The Kiss Of A Prostitute Series

Immediately, a motion was made and unanimously approved that the woman be accepted into membership in the congregation.

(Larry R. Kalajainen, “Extraordinary Faith For Ordinary Time”, CSS Publishing Company, Inc, 1994.)

Jesus told Simon: “I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven— for she loved much.” Luke 7:47

How can we know that she loved much?

Because she when she kissed Jesus’ feet, she got down on her knees. She knelt before Jesus – (kissed feet) because He was righteous… she wasn’t. She LOVED JESUS.

But, of course, Simon didn’t.

That’s what Simon revealed when he refused to kiss Jesus.

There are people like that today. They don’t want to kiss Jesus. He’s not important to them.

And there are others who are willing to kiss Jesus… but they do so as if He were an equal. Not as their God, but as an acquaintance who they can listen to if they like, but ignore if they choose.

But then there are those who kiss Jesus in the way this sinful woman did. They know they’ve sinned and fallen short. And they realize the only proper way to approach Christ is to kneel before Him and give Him the love He deserves because He has forgiven so much.

But Simon didn’t love Jesus because he really didn’t think he needed a Savior. Simon just loved himself. He was wrapped up in his own SELF-righteousness. And he had little room to love anyone other than himself. He couldn’t really even love God.

I John 4:7-8 tells us “love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”

Without a love and compassion for others, Simon neither understood nor loved the real God of his people.

VII. When Simon the Pharisee looked on this woman, all he saw was a prostitute.

She was a streetwalker. A gaudy, pitiful excuse for a woman. That’s all she was – all she’d ever be, and she was never going to change. When Simon looked on her in his house, all he saw was a prostitute.

ILLUS: Tony Campolo once wrote of a college class he once taught where one of his Jewish students commented that, "Jesus never met a prostitute.

I jumped at the opening; here was my chance, I thought. I could show this guy a thing or two about Jesus and about the New Testament.

"Yes, He did," I responded. "I’ll show you in my Bible where-"

The young man interrupted. "You didn’t hear me, Dr. I said Jesus never met a prostitute."

Once again I protested. Once again I reached for my New Testament.

I started to leaf through the pages of my Bible searching for passages which showed Jesus forgiving the "fallen woman."

I searched for the place where He gave the woman at the well a chance for spiritual renewal.

Once again, my Jewish student spoke out, this time with a touch of anger in his raised voice. "You’re not listening to me, Doctor. You aren’t listening to what I am saying. I am saying that Jesus never met a prostitute. Do you think that when he looked at Mary Magdalene he saw a prostitute? Do you think he saw whores when he looked at women like her? Doctor, listen to me! Jesus never met a prostitute!"

(Tony Campolo "Who Changed The Price Tags?")