Afterwords -- your faith
"And he said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'" (Luke 7:50 ESV)
April 25, 2024
Dear friends,
In our Bible study lunch group this week we read the last portion of Luke chapter 7 (verses 36-50), which is the story of Jesus, a Pharisee named Simon, and a woman of ill-repute at a dinner gathering. The extravagant display of gratitude and devotion by this woman -- perhaps Mary Magdalene, though she's not named here -- introduces a parable from Jesus on the topic of forgiveness.
Jesus attends a dinner at the home of Simon, whom he addresses by name. This seems remarkable to me because we tend to think of Pharisees as merely a category of unnamed bad guys. This Pharisee had a name, and Jesus spoke to him in a personal way. Simon calls Jesus, "Teacher", which shows some level of respect. So, Jesus not only ate with sinners, but he also dined with Pharisees. Pharisees are not beyond hope -- after all, the Apostle Paul was once a Pharisee!
Simon was courteous, but not very warm and receptive. The woman who has joined the dinner party, along with other guests and onlookers, was publicly known for her immoral lifestyle. But it's her amazing love for Christ that becomes the central feature of this story. With expensive ointment, along with her own tears, she lavishes her love in humility upon Jesus' feet. This becomes the occasion for a short parable from Jesus, "A certain moneylender has two debtors..."
The point he made was clear: the greater understanding you have of being forgiven, the more you will love the One who forgives you.
Then Jesus speaks these stunning words to the woman: "Your sins are forgiven... Your faith has saved you; go in peace." Put yourself in her place and think how she felt the wonder of those words spoken to her by the Lord Jesus himself!
Luke reports in his gospel that at least four times Jesus said to individuals who came to him, "your faith has saved [or, healed] you." (Gr. ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε) The Greek word σῴζω (sōzō), can mean to save, rescue, or deliver; to heal or make well; or to preserve from ruin. How it's translated depends upon the context. It can refer to physical deliverance, as in healing, or to eternal salvation, as in forgiveness of sins. The perfect active tense of the verb (σέσωκέν) indicates that the saving event has already happened, and with lasting effect. And the pronoun for "you" is singular, being addressed to one individual. The saving (or healing) that we see in each of these four cases is from sin (7:50), from chronic bleeding (8:48), from leprosy (17:19), and from blindness (18:42). All of these healings ultimately point to the healing of eternal salvation, and to the assurance that a believer can have.
This woman is forgiven (saved) because of her faith. Her love was the fruit and evidence of her salvation, not the cause of it. She loves because she's forgiven, not vice versa. The order is important. And there is no contradiction between Jesus' view of forgiveness here, "your faith has saved you", and the Apostle Paul's explanation in Romans, "And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness..." (Rom 4:5) (To read more about Jesus' teaching on faith in this gospel, see Luke 5:20, 31-32; 7:9; 8:25; 12:28; 17:6; 18:8, 17; 22:32.)
Another thing to observe from this story is that her faith was not a generic faith in faith itself, but was very particular and personal -- she trusted and loved this Man, this Savior, whose feet she was anointing. She likely did not know a lot of theology, however. She probably didn’t understand (as the disciples didn't at this time, either) the dual natures of Christ, or that salvation would necessitate that Jesus die sacrificially upon the cross. What she understood was her own desperate need, and that Jesus had authority to fully and freely forgive her.
Finally, we should realize that these wonderful words are spoken also to all of us who have come to Christ to receive forgiveness and new life. The assurance we have from Jesus that our sins are forgiven (fully and freely) becomes the foundation upon which we build a loving, joyful Christian life. As J. C. Ryle writes,
"Forever let the mighty principle laid down by our Lord in this passage, abide in our memories, and sink down into our hearts. It is one of the great cornerstones of the whole Gospel. It is one of the master-keys to unlock the secrets of the kingdom of God. The only way to make men holy, is to teach and preach free and full forgiveness through Jesus Christ. The secret of being holy ourselves, is to know and feel that Christ has pardoned our sins. Peace with God is the only root that will bear the fruit of holiness. Forgiveness must go before sanctification. We shall do nothing till we are reconciled to God. This is the first step in religion. We must work from life, and not for life. Our best works before we are justified are little better than splendid sins. We must live by faith in the Son of God, and then, and not till then, we shall walk in His ways. The heart which has experienced the pardoning love of Christ, is the heart which loves Christ, and strives to glorify Him." (J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Luke, Volume 1)
IN OTHER READING.
-- "Modernity has shunted religion and the supernatural to the margins, at the cost of stripping the world of its mystery. ...To mock religion is in effect to mock the understanding of God and humanity that religion represents." (Carl Trueman) Read "The Desecration of Man," 2024 Erasmus Lecture.
-- "If government officials operate such an unjust system and as a result an innocent man or woman is wrongly convicted, then those officials are themselves at moral fault. That wicked act by the authorities must, as a matter of justice and love for those victimized by them, be punished." Read "What Happens When the Governing Authorities Are the Wrongdoers?"
-- John Silber was a university president "willing both to ensure campus safety and to engage, unapologetically, as a public intellectual."
-- "If the big question isn’t whether God cares, then maybe the real question, one that is more practical to us all, is, will I recognize God’s care when it comes?" (Paul Tripp)
-- Nigeria is one of the most dangerous nations for Christians to live in. Global Christian Relief will send you monthly updates about our persecuted brethren for prayer. Open Doors is another good resource for information and giving.
-- "There are no V.I.P.s at the foot of the cross." Excellent sermon by Jim Krouscas on Christian unity.
FINAL QUOTE.
"The heart which has experienced the pardoning love of Christ, is the heart which loves Christ, and strives to glorify Him." (J. C. Ryle)
That's it for this week!
Sandy
Image credit. Painting above by Frank Wesley (1923-2002), "Mary Magdalene Washing the Feet of Jesus", from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. Original source: Estate of Frank Wesley, who was born in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh into a fifth-generation Christian family of Hindu and Muslim descent. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.