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Luke 7:38 “and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.”

   Of course to us today the washing of feet is an activity that we don’t give a second though. But in that time it was an important part of regular life. The road conditions were not good and people did not always wear closed shoes. However, the washing of a person’s feet was a demeaning activity. It was something you would relegate to the lowest servants, or allow for persons to wash their own feet. For the head of the house to serve by washing a guests feet would signify that the guest was highly honored.
   This lady stood behind Jesus, but Jesus was reclining at table. Unlike our tables were you sit and face the table, this table was much closer to the ground and you laid alongside it. This helps explain how the woman could stand ‘behind’ the Lord and yet wash His feet.
   The woman’s tears are likely here mentioned only because Jesus mentions them a bit later. That it was her plan all along to wash His feet by way of tears is uncertain, but seems unlikely. Of course this may have been a case where Jesus’ feet were not really super dirty. Sometimes water would be offered to wash feet as a courtesy, rather than a necessity. In any case, this activity shows the woman’s desire to honor the Lord as a very significant person.

   Heavenly Father, humility before You is what we so often lack. I do not humble myself as I should. Oh forgive me! How can we ever honor You enough? Jesus is the King of all kings. He is worthy of any and all honors and services that I can possibly render. I will praise Him for all time! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 7:37 “And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil,”

   Several things are not clear here. In Matthew and Mark the Pharisee is referred to as Simon the leper. However, it is also possible that this is a different Simon. Also, the woman here is identified as a sinner, and elsewhere she is not directly called that but it is implied by the Lord. And, what is meant by her being a ‘sinner’ is not expressly stated, though it is implied that she was a harlot. It is also unclear as to if this woman was invited. Likely she was not invited, but she was also not turned away, so Simon may have been glad to have her to see what Jesus might say or do with her present.
   We must keep in mind that even in Luke, who is a stickler for details, the gospels are historical narratives. They are almost novels. The authors write for a point and drive their narratives to it. So, being able always to correlate everyone and everything with what we find in the other gospels is not extremely vital. The fact is that we know little enough about some events that they could either all be the same event, or separate events entirely.

   Heavenly Father, may I always come to You. That is the hallmark of a life that is lived for You. To come to You because You are present. As Your child through Christ You may be approached by me. Ever shall I come! You alone have all that I need. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 7:36 ” Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat.”

   This is just a great irony. Evidently either this Pharisee had not heard the forgoing discourse of Christ, or he thought himself different from the rest. In any case, though he obviously didn’t have a problem with Jesus eating and drinking, the following verses will show he was no less mistaken about the Lord than many of his fellows.

   Heavenly Father, You are amazing! Your creation is so vast and complex and yet You know about every little thing. You have it all recorded, You know about each and every thing. You are so powerful, and yet so very, very good. There is nothing to compare to You, and that is Your uniqueness. All else might find a comparison in other things or persons, but You are in a class all Your own. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 7:35 “But wisdom is justified by all her children.”

    It’s a lot of fun sometimes to take sayings in the Bible and other older literature and put a newer spin on them. Jesus was here likely using a ‘figure of speech’, though not a really crazy one as it is fairly direct. The meaning is readily apparent, and I would maybe say ‘the proof is in the pudding’ as a good substitute. No matter how you choose to say it, Jesus is really being pretty loud with the Jewish leaders here. They couldn’t help but get the force of His words. They were not children of wisdom, and Jesus and John were.
   Jesus loved to say things in a slightly indirect way and make His hearers think about what He actually meant. But, this doesn’t mean Jesus wasn’t bold. He didn’t hide behind the way He said things. This passage about John and Himself is a perfect example of that. If He needed to, He could excoriate, upbraid, and instruct in a very direct manner. And the leadership of the Jews was often the brunt of that.
   Why though? Doesn’t it seem that the Lord in His earthly ministry was harder on the religious elite than on the ‘sinners’ that He ministered to? Well, don’t we find that case throughout Scripture? Those who have the truth and disobey anyway are always by the Lord judged by a higher standard. And this is so because the Lord holds His ministers accountable. The message of the gospel is a precious thing, and the ministry is holy. The Lord will not allow His people to fall into disrepair, but will keep them in good shape.

   Heavenly Father, thank You for reaching out to humanity. If You had chosen to shun us, what hope could we have? If You had decided not to save us, we would be no more. Without You we are nothing. Quite literally our very existence is dependent upon You, as are all things. Many dislike the idea of You being the Master and us being Your slaves, but really that is just imagery in and of itself. The reality goes much farther. We are beings completely at Your pleasure. You not only own us, but it is by Your power that we live, move, and have our being. We cannot be apart from You allowing us to be. We are no more than expressions of Your delight and activity, for You are All in All. Only You may say when asked Your identity, “I AM” – the rest of us are just ‘I am at His pleasure’ in that we cannot be of ourselves. I love You dear Father, may I live this life to help humanity understand You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 7:34 “”The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say,`Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!”

   Jesus was not like John in that He did not approach from the wilderness with a strange look and unique habits. He was instead much like most people. That he ate and drank does not mean that these activities were done to excess as the Jewish leaders reported. It simply means Jesus would go if invited to a meal. And, He would go if invited even if it meant some who were ‘sinners’ would be present. So, John tended to call the sinners out to him, and Jesus tended to seek after and go to where they were. Both are acceptable means and have the same goal in mind.
   But, seeing Jesus’ method the religious elite thought Him an awful example. How dare He be friendly to sinners! How many sinners have rejoiced over the course of history that Jesus indeed is the friend of sinners? Would the mass of humanity have responded to the message if the Spirit of God was not altogether for the idea of ‘seeking to save’ the lost, as Jesus put it? No. Indeed, the reason even John’s method worked so well was due to his audience. He was calling to those who already knew the truth, and knew that a prophet such as himself must surely come. When speaking to a nation or people that are saturated with the truth, calling out from the wilderness is a good method. But Jesus knew He would be rejected by the nation and thus came with a different approach. This is one of the reasons why He waited to start His ministry, John was making the call clear. Once that was done, Jesus came to seek out and find those needing the Physician.

   Heavenly Father, I will praise You for Your great love! In Your Son You have given us the very expression of what love is. We know and understand it only by Him. Without Him we would live thinking we love, but knowing not that we know not love. How can we live without Him? He is to my heart more needful that daily bread or air, and He alone can answer for the existence of my soul. Jesus is the only One that can make life worth living. Father, I hope to ever live for Him Who died for me! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 7:33 “”For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say,`He has a demon.”

   John was the wild-eyed prophet type. He had no concern for people’s considerations of what was socially acceptable. As Elijah of old, he could stand before kings only because he was so outlandish and unique that he could and would stand before anyone. Bold as a lion and brash as a parakeet, John was well equipped for the large task that God had assigned to him.
   But, the Jewish leaders had a heyday with thus uncouth messenger. It was just too easy to show how different he was, and different had to be bad, right? They accused him of everything in the book except being a pretty boy. They thought they were so smart, but were condemning themselves all along. Careful, so careful, we must be when we say anything about the ministers of the Lord. It should never be done quickly, or lightly.

   Heavenly Father, thank You for the message of the gospel. It is so beautiful, and reasonable, and good, and true! You have given us so much in Christ! I can only live my life to enjoy proclaiming Your truth. You are the desire of my eyes and the joy of my heart. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 7:32 “”They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:`We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not weep.”

   Jesus here uses the illustration of children playing ‘grown-ups’ in their market place haunts. He paints a picture of a group of kids playing a celebratory song and expecting their fellows to dance in response, just as the grown-ups would do for occasions of great joy. And, similarly, the same group tries a funeral dirge and expects their fellows to pretend to weep as mourners. In both cases the children find their companions unwilling to play the game.
   Jesus often used children to teach the ‘grown-ups’ a lesson. Here the kids were trying to play with their friends, but their friends would have none of it. In the same way, John and Jesus both ministered to the nation of Israel. But the national leaders would have none of it. Regardless of the styles and methods of Jesus and John, the result was the same. The problem was not the minister, but the disobedience and rebellion of the listeners against the Divine command.

   Heavenly Father, we think we have everything figured out, and then we realize how little we really understand. Thank You so much for the constant stream of truth that You pour into our lives! Your wisdom is absolute and irresistible. I praise You for it! You alone know the end from the beginning. Your plans and purposes are perfect. The Lord Jesus is Alpha and Omega, and encompasses all in all. I will praise You forever, Father, for Your Christ! He alone is the Source of Truth for all humanity. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 7:31 “And the Lord said, “To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like?”

   The translation of this verse sounds a bit repetitious. I would translate Jesus thus: “To what then will I compare the men of this generation, and what do they resemble?” By this Jesus introduces a short discourse in which he speaks of the reception of His ministry, as well as that of John the Baptist. This is actually one of the most helpful passages in Scripture for ministers who seek to understand one another.
   The ministry style of Jesus and John was quite different. Though, at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry especially, their messages were almost identical. Why the difference in styles? The easy answer is that they were two different individuals, and this answer holds up in Jesus’ discussion here. There will be different ministers with their own unique style and methods, but the message will be that of Christ in any case. That is the key, the content of the message. Many will say they just have a different style, and change the message too. These avoid. But, very often people will reject one with the right message only because his style and methods are not to their liking. This should not be.

   Heavenly Father, as I sit and think of Your glorious power I ask myself how much of it I will understand while on this earthly plane. I see Your works, but even they are often mysterious to me. Am I always to praise the mystery of Your power? Or should I focus more on what I know and understand of it? I will sing Your praises, and take my understanding for what it is, limited. Mystery is there, but it is but a temporary limitation. One day I will see so much more. I long for that in a sense, but am even now content to praise You for what I know of You. How much I know may change, but the fact of praise will not change. A million million years from now I will still praise You, and how much more I know of You then will not have changed the fact that I have praised You all along. May praise be my state of being, not just an activity. I want Your glory to be my constant goal and delight. I love You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 7:30 “But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.”

   And why not? Why were harlots and tax collectors baptized while the spiritual leaders of the Jews were not? Was it just that they did not go to John? Did they simply shun him? No. They went. But they came to him as a show, and everybody knew it. John’s baptism was for the repentant. It meant that a person knew he or she was unprepared for the Messiah. The Pharisees and teachers of the law thought they were already prepared. They came to John, but he wouldn’t baptize them. Instead, he called them out for their unrighteousness.
   So, against the will of Almighty God, the leaders of the Jews maintained their pride and did not take advantage of the opportunity to illustrate humble obedience. The ministry of John had been very successful among the mass of the people. Had the leaders of the Jewish nation validated his ministry, the preparation for the Christ would have been complete. As it was, they did not validate John because he identified them as the hypocrites they were. They refused to come to repentance for they felt they had nothing to repent for.

   Heavenly Father, You alone are worthy of all praise and honor. I often forget that means You are worthy of repentance in my heart as I approach You. I need not know of a specific sin to ask of You forgiveness. A contrite heart is a condition happy enough to maintain at all times. I seek to glorify You by an attitude of repentance when I come to praise You. You are worthy of more than I can be on my own. I must come and bow and humbly say that only by the salvation that the Lord Jesus has secured can I even be seen before You. I will put my hand on my mouth and humble myself in awe. You cannot be compared to anyone or anything completely. I may understand You better by some things in Your creation, but nothing is a complete picture. You are always far above it all! Thank You for being the One Whom I may contemplate forever, and yet still be understanding better even then. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 7:29 “And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.”

Even those who in the Jewish mind of the day were the lowest of the low, John was a prophet. Make no mistake, though Jesus was born in a manger, and though he knew He would be rejected, the expectation that the leaders and great ones among the Jews should have recognized and accepted Him was no less real. The glory brought to God by the ‘sinners’ among the Jews served only to highlight the sin of the leaders for rejecting the Christ.

Heavenly Father, may we never fail to see and know the working of Christ before our eyes. I will praise You for Your wonderful works in this present hour in this world of Yours. You are the King, and You alone are Wonderful! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.