No Difference

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

NO DIFFERENCE

Luke 7:36-39

36 Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is — that she is a sinner."

NIV

Although this is but the beginning of an exchange between Jesus and this Pharisee as well as a teaching of our Lord, we need to look at it in pieces, as the whole is rather long. Our Lord is going to make a point so we need not get ahead of him. But we can see something here that we should take to heart first. The Pharisee saw a great distinction between himself and this woman. He was a righteous man, abiding by the law and she was nothing but a sinner. How quick it is to judge another’s sinful ways while all the time thinking how righteous we are. Do we forget just how sinful we once were? It is impossible to forget the horrible stain of sin that soaked our life. This Pharisee did not even have that thought of every being a sinner. Was he born a Pharisee? Did he grow up being a Pharisee? Was he ever a sinner? Did he think that his now self-righteous lifestyle wiped away his once unrighteous one? The scripture teaches us that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. It any sin greater then another? Jesus is going to teach about the one who is forgiven of much, loves much and the one who is forgiven of little, loves little. So although there is no difference in sin, there must be a difference in the amount of sin one commits. But nevertheless the Pharisee seems to think he has none, but she certainly does. This is where we have to be extremely careful to be ever mindful of our own life, both past and present. We cannot afford to have any thoughts that resemble that of this Pharisee. If anything we are the chief of sinners, and have been forgiven of them all, thus we are in fact as this women, loving our Lord much. How could we ever think there is anything within us that resembles righteousness? Even now, after repenting of much sin, and accepting Jesus, we still struggle we temptation and on too many occasions fail to withstand those temptations. Yet if anything, that realization drive our love for Jesus even more, knowing and understanding he still loves us, and covered all our sin with his blood. As we will see, we need to be like this woman, weeping over Jesus because of our sin. But this point here, for now, has to do with not judging anyone to be a sinner, while thinking we are righteous. How foolish that would be. There is no difference.