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Luke's Gospel: Lavish Love: The Response of the Forgiven - Luke 7:36-50

Sep 13, 2026    Pastor Jason Dirks

What does it look like to truly encounter Jesus? In Luke 7:36-50, we find two people sitting at the same dinner table with very different hearts. One is a respected religious leader who has organized the entire evening, yet approaches Jesus with a critical, evaluating eye. The other is a woman the whole town knows as a sinner, uninvited and unwelcome, who crashes the party for one reason alone: to express her love to the one who has forgiven her. The contrast is striking. The religious man, confident in his own moral standing, uses the occasion to judge whether Jesus measures up to his expectations. The woman, fully aware of the depth of her sin, is so overwhelmed by Christ's grace that she weeps at his feet, wipes them with her hair, and pours out expensive ointment without hesitation. The spiritual lesson here cuts deep. It is not the person with the cleanest record who loves Jesus most. It is the one who most clearly sees both the weight of their own sin and the surpassing greatness of Christ's forgiveness. The parable Jesus tells makes the point plain: neither debtor could pay, but the one forgiven the greater debt loves the more. The invitation for us is to honestly reckon with our own sin not to drown in shame, but to let that honest reckoning drive us into the arms of a Savior whose grace is greater still. When we see both truths clearly, the result is not guilt but lavish, joyful love.