I have been saved for a total of 3 decades now. Three whole decades! That’s chump change compared to some of the leaders in the faith that I seek wisdom from. But over these years, I’ve been witness to many responses to salvation once time has passed.
Typically, there is a thrill in the beginning with lots of heart transformation. God is good! Yet, after some time, I see many Christians become burnt out, jaded, or even judgmental towards believers who are still growing. I want to encourage us today to stay joyful, hopeful, and fight against self-righteousness. Our righteousness and purity come from above! Here’s a story that teaches us just that!
The account in Luke 7:36-50 depicts a powerful contrast between two very different responses to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. On one side, we have Simon the Pharisee, whose self-righteous attitude and judgmental heart prevented him from fully grasping the transformative work of the Messiah. On the other, we see a sinful woman whose lavish worship flowed from a deep understanding of her own unworthiness and Jesus’ unbounded mercy.
Simon’s response to Jesus’ presence in his home was steeped in self-righteousness. As a Pharisee, he would have prided himself on meticulously upholding the letter of the law – the rituals, purity codes, and other external religious obligations. Yet when the “woman of the city, who was a sinner” arrived and began ministering to Jesus, Simon’s first instinct was to judge her. He questioned whether Jesus could truly be a prophet if He allowed such a person to touch Him.
Simon’s judgmental heart reveals a fundamental misunderstanding. In the church, we are indeed called to assess one another’s fruit and encourage growth. But there is a critical difference between righteous judgment rooted in love and the sort of disdainful condemnation Simon displayed. The former is motivated by a desire to spur one another on toward holiness. The latter springs from a self-important posture that places our own perfection above the need for grace. Simon, in his arrogance, had lost sight of the fact that it is Jesus – not our own performance – that makes us worthy.
The sinful woman, in stark contrast, demonstrated a posture of profound humility and gratitude. She approached Jesus, weeping, anointing his feet with costly perfume and drying them with her hair. Her lavish worship stemmed not from an inflated sense of her own value, but from a deep understanding of her salvation. She recognized her unworthiness, and her adoration flowed from a heart that was been transformed by the gift of forgiveness.
This woman’s response reminds us that true worship is not about putting on a spiritual display to bolster our own ego or impress others. Rather, it is a costly, vulnerable yielding of ourselves to the One who has redeemed us. And it is this sort of wholehearted devotion, not rigid rule-keeping, that captures the heart of God.
Jesus’s response to Simon teaches us that Jesus not only has the power to KNOW our hearts, but He also has the power to forgive our sins. I so appreciate Jesus’ command to the woman at the end of the story “Now go in peace.” There is a “charge” nature to this request. She could go in joy or she could go in grace, but she was commanded to go in peace. This peace comes from knowing God and living for Him. Those two things transform our lives!
Ultimately, this passage challenges us to examine our own hearts. Where do we find ourselves in this story? Are we more like Simon, trusting in our own righteousness, or like the forgiven woman, overwhelmed by the costly grace we have received? Do we approach Jesus with an expectation that He should honor us, or do we come acknowledging our brokenness and fully embracing the peace He offers?
The woman’s story reminds us that the gift of salvation is not about earning God’s favor, but about surrendering to His love. It is about recognizing that true worth is found not in our own merits, but in the One who declares us worthy. And it is about responding to that truth with a worship that is both lavish and life-transforming. It is responding to that forgiveness, and the One who did the forgiving, that helps us obey God’s request to go in peace.
Candace Cortez is Executive Pastor at Koinonia Church in Hanford, CA. She can be reached at candace@kchanford.com or 559-582-1528.