Do you know how much you need Jesus?

Audio version of sermon

Luke 7:36-8:3

I was speaking with a friend of mine this last week and he was telling me about a book that he had read that looks at the difference between sin and evil.  The book is “People of the Lie”.  The author is Dr. M. Scott Peck, a psychiatrist and dedicated Christian who also wrote the book “The road less traveled”.

In the book of the “People of the Lie”, Dr. Peck does not say that sin in its self is what separates those that are evil and those that are not.  If it was sin as being the separator, then we would all be evil.  As it says in 1 John, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves…”  It is the evil person that fails to acknowledge any fault in their own character.  They also take this a step further and blame others for their own issues.

This week I also received an email with a quote defining narcissism, it said “Self-absorption in all its forms kills empathy, let alone compassion. When we focus on ourselves, our world contracts as our problems and preoccupations loom large. But when we focus on others, our world expands. Our own problems drift to the periphery of the mind and so seem smaller, and we increase our capacity for connection–or compassionate action.” ~Daniel Goleman

When Hitler blamed the Jews for the German’s poor economy and numerous other things, he looked towards other’s to put blame on them vs. looking at himself or the larger picture for answers.  When the Taliban and its leaders lay blame on western countries and their allies for the reason that they must attack, it amounts to the someone saying that they got angry because another person made them that way. [1] Really?  Never knew that we had strings actually attached to us and there were other people controlling us……did ya?!  How about the abusive spouse who hits their wife or husband and lays blame not on himself or herself but on the other person?  Yea, someone really deserves to be beat up because they did not make dinner, looked at someone wrong or whatever excuse you want to attach!

We have choices of how to act towards ourselves, others and towards God. “Dr. Peck says 99% of the evil done in the world is carried out by those who are convinced they are absolutely right most if not all the time. Make every attempt to delude themselves to believe that they are right all of the time. No thought about what they did wrong, because they are right.”[2]

The examples I gave are to the extreme but they are also examples of what happens when these people are left unchecked.  It can start with narcissism and end up solely focused upon what others are and do in relationship to how the other person acts.  If I were to never look inward I would never see the reason why some bad things happen to me. It is not to say that all are the issues are within my control but always how I react to the situation is.  Sometimes things are out of our control but often what happens is because of something that we have done or failed to do.  Not as punishment from God but the natural consequences of our actions.

The text today is told in all four gospels.  In Luke’s telling, he expands much beyond the issue of the oil and its expense.  There is another expense that is brought out beyond the obvious.  We do not know the reasons that the Pharisee Simon asked Jesus to eat with him.  However, we can infer that Simon did not see Jesus as the Christ.  In no way shape or form does he see Jesus as God.  Think about for a minute, if you had God at your table, would you even begin to think that God could not read your thoughts?  Don’t you think you might be just a bit more careful about insulting God, even in your thoughts?   But not Simon, he seems a bit narcissistic if you ask me.  He insults Jesus in his thoughts, like Jesus would not ever know what Simon was thinking.  Not only does he NOT see Jesus as God but not even as a prophet of God.  If this was not bad enough, he is comparing himself against in all reality, with the woman that anoints Jesus, “…for she is a sinner.”  Like he is NOT?!  But then of course it is easier to look at the faults of others then take a look at yourself.  Find others that are “worse” than you to build yourself up.  Simon has not taken just a couple of steps down the road to evil, but as a Pharisee, who are more concerned about the strict adherence to the law, he has gone further away from God rather than get closer.  It is about the law now and this woman, this sinner, is a law breaker, a sinner and why would anyone want to be touched by her, be in her presence let alone let her anoint you and wipe your feet with her hair!  Simon cannot see past another’s sin to examine his own character, his own sin and therefore is blind to what is happening not only right in front of him but to himself.

Jesus tells a parable to Simon.  Although this parable centers around money, we can see it really has nothing to do with money but everything to do with sin, how God looks at sin and what God does for the sinner.  This woman, a sinner can see Jesus for who Jesus is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She humbles herself, in her acts of contrition, she acknowledges who Jesus is and her repentance of weeping, she kisses the feet of the living God incarnate and wipes them with her own hair.  She is humble, she is sinful and although we do not know what is in her heart, Jesus does and forgives her of her sins, tells her that her faith has healed her and that she could leave in peace.  WOW!!!

Simon, now that is another story altogether.  Jesus tells a parable to Simon but one that requires Simon to answer a question.  The question you see is not about money but about sin and who is more grateful of the forgiven sins.  Someone who knows they have sin or someone who thinks they have not sinned?  Now comes the harsh reality that Jesus dishes out for Simon.  Simon, you gave no water for my feet yet this woman wets them with her own tears and wipes them with her hair.  Can you just feel that cut deep inside?  You gave me no kiss but she has not ceased in kissing my feet.  Boy oh boy, Jesus is really letting Simon know where he stands.  Not a kiss to my head, my hand, nothing, yet the woman, someone you say is a sinner kisses my feet.  You did not anoint my head with oil but she has anointed my feet!  If it were not enough to point out the self righteousness of Simon, the narcissistic treatment by Simon towards Jesus, Jesus then tells the woman, that sinner the breaker of the law, that her sins are forgiven, her faith has healed her and then the Son of God, the Christ Himself, sends her off in peace, yes, the peace of God!

Simon the Pharisee did not need Jesus or at least he did not believe he needed Jesus.  Why should he, he followed the law down to the strictest detail.  He was better than others and could do this on his own.  Come on now, he was a sinner too.  Just he would not dare acknowledge that.  Will we acknowledge our sinfulness?  It would make him like the woman, a sinner.  It would make us like the woman.   He dare not acknowledge that, he needs help from God.  He dare not acknowledge that, he dare not look deep inside himself and realize that he cannot be anything but be a sinner and needs Jesus to forgive his sins. Do you need Jesus? Do I need Jesus?  Does humanity need Jesus?

We don’t know if the woman did more than acknowledge her sins in how she treated Jesus.  We cannot know if she was repentant.  We can see that Jesus tells her that she is saved.  Repentance, true repentance will acknowledge the sin, lead away from evil, will look to God for help.  Acknowledging our weakness and the need for Jesus, will keep us from being evil.  We cannot and should not be apart of cheap grace, where we accept the forgiveness but we are not truly repentant.  We cannot do this on our own…….ever.  God is not for us when it is convenient for us.  God is not for us when our spouse needs God and then we will.  God is not for when my son or daughter needs God and then I will need God.  We all need Jesus all the time.  Going to church, being in community, acknowledging God in the presence of others, worshiping God in the presence of others, acknowledging our sin and the need for Christ Jesus, all of these things are not for later but for now, ……..now before it is to late.  To late to turn from the little evils that turn into bigger evils and lead us down, not a path of forgiveness and salvation but one that rejects Jesus, rejects what the Holy Spirit does daily and rejects God the almighty creator.