Our Great Obligation
On one occasion, Jesus entered the house of a Pharisee, Simon by name, for an evening dinner. No doubt you know the story. A woman “in the city, which was a sinner” came with an alabaster box of ointment with which she anointed Jesus’ feet (along with her tears). Besides this, she kept wiping his feet with her hair and, the text says, continually kissed his feet. All of this seems so incongruous to us! We have a hard time imagining someone off the street entering a private home to observe a banquet, let alone interfering with the guest of honor in this way. Some commentators suggest that “Social custom allowed needy people to visit such meals and to partake of some of the leftovers. Moreover it was not unusual for people to drop in when a rabbi was visiting.”1 Nevertheless, the woman was there and her abject devotion to Jesus was not under dispute.
Simon, the Pharisee, criticized Jesus “to himself” (Lk 7.39), to which Jesus replied with this parable:
Luk 7:40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
Jesus made sure that Simon got the point in the ensuing verses, plainly showing how much greater was the love of this woman than Simon’s, who, though he gave Jesus the meal, did not offer the common courtesy of the day when he brought Jesus into his home. The implication of the encounter was that this woman had been forgiven much and Simon relatively little, if he was forgiven at all. To underscore the point, Jesus said to the woman, “Thy sins are forgiven” (Lk 7.48), a statement which antagonized the Pharisees in the crowd even more!
Great forgiveness demands great devotion.
This story came to mind yesterday as I visited my doctor, perhaps for the last time. My doctor is set to retire this year. I was fortunate enough to have an in-person visit with him this time. During these strange corona virus days, most visits to the doctor are telephone consults. I was glad I would get this one last opportunity to meet with my doctor. He has been our family doctor almost thirty-one years. He is an outstanding doctor, caring for us with unusual skill and devotion. We came under his care when my wife was expecting our fourth (of five) child. He has helped our family through all kinds of the normal life problems of sicknesses of all kinds. However, the most important thing he did for us was in the care of my wife when she fell ill in 2003. She is in remission now, but that summer was a time of great uncertainty for us. Our doctor aggressively pushed for her care with the specialist, so much so that the specialist remarked on it later. He wasn’t about to countenance any delays in her care. We are very grateful.
As I offered my thanks to our doctor in person I, of course, became very emotional. Tears still come to my eyes as I think of what we owe to him. No doubt many readers can think of similar debts they have to someone else — a doctor, a pastor, a counselor, or a friend — one who stood in the gap and really made a difference at a crucial time in your life.
I lay in bed last night thinking about all this, and emotive person that I am, the tears came again. But they came with a further thought. I am quite able to make concrete my sense of obligation to my earthly doctor, but what about my obligations to Jesus Christ. My doctor gave my wife an additional fifteen years or so of earthly life (so far). Jesus gives us everlasting life.
What tears to we offer him? What passion do we offer in his service? Do we speak up for him whenever we have the opportunity? (I have proudly praised my doctor whenever the subject of medical care came up.)
Consider this passage from Ephesians:
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
We are made alive in him, because of “his great love wherewith he loved us.” Let’s kiss his feet, anoint them with perfume, and shout his praises wherever we can!
Don Johnson is the pastor of Grace Baptist Church of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
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- Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Lk 7.37. [↩]