I believe the Holy Spirit spoke to me and has revealed a common thread in the Jesus' encounters with the Centurion's envoy of Jewish elders, then John the Baptist's disciples and, finally, the Pharisee at his house. Thinking about it more, it is quite clear that at issue is what we think about Jesus determines our response to Him. This is the fundamental question of the Gospel- If Jesus is who He says He is, then how do you respond?
Luke 7:1-10
The first story, in Luke 7:1-10, involves the faith of the Centurion, a Gentile! Remember that Luke was a Gentile in the early church, so it's key that he highlights the great faith of a fellow Gentile. Being a Gentile in Israel, the Centurion knew that Israelites did not associate with Gentiles since they would be deemed unclean. Rather than go to see Jesus himself, he appeals to the Jewish elders to appeal to Jesus to come and heal his "highly regarded" slave. The elders appeal to Jesus is based on the Centurion's merits as he has treated the Israelites favorably, even building them a synagogue! And so Jesus goes with them. At first, it appears that Jesus decides to go heal the slave based on the Centurion's deeds- his treatment of the Israelites, but reading further it is not quite what it seems.
The Centurion sends a second envoy, his friends, to tell Jesus that He doesn't need to come to the house, even though He's not far off. Rather, the Centurion sees Jesus as analogous to himself- that both are of authority with servants to do as commanded by the master. Surely, Jesus could heal the slave without needing to physically come to the house. Now we see that the slave is healed not because of the goodness of the Centurion, but because of his great faith!
Jesus' response, in Luke 7:9, "I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith," reminds me of Luke 4:24-27 where His words turned a synagogue full of worshipers into a lynch mob. (See my previous post on Luke 4.) Here and in Luke 4, God sends a prophet to a Gentile!
The raising of a young man from the dead in Luke 7:11-17 is a segue way into Jesus' encounter with John's disciples.
Luke 7:18-23
The news of Jesus reaches his cousin, John the Baptist, and John sends two disciples to find out if Jesus is the "Expected One." Jesus responds quoting some Hebrew Scriptures- Isaiah 35:5 and 61:1. Remember that Isaiah 61:1 was part of Jesus' reading at the synagogue in Luke 4. Jesus answer to John is a clear affirmative. Essentially, Jesus is saying, "I am fulfilling the prophecies of the Messiah from the book of Isaiah," therefore He is the Expected One.
Luke 7:24-35
Jesus uses the encounter with John's disciples to highlight the problem of "this generation": they've utterly rejected John the Baptist and Jesus, both God's messengers. In a sense, God "can't win." John was a prophet that rejected all earthly things by living in the wilderness, yet he was rejected by the majority of the people. "He has a demon" they said. (Luke 7:33). Jesus on the other hand came "eating and drinking" (Luke 7:34) and the people accused him of being gluttonous and associating with sinners.
Luke 7:36-50
"Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him..." (Luke 7:36) Though it was the Pharisee who desired Jesus to dine with him, he showed none of the customary common courtesy afforded to a guest in their society and period. Jesus bluntly calls him out in Luke 7:45-46 -
45"You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet.Jesus drew a stark contrast between the Simon the Pharisee and the prostitute. Both were in the presence of the Jesus, yet each responded to Him differently. The Pharisee's intention of inviting Jesus over for dinner is in serious doubt. Why in the world did he invite Jesus if he were not going to treat Him as a guest? I believe the Pharisee merely wanted to expose Jesus to be a fraud. "If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner," he said in Luke 7:39. Yet, he acknowledges Jesus as Teacher in v40.46You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume."
Something to note is how Jesus addresses Simon in v40, "Simon, I have something to say to you." Jesus says Simon's name first, before making his statement. Contrast w/ Simon's response at the end of that verse, "Say it, Teacher." Simon doesn't address Jesus by name or title (Teacher) first. I wonder if this is a sign of disrespect? derision?
In his own home, Simon disrespects Jesus. In contrast, the prostitute, a sinner that is unwelcome in the home of a Pharisee, gives Jesus ultimate respect.
The key is in Luke 7:47-
"... her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little."This harkens back to the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, the 1st Beatitude-
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."The poor in spirit is the one who is forgiven much for they realize that in their utter moral and spiritual emptiness they must turn to God and love Him and hence inherit the kingdom of heaven. The supposedly "rich" in spirit is the one who is forgiven little and hence does not think he needs God at all, nor loves God.
This is classic gospel material! Who do you say Jesus is and how do you respond to Him? Our answer and our actions to this question determines our fate for all eternity!
Who do we identify with? The Centurion, a Gentile, believed in Jesus. The funeral procession believed in Jesus at the sign of His miracle. John the Baptist, Jesus' own cousin, sent disciples to confirm that Jesus was who they thought He was. Finally, there is Simon the Pharisee and then the prostitute- a supposed man of God who rejects the very incarnation of God, while the lowliest sinner recognizes her own sinfulness in His holy presence.
As I think about it, I find that I tend to be like Simon. I usually think that I can handle things on my own. A common indicator is my prayer life or lack thereof, or prayer struggles. Many times when faced with challenges at work, at home, or at church; or have major decisions to wrestle with- my wife will ask, "Have you prayed about it?" or "Have you asked God for help?" and sadly, my answer is more often "no" than "yes." Where I should realize that I am limited, while God is limitless, then I would go to Him 1st not last. Though I profess with my mouth and believe in my heart that He is my Lord and Savior, in day-to-day practice, I find that I think I can be the lord.
