Luke 7:36-50
WHY did Jesus come into the world?
To save people from hell.
But why did God say that people must go to hell?
Because everybody was bad.
Jesus can forgive people their badness, and make them good. But those whom Jesus forgives, He also makes them sorry for their sins. I will tell you about a proud man who was not sorry, and of a poor woman who was sorry.
A rich proud man asked Jesus to come and dine with him. Why did he ask Jesus? He did not love Him; he only asked Him so that he might hear Him talk. Yet Jesus said He would come.
The proud man did not treat Jesus very kindly. He gave Him no water to wash His feet, He put no nice-smelling ointment on them, he gave Jesus no kiss.
A poor woman, who had been very wicked, saw Jesus go into the rich man’s house. She came up behind Jesus and began to cry for all her sins. She knew Jesus could forgive her, and she loved Jesus.
She had brought a box of ointment with her. She stooped down and her tears fell upon Jesus’ feet, and with her tears she washed them. She wiped them with her long hair. Then she poured the nice ointment on them and kissed them.
The rich man looked at the woman very angrily; he knew she had been very wicked, and he was angry at seeing Jesus so kind to her.
But Jesus said to the proud man, ‘This woman has been very wicked, but I have forgiven her, and she loves Me very much. She loves Me a great deal more than you do. You gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears. You gave Me no kiss, but she has kissed My feet ever since I came in. You gave Me no ointment, but she has poured very sweet ointment upon My feet.’
Then Jesus spoke kindly to the woman, and said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you.’ So Jesus comforted this poor woman, but the proud man and his friends grew still more angry.
Jesus will forgive your sins if you if you ask Him; but if you think yourself good, He will not forgive you. Jesus cannot bear proud people. Though you are only a little child, you have done many wrong things; and you do not deserve to go to heaven. Oh, I hope Jesus will forgive you! I hope the Holy Spirit will come into your heart and make you feel very sorry for your sins. Then you will love Him, as this poor woman did.
O tell me who is standing there
With weeping eyes and flowing hair,
And box of ointment sweet.
Now on the ground she’s bending low;
Her tears yet fast and faster flow;
They fall on Jesus’ feet.
To her dear Lord such love she bears,
His feet she washes with her tears,
And wipes them with her hair;
And then, with pious tenderness,
Fond kisses ceases not to press,
And pours the ointment rare.
Ah she, whose love is now so strong,
Has wandered far, has wandered long,
And from her God has gone!
But now with willing feet returns,
And now with deepest sorrow mourns
The deeds that she has done.
And will the Lord in pity look,
And blot her crimes out from His book,
And words of comfort say?
Ah yes; even now He pardon gives,
Even now the weeping sinner lives,
And wipes her tears away.
And would the Lord thus deal with me,
If I should humbly bow my knee,
And all my sins confess?
For though I’m young I’ve wandered far,
My sins, I know, most hateful are
Unto God’s holiness.
But if the Lord one mourner heard,
And sweetly spake the pardoning word,
Why should He not hear me?
He once was kind; (I well know this),
And what He was, He always is,
And evermore will be.
Questions
How did the rich man behave to Jesus, after he asked Him to dine with him?
What did the wicked woman do to Jesus?
Why did she love Jesus so very much?
Why did Jesus forgive her all her sin?
Can Jesus forgive your sin?
God is merciful:
A verse from the Bible for you to learn:
Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee. Psa. 86:5.