The Dinner Party

Posted by Dion Todd August 19th, 2024 1,433 Views 26 Comments

One day, Simon the Pharisee invited Jesus to dine at his house. We do not know why. The Pharisees were a strict sect of Judaism known for their rigorous adherence to the laws of Moses and various traditions. They avoided contact with anything or anyone considered unclean. They criticized Jesus and the disciples for not washing their hands correctly and for associating with tax collectors and sinners (Mark 7:1-5, Matthew 9:11).

(Luke 7:36 NKJV) Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.

Luke, the physician, was meticulous in detail, and the things he left out indicate that this invitation was overshadowed with animosity. Simon purposely skipped the common courtesies for guests on the day Jesus came to his house, and this was a planned formal event, not a last-minute oversight or lack of planning.

For example, it was normal for the host to give the guest a kiss of peace on the cheek, but Jesus received no kiss from Simon. A servant would remove the guest's sandals and wash their feet when they entered the house to remove the dust from the street, but Jesus' feet were left dirty. Guests were anointed with olive oil, but not Jesus. Simon avoided every kindness that would make the Lord feel welcome in his house.

So Jesus reclined at the table with His dirty feet stretched out behind Him for all to see. In those days, people did not sit upright in chairs around a table as we do today. Instead, they reclined on short couches called triclinia, with their heads near the table and their feet stretched out behind them, as feet were considered unclean by nature. It was offensive to point your heel at someone (Psalm 41:9). They rested on their left elbow and ate with their right hand.

While Jesus was reclining in the house, a woman with a well-known sinful reputation in the community, possibly a prostitute, came into the house, which would have been utterly shocking to those present. Even today, that would start some serious rumors if a prostitute were seen entering the house of a Bishop. The news of this had probably already traveled to the other side of Galilee before they got up from the table.

(Luke 7:37–38 NKJV) 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, 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.

It seems likely that this woman had heard Jesus speak somewhere else before, and His words had touched her heart. She could not bear seeing Simon disrespect Jesus this way, and she came to make it right.

This "sinful" woman washed Jesus' dirty feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, for she had no towel, kissed them, and anointed them with her fragrant oil. This precious woman did everything that Simon the Pharisee had neglected to do while the room sat in embarrassed silence.

In Jewish society at the time, it was scandalous and indecent for a woman to let her hair down in public, a divorceable offense, but she didn't care about the embarrassment. The fragrant oil she used was probably the most precious thing she owned, but she gladly gave it away. What a precious moment - an outpouring of love and pure adoration.

(Luke 7:39 NKJV) 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."

Up to this point, not a word had been spoken in the room, but their heads were full of them. Simon would have kicked the woman away from touching him. He saw the woman as unredeemable trash, but Jesus saw her as a redeemed, saved, washed as white as snow child of God. Simon only saw her past. Jesus saw her future.

We have two types of people here: Simon, who looked clean on the outside but was full of cold animosity inside, and the unclean woman, who was considered too dirty to touch you on the outside but filled with love, compassion, and gratitude inside. Jesus cleared the air with a parable:

(Luke 7:40–43 NKJV) And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." So he said, "Teacher, say it." "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?" Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."

Simon, being cornered, grudgingly answered, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."

(Luke 7:44–47 NKJV) 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. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 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."

Some of the greatest sinners can make the greatest saints. It is amazing to see the life transformation that can happen when someone turns to the Lord. As hard as they previously pursued darkness, they will pursue Jesus and zoom past benchwarmers, and the Lord loves them.

One of the most striking things about this dinner was that the mystery woman never spoke a word. Yet, because of her love and actions, Jesus said, "Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

(Luke 7:48–50 NKJV) Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

Words without accompanying actions mean little, but loving actions without words can apparently mean a lot to the Lord.

You can pray this with me if you like:

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your wonderful grace and love. Please draw my heart to You and fulfill Your perfect will in my life. Make what is important to You important to me, and let me see others through Your eyes. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!