The Touch of Grace
The Parables of Jesus
The Parables of Jesus #11: an exposition of Luke 7:36-50. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, June 21, 2015.
Intro:
It is the mark of a great book or movie. You figure it all out early in the story. You know who did it and you know why they did it. You are putting all the pieces together as the story unfolds. You are feeling smug and confident as the story reaches it’s climax – then it happens. Your suspect dies. It wasn’t him after all. But wait, how can that be? The ending shocks you. You are amazed and yet now it all makes sense. “Of course!” Why couldn’t you see that before? It is the last thing you would have ever suspected and yet it is the only way that makes sense. You were caught completely off guard. The storyteller exploited your bias and made his point.
Luke the physician and traveling companion of the apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, took events, teachings and encounters from the life and ministry of Jesus and wove them together in a fascinating tale for his friend Theophilus. His purpose in writing was to demonstrate that Jesus was indeed the Messiah of the Jews and the Savor of the world. His goal was to bring his friend to faith in Jesus as the Christ. Luke, with the skill of an artist and the depth of a master storyteller, creates a powerful account of the life of Jesus.
In the seventh chapter of Luke’s Gospel we find the account of a dinner party. This was no ordinary dinner party. Especially when you consider it took place in the home of a Pharisee. Here a Pharisee was entertaining a rebel rousing itinerate preacher and in walks the town prostitute! It makes for an interesting evening and more importantly; it reveals a profound truth.
Text: Luke 7:36-50
The story is simple.
In fact its simplicity is the secret to its beauty.
Luke, through an economy of words, tells a powerful story.
Two different people.
Two very different lifestyles.
One extremely religious the other a notorious sinner.
Both were exposed to the teaching ministry of Jesus.
And as you might expect – there were two different responses.
One was gloriously transformed.
The other was hardened in their sin and driven further from salvation.
But which was which? That is the surprising part.
Let’s look at our text.
Their story is central to Luke’s purpose.
For from his account we learn that:
The sovereign touch of grace radically transforms the most ardent sinner.
And we are reminded of its parallel truth:
Apart from the sovereign touch of grace the most righteous person is held captive by his own self-righteousness.
This passage is about the heart of the Gospel – for it is about grace.
God’s unmerited favor. God granting to us what we do not deserve.
In fact it is more than that – it is granting us life and hope and peace when we are deserving of the exact opposite!
And that is precisely what Simon and his fellow religious leaders could not see. They failed to grasp the heart of His message. They couldn’t get past their rules to see His grace. Their problem was they didn’t understand the depth of their own sin – they were unaware of their own depravity. Oh, they knew God was Holy. They knew they were not holy. They understood the need for ritual cleansing and sacrifice – but they were so caught up in the symbolism they failed to understand the substance. Ritual they understood. Rules they obeyed. It is the reality of their predicament they failed to recognize. Keep that in mind as we watch the evening unfold.
Let’s examine first the life of Simon as we discover:
- The heart untouched by grace is filled with arrogance and contempt.
- The heart touched by the grace of God overflows with love and devotion.
Conclusion:
This woman, in contrast to Simon, saw only her great need, and therefore was overwhelmed with love for him who could supply her need. And this is in evidence that she knows forgiveness.
Jesus sought to drive the point home to Simon by telling this parable 7:41-43.
Simon patronizingly answered Jesus’ questions – but he failed to understand its message.
The sovereign touch of grace radically transforms the most ardent sinner.
This text serves as a solemn warning and a wonderful promise.
Self-righteousness hardens the heart and drives you away from God’s only provision.
A deep awareness of sin and genuine repentance enables forgiveness and life.