Only Jesus

It has been a long time, but today, I sat down to ponder my text to preach next Sunday.

The text is Luke 7:36ff.

Jesus is invited to the home of Simon–Simon the Pharisee.  While eating, a sinful woman (read, “prostitute”) comes behind Jesus while He is eating.  She anoints Jesus with expensive perfume and, weeping, washes His feet with her tears and wipes them dry with her hair.

Simon protests by scoffing that a real prophet would not allow such a woman to touch him.

Jesus sweeps to the woman’s defense with a story.  Two debtors who owe vastly different sums are forgiven their debts.  Jesus asks who will love the lender more.

The answer, of course, is the one who is forgiven more.

With that, Jesus explains that this woman loves more than Simon because she has been forgiven more.  Simon, actually, does not love at all and the woman’s love overflows everything in her.

Then Jesus declares her forgiven and whole.

It is a common story.  It is one we remember from Sunday School.  It is one I have heard 100, maybe 1000, times.  Down my cheek ran a tear.

I am moved by Jesus.  There is no one and nothing that moves me more deeply than the grace and compassion of a God who would dwell among us.  There is nothing that makes me more keenly aware of my own sin and my own forgiveness than spending time getting to know Jesus.

Only Jesus moves me so.

I hope I never lose the awe.  Jesus, thank you for showing us the image of God and for drawing it out of us.

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3 Responses to Only Jesus

  1. Hi Derrick,

    I like what is presented in Spilledwine.org. Thank you making that available.
    It is awesome that God loves us.

    Russell

  2. Todd Helmkamp says:

    This is one of my favorite parables. I have been forgiven so much!

  3. Dan Beck says:

    Mr. Bohn: Very good words. I am a retired cop that went back to work in a county jail in northern Ohio. (I have also purchased 1 or 2 of your knives). Jesus sacrificed himself for the lowly and downtrodden lives that know they are sinners. He ate with them and socialized with them. He also gave himself for the sanctimonious and self righteous, but they don’t think they need him because they do not recognize their sin. I see more open Bibles in one night at the jail than I see in some of the churches I have attended. These are the people God invites to the wedding feast in one of the other parables. I thank YHWH for his mercy and grace. He came looking for me and brought me to Himself after 25 years of rough/raw living. (Or was it dying?) Keep sharing His WORD. You are moving from the West Coast back to God’s country? Welcome home……….

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