, from the bewildered to the brokenhearted. We will marvel at His love for thieves, murderers, and atheists. In each message, we will consider how we as God's people can show authentic love to people within each group. |
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2/1/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves Doubters Matthew 11; John 20 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary Jesus never turned away the questions of a sincere searcher. I have personally wrestled with issues of faith and doubt on a number of occasions. Oswald Chambers quipped, "Doubt is not always a sign that a man is wrong; it may be a sign that he is thinking." Today we will see how Jesus loved two doubters—both of whom were friends of His. |
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2/8/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves the Broken John 5:1-16 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary Just about everyone who has ever lived has experienced a broken heart to some degree or another. But then there are others who have been affected so adversely by events in their lives that they can be described as broken people. We can respond by questioning why God allows bad things to happen or by loving the broken in His name and thus being part of the solution. |
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3/8/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves Homosexuals - Part 1 John 8:1-11 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary There is not a hotter or more controversial subject being discussed today in our country than homosexuality. Voices are loud and tempers run hot whenever this subject is mentioned. Although the text before us doesn’t deal specifically with homosexuality, it does show us how Jesus approached a woman caught in sexual sin and what He had to say to those who were quick to condemn her. |
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3/15/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves Homosexuals - Part 2 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary Be assured that I didn't select the topics in this series because I am equating homosexuals with murderers; nor am I suggesting that addicts or homeless people are to be seen the same as terrorists. It’s simply that the church has historically been unkind to these groups, and we believe it is time to make the statement that Jesus loves all people. In today’s text, we see it clearly: everyone has some kind of past, and everyone can be freed from sin. |
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3/22/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves Haters Matthew 5:43-46;Luke 9:51-56 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary One of the worst things to ever hear or say are the words "I hate you." And since Jesus is the One who God sent to show love to the world, how He handled haters is significant. Today we will explore and hopefully apply two important lessons. Hatred can flow in two directions: hatred towards you and hatred from you. Jesus shows us what to do about both. Get ready by turning to two passages: Matthew 5 and Luke 9. |
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3/29/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves Traitors Matthew 26 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a traitor as "one who betrays another's trust or is false to an obligation or duty." On this Palm Sunday, I've chosen to consider in contrast the two traitors seen side by side in the New Testament accounts of the Passion of Christ. Though we may see some similarities in Judas and Peter, they are separated by one giant factor—the cross of Jesus Christ, the one thing that still offends most people. |
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4/12/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves Atheists John 18:28-38 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary Yes, Jesus loves people who don't believe in Him or who aren't sure what they think about Him. Pontius Pilate was the cynical Roman governor of the district of Judea. He was unsympathetic to religious Jews and religion itself. He had no room for the superstitious claims of prophets, priests, or would-be messiahs. He was a secular pragmatist concerned about Roman order and personal advancement. Pilate also represents how Jesus loved and handled atheists—and how we should. |
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4/26/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves Murderers Luke 23:33-34 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary A Jewish proverb reads, "Blood that has been shed does not rest." And yet there is rest that is possible for even the worst murderers of all time—those who killed Jesus Christ—if they would be willing to receive it. In two verses of Scripture, we will examine how Jesus loves murderers, even those who murdered Him. |
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5/3/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves Criminals Luke 23:33-43 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary A lengthy seventeen-year study in Washington, D.C. by psychiatrist Samuel Yochelson shows that crime cannot be traced to environment, poverty, or oppression but to people making wrong moral choices. Corresponding to that is another report showing that the lack of proper moral training by parents has a direct correlation to crime, especially to children in their formative years. But when parents and their offspring fail, Jesus can step in to rescue. |
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5/17/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves Terrorists Acts 9:1-16 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary One magazine noted that "religious terrorism is the communism of the 21st century, the most serious international threat to human rights." I am aware that the title of this sermon is a strange one, and it's even stranger to think we should be told to love terrorists. Today we consider the stark reality of terror in our world and what a proper biblical response to it is, and we see the conversion of a terrorist who became Christianity's most celebrated cleric. |
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6/7/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves Addicts Luke 4; Matthew 11 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary When a person ingests a substance or engages in an activity that provides temporary pleasure and then such acts become compulsive and interfere with ordinary life responsibilities, he or she is said to be an addict. Addictive behavior is widespread and is one of the reasons many addicts turn to Christ for help. Jesus has a special message for them and a special plan to help them. As the body of Christ to our generation, shouldn’t the church be part of that plan? |
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6/28/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves People, BUT... Romans 2:1-11 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary In this last message of our series Jesus Loves People, we want to bring equilibrium to the series itself. It’s true that God loves people. It’s equally true that He hates evil and the practice of it. Today we want to show how both the wrath of God and the love of God are integral parts of the nature of God Himself. This is crucial so that we don’t distort Him to the world and mislead people eternally. Let’s consider three requirements for representing the God who loves people. |
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