The heart the Lord accepts

We greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, especially those who are listening from Armenia

We had a blessed trip to Armenia - which is close Turkey.

Satan wants to swallow the world and he has done a lot already. My question is? How long will you stay in your sin? What type of soldier do you want to be? We don’t seem to understand the times in which we live (or else we might, but we are doing nothing about it). God asks who will go? Prepare yourself. Separate from sin. We must not live for ourselves. Our lives belong to the Creator.

When water stands, rubbish and dirt collect in it. You cannot see to the bottom. When it starts running, it gets cleansed and purified as it goes over the high places and rocks. How long will you sit in your sin? Get up and do something. Do not get despondent. Rev Stegen often said that so often we want to go far away to places such as India, but all the nations are right here in South Africa. Europe rejected this gospel but there are others that want it. God works differently to the way we think and see things. We think in a certain way. God cuts across our ideas and uses people we may even despise.

Simon, the Pharisee made that mistake in the way he saw things. He did not understand. Although he invited Christ into his home, things did not change in his life. Zaccheus invited Jesus into his home, and things changed. May God cleanse us on the inside. It is so important that Christ cleanses our hearts and lives. Do you know what it means to wrestle with God and Christ?

³⁶ One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. ³⁷ And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, ³⁸ and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. ³⁹ Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” ⁴⁰ And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” Luke 7:36-

This text has so much in it. The way Simon viewed and interpreted things, made it clear that things were wrong in his life. It is so important to closely cleanse our lives. Simon invited Christ to dine with him. However, at the end of the visit there had been no change in Simon that we know of. It was he who invited Jesus. It is one thing to invite, listen and say you are blessed, but does Christ change your life so that you overcome sin and are victorious? Christ once spoke directly to me, ‘Dietmar, if you ever do that sin again in your life, there is no forgiveness.’ I realised the seriousness of sin. What do we do? We sin and confess it again and again. Until today I tremble when I think of how God spoke to me. Don’t take God’s word lightly. We commit sin and think everything will be covered.

The Pharisee invited Christ and this immoral woman also entered. She knew that Christ was there. She knew where to go. She understood that this was where she should go. We must not get confused. She had perfume and she cried tears about her life. With her tears she washed the feet of Christ. Can you imagine such a situation? Her heart must have broken but she knew that if she came to this Man, she would find grace. She wiped her tears with her hair. She poured perfume on His feet. She repented in such a deep way. For some, their hair is a crown, it is so important. She had probably also thought this - considering the type of life she had lived. But now she used what had been important to her, for the dirty work of cleansing.

We read of another pharisee who prayed about how good he was, who compared himself to others and prided himself that he was not as bad as other sinners, he was not a robber. But this woman knew that she could do nothing else but go to the Lord and she found favour in His eyes. Do you find favour in God’s eyes? Does it change your life? This woman was known to be immoral, but she thoroughly repented and changed.

Today, many want to be like this woman was - we dress as we do, we walk the way we want to walk; we speak the way we want to; everything we do has a hook in it – we try to attract attention. Is that what your life is like? This woman had reached the end of herself. She was tired of her life. She saw no other way, other than to come to Jesus, and cry for forgiveness.

Simon criticised in his heart. When there is something wrong in your heart, you will complain, and find fault in others. Others are wrong yet you are perfect (which is why they are called pharisees). Simon criticised Jesus. Simon did not see the way Jesus saw things. Didn’t Jesus know what type of woman she was? That is what we are like – full of criticism.

Jesus saw Simon’s thoughts. Jesus can see your complaining heart - which is why you never get anywhere spiritually but always go backwards. Rev Stegen said that whatever is in your mind, is what you will see in others. Simon said, ‘Doesn’t the Lord know who is touching his feet?’ It did not worry Jesus. It worried Simon because he might have had a heart like that woman’s. What you think is what you are. ‘Hold your peace, Simon.  What is your heart like?’ The way you perceive things is what you are like.

An old preacher preached for many years. Some of the church members decided that he was getting too old. They suggested that he step down; they decided things were not really happening; he was getting old. He hesitated and then said, ‘Sirs, just the other day a young boy gave his life to Christ.’ That was not important to these people - after all it was just a young boy. They wanted the preacher out of the way, but he persisted. After some time, this little insignificant boy, came to the preacher and asked whether he could preach the gospel. This old man who had discernment encouraged him to do so and he supported him.

After some years and his studies, when he was 21 years old, he said he wanted to preach in Africa. He felt called there. He went into the rural areas of Africa and after many years he returned to visit England. In the meantime word had got out what this missionary was doing. The king invited him. (By this time the old preacher had died.) The king congratulated this missionary. Everyone stood up and acknowledged this man’s work. This man was Robert Moffat. If the old preacher worked for just one young man, is it not worth it? May we be careful and may Christ help us to have eyes of discernment and not reject what He is doing.

Jesus addressed Simon, the Pharisee. Simon hears but does not understand the situation. It is easy to find faults in others, but it is difficult when Christ shows you your own shortcomings. The eye is the lamp of the body. If that light is darkness, no wonder you’re in the situation you are, and then you end up finding fault with others. Friends, the biggest danger in Simon’s life was pride. He knew who he was and what he was like – better than others. He had his own ideas. Pride is dangerous. Pride never really sees who it is. Simon thought ‘the poor woman’ and Christ said, ‘you poor Simon.’ Simon, you are worse than the woman. He did not understand. The secret of being a child of God is being able to be instructed by others, not doing your own thing.

⁴⁴ Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.

Do you see this woman? Simon saw the ugliness of this woman. He was right, she was a wicked woman. Simon’s pride was a million times worse than this adulterous woman’s sin. Amongst the Israelites, the first duty as host was to give the visitor water with which to wash his feet. He should have done this, and his conscience troubled him. However, instead of admitting that he had shortcomings, he saw the other person’s faults. Simon, why did you not give him water to wash his feet? You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. It was traditional to greet visitors with a kiss. That is why Judas betrayed Christ with a kiss. It was important at that time.

Simon, you did not even anoint my head with cheap, ordinary oil but she has anointed my feet with costly perfume. Simon should have said sorry immediately. He should have admitted, ‘You are right, I should have done it that way.’ This is a person who is filled with sin and wickedness. He sees the wickedness of other people. The pharisee who went to the temple to pray was happy about the fact that he was not like that tax collector who was a sinner. You will never get anywhere, but you will be the same as Simon. You think you are only here for work or school, but you do not understand that the Lord wants to save your life and change it. Jesus calls you but you do not see, you do not understand. What is in your heart? You cannot hear. Open your heart and give your heart to the Lord so that whatever is in there can come out.

If I would have heard these words, I would have hidden my head in the ground and said, ‘Lord, you are right; the woman is better than I am.’ Christ has called us to help such people. If we forget that we might as well stop.

⁴⁷ Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

You can interpret in two ways - her love drew her Christ and drew her to cry because she loved Him so much, that is why He forgave her all her sins. Or because He has forgiven her sins, that is why she loves so much. When a load is removed from you, when those sins are removed, fill your life with things from heaven, otherwise those things return. The Lord said, I forgive you your sins. She knew who she was. Everyone knew her lifestyle, but the Lord said that she was forgiven.

But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

He was speaking to Simon. That’s why you love me so little, Simon, although you are full of sins, your attitude and your pride will stop you. There was so little love because of his pride. This woman knew what she had experienced. Simon did not see his sins. That’s why there was no love. The Lord addressed Simon, but he did not understand.

Has Christ forgiven you? Why is there no change? If you confess your sin and admit your fault, there would be a change. Why is there no love? You are like a wheelbarrow that needs to be pushed. There is nothing that drives or compels you. At this point Judas packed his suitcase. He could not take it anymore. He had sin in his life. He had no love for his master. His sins were not forgiven. Oh, that Christ would touch our hearts and His spirit convict us of our sins. Have you asked the Lord to show you your sins? Cry like this woman, my life is not what it should be. One sin is too much.

⁵⁰ And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Go in peace, in freedom from all the distresses that you have experienced because of your sin. When you meet Christ, peace enters your heart. When you meet Christ, peace enters your heart. (I said to someone these days that, when a person meets Christ, even their work ethic changes. It is part of the fruit. You notice it immediately. That is when Christ comes and changes you.)

We don’t know what happened to Simon. In the other gospels he is called Simon the leper. He couldn’t have had leprosy at that time; Christ must have healed him. But he had another type of leprosy in him: he could not understand the works of Christ. May we understand and grasp when Christ visits us; that we have an ear and eyes to see and discern what He is doing and saying.

There was a wicked woman whom the Lord forgave and He to her, ‘Never do that again.’ Do you hear Christ? That is grace to the uttermost. Don’t ever do it again. What will your reaction be? Will you cry to Christ? If He has helped you, thank Christ for His help. He has changed and touched your life. Out of thankfulness, give your life to Him. What has Christ has done for us? He wants to do more. Let’s not forget to thank Him for what He is doing, what He has done and where He has helped you.

Jabulani Dube.

There was something different about this woman. She washed His feet with tears and with perfume. When you have sinned, is there is a cry that touches Jesus? Do you cry when you have grieved the Lord so that He is moved?

Do you notice that even in those years, people criticised the Lord - the Lord of lords. Simon criticised him but Jesus reprimanded him. If, when we observe Jesus at work, we find fault with this or that, we are the same as Simon. He did not even wash Jesus’ feet, but the woman washed His feet with her tears. Simon did something good when he invited Jesus. This is a lesson for everyone, but he ends up finding fault with Jesus. Have you wept about your sins?

Jesus sent this woman away in peace because of her faith. Are your sins forgiven? Peter denied the Lord three times, but when Jesus looked at him, his heart broke. He received forgiveness.

May we reach the point where we weep over our sin; that Jesus knows that we have seen our fault.

‘This man is a prophet, but does he not see what kind of woman this is who touches him?’ There is criticism. The children of Israel criticised Moses and God, the snake bit them and they got diseases. Have you reached the point that you have wept because of your sinful life?

Rev Stegen took a service where he spoke about Jesus who washed the feet of the disciples. We must preach the gospel in this way,  where we  ‘wash the feet’ of people. If you are proud, you will never wash someone’s feet. If there is no pride in us, the blood has done its work in our lives.