THE GOSPELS: LESSON 35:

SINFUL CITIES AND A SINFUL WOMAN

TEXT: MATTHEW 11: 20 - 30 AND LUKE 7: 36 - 50

MATTHEW 11: 20 - 30. WOES ON THE SINFUL CITIES OF GALILEE.

Verse 20: “Then he began to upbraid the cities where most of his mighty works had been done . . .”

Figure 1 Area of Galilee where Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum were located.

Why did he upbraid these cities specifically? Because they had seen miracles performed by him and yet they had not repented.

Verses 21, 22: First two cities mentioned: Chorazin and Bethsaida. They are compared to Tyre and Sidon, which were both very worldly and wicked pagan cities on the coast. This hyperbole is to be understood as saying that even though Chorazin and Bethsaida styled themselves as good Jewish towns, they were no better than the wicked Gentile cities. Bethsaida was the home of Peter and Andrew. No specific mention is made of Chorazin in the Gospels except for this passage and its parallel passagein Luke 10.

Verses 23, 24: The city of Capernaum is compared to Sodom, the most wicked city of the Old Testament. (See Gen 13: 10 - 13 and Gen. 18: 20 - 33 and Gen. 19.) Most of the miracles of Jesus recorded in the first part of the gospels were done in or near Capernaum. More than any city they had seen the glory of God exhibited through Jesus. As such, the people of Capernaum were without excuse.

Verses 25, 26: A little prayer. Why was it the will of God to reveal his will to “babes” and hide it from the wise? Who are the wise ones mentioned here? Who are the babes? The “babes” (the common people) yearned for God’s true word and the freedom it could bring. The “wise ones” (the scribes and Pharisees) did not want to hear the gospel because they wanted things to remajust the way they were.

Verse 27: Can any man know God without knowing Jesus? Why or why not?

Verse 28 - 30: Three of the best known verses in the new Testament. What does Jesus mean when he says, “Come to me?” (See John 6: 35) With what are the people burdened? What is the “rest” Jesus promises? (Look at Jer. 6: 16.) What are Jesus’ yoke and burden? Contrast this burden (verse 30) with the one in verse 28.

Luke 7: 36 - 50. A sinful woman anoints Jesus’ feet.

Verse 36: Who was this Pharisee? (Look in verse 40.) The phrase “sat down to meat” used in the King James Version is a modern English phrase, not a Jewish one. The word translated meat means “edibles” (food). They did not sit down in chairs to eat, but rather, reclined in a half-sitting, half-lying posture propped up on pillows. The food was set upon a mat upon the floor, or a very low wooden platform (table). The principle meal of the day was in the evening. Like the Egyptians, Jews normally ate a smaller meal at noon.

Verses 37, 38: Literally, a woman who was in town who was a sinful person. The woman mentioned here is NOT Mary Magdalene, who is first mentioned in Luke 8. Jesus also had his feet anointed with oil by Mary, Lazarus’ sister (John 12), but this woman is not that Mary, either. In Matthew 26 and Mark 14, Jesus is anointed with oil on his head in the home of Simon the leper. This incident in Luke 7 is NOT at Simon the Leper’s house, for that was at Bethany, not here in Galilee somewhere.

          The word sinner here is used in the sense of a “vile” sinner and is most likely a euphemism for a common street whore. Hence the Pharisee’s repugnance at her. She had a small bottle of alabaster, a white stone, filled with “ointment,” which was a perfume made of oil of myrrh. It’s odor is similar to camphor.

          Notice that the woman stood “at his feet.” That was the position of a waiting servant. She washed his feet with her tears, dried them with her long hair, and then anointed his feet with the ointment. Why did she weep? The common custom of the day was for the master of the house, when he arrived home, to wash and dry his feet (usually by a servant) and then anoint them with oil. This woman also kissed Jesus’ feet, a sign of complete submission.

Verse 39: “This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.” So the Pharisee reasoned to himself. No righteous man, let alone a prophet, would ever touch or be touched by a common prostitute. They were lower than a Gentile, for they often serviced the hated Romans as well as other Jews.

Verse 40: Jesus knew what Simon was thinking! And because of that knowledge, Jesus had something to teach Simon. Even though Simon was a Pharisee, he is not one of the ones who hated Jesus. He talks with deference to Jesus and calls him “Doctor” (master teacher). This was the same title given to the scribes, the “Doctors of the Law.”

Verses 41, 42: A parable about forgiveness. Who is the creditor in this parable? What is the debt they owe? The denarius (pence in the KJV) was a silver coin equal to a day’s wages for a common laborer.

Verse 43: Who will love more? The one who is forgiven more.

Verses 44 - 46: Simon had neglected his duties as a good host. The woman had done them. The kiss was a sign of honor or civility given among friends. The Jews had a saying that “all kisses are foolish except three: the kiss of dignity (honor) (as in I Sam. 10: 1), the kiss of parting (as in Ruth 1: 14), and the kiss of meeting (as in Ex. 4: 27). The kiss that Simon did not give was the kiss of meeting. The kiss given by the woman was the kiss of honor. These types of kisses were never given on the mouth, but usually on the forehead or hand. [There was a fourth type of kiss, the kiss of consanguinity (as in Son of Solomon 1: 2). Many Jews saw that as being a type of foolish kiss.]

Verse 47: Simon does not have much love for Jesus, apparently.

Verses 48, 49: “Your sins are forgiven.” Remember, as stated MANY times during Jesus life, “. . . the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins. . .” (Matt. 9: 6) This power continued to be exercised even until his crucifixion, when Jesus turned to the thief and said “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23: 43)

          This statement caused the other Pharisees at the dinner to grumble against Jesus, even as it had done in Matthew 9 when he healed the man with palsy.

Verse 50: "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." Jesus attributed many miracles to the faith of the recipients of the miracles. That is only natural, for “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Heb 11: 6)

“. . . go in peace.” This “peace” is the “rest” spoken of in Matthew 11. As Gill comments, this “peace” means, “[peace] of conscience, and serenity of mind; let nothing disturb thee; not the remembrance of past sins, which are all forgiven, nor the suggestions of Satan, who may, at one time or another, present them to view; nor the troubles and afflictions of this present life; which are all in love; nor the reproaches and censures of men of a "pharisaic" spirit: go home to thy house, and about thy business, and cheerfully perform thy duty both to God and men.”

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