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4 fI I i I I b > 'W® ■ ‘I i > IbL Fife i M iR3E Love, Hardship’and Criticism. ‘ ‘ She loved him Much. ’ ’ Luke 7: 47. This text gives us an account of Jesus in the home of Simon the Pharasee. He is at meat in the Phari see’s house, and the circumstances are very inter esting. They are interesting in that they reveal the character of Jesus as very few of the incidents that we are considering do. There are three strik ing facts connected with the feast that I want us to consider. First, there is the invitation from the Pharisee to Jesus to dine in his house. I am sure that strikes every one of us as an exceptional fact. The Phari sees were the separatists of those days. They were the men who had a religion of their own. Everybody outside their religious circle was looked upon with contempt. They had a social life all their own. They had a political life all to themselves. They lived and moved in their own circle. Modern Pharisees. They were such men as we see to-day in some sections, indeed, in almost every section we find a type of these ancient Pharisees. They are practi cally as they were then. They have undergone very . little change. They are still religious separatists living to themselves. They have their religion and look with contempt upon the religion of other folks. They have their own little Pharisaical social circle and are not interested in the performances of the utside world. If the outside world gets into trouble, it is simply trouble, and that is the end of it. If on the other hand, in the circle of his own sect, anything goes wrong, that is a terrible calamity. He sees it, feels it, and appreciates it. They weep -with those that weep, provided they are of the same crowd. They laugh with those that laugh, provided they belong to their set. Many good people are un consciously living in this little circle. So Jesus was invited into this home, a home dom inated by such a spirit. I say again, it is a remarka ble fact, and a rare occurrence to be found in Scrip ture, where Christ was invited as the guest of honor in a home like that. Then another remarkable fact is this: That Jesus, who knew T the thoughts and intents and dispositions of people as perfectly as they could be known, even more perfectly than they knew themselves, should have accepted an invitation of that kind. I say this is a remarkable fact, but it is only remarkable when we look at Christ from the standpoint of man. It is not in keeping with human nature to accept of the courtesies and intentions of men who are so entirely different in disposition. But when we look at Jesus as he really is, when we look at the Divine side of Jesus—at the character and disposition that Christ ever manifested, it is not remarkable at all. Jesus ever stood ready to enter a door that was made open. It made no difference to him whether it was the door of a Pharisee, his enemy, or the door of his most intimate and beloved friend. Wherever the door was found open, and the word “welcome” written over it, Jesus entered. If Jesus to-day is not in my heart and yours, sit ting at a feast, it is because he has not found the door ajar, and the word “welcome” over it. Le n G . Broughton I read the other day of a man, a prominent bar keeper of Baltimore, who was traveling through the South for his health. He had despaired of his life. While down in Florida, he dropped into a meet ing that was being conducted in a little church, and the Spirit of God got hold of him in that meeting, convicted him of his sin, and turned him about. That night in the hotel where he was staying he gave his heart to Jesus. The first thought that came into his mind after his conversion was his family. His wife was a very worldly woman, who had no. sympathy with the church. He thought how hard it would be to go back home and face his family, where his criticism of the church had been so prominent. “How can I face my own record at home?” was the inquiry of himself. Finally, the thought came to him, “When I go back home, I will take my Jesus with me, and if I have Jesus with me I think I can stand it.” So in a few days he went home. He dreaded it, and the nearer he got to his home the more the dread settled upon him. He had to ring the door bell. The servant came to the door. He was glad it was the servant. He dreaded to face his wife, for he had made up his mind that he would remain firm. After awhile his wife came in, and threw her arms around his neck, and said, “I have given my heart to Jesus, and our eldest daughter has also given her heart to Jesus, and so we have a new home to greet you with.” I need not tell you of the great happiness of that home thereafter. The Woman’s Conduct. The other strange thing about this incident is, the coming and conduct of the woman. Let us get the whole picture fixed in our minds that we may appreciate it: In the first place, let ns remember that it was a feast in a private home. As such this man of the house was the master of that feast. He prescribed all of its rules and etiquette, and it was a breach of good manners and taste to attempt to interfere with his prearranged program. Then, too, we will remember that it was a pre pared feast. I do not know how long he was about it, nor do I know the extent of it, but I know that it was a prepared feast. Jesus seemed to be the most honored guest, and for him largely the feast was prepared. Also it was an occasion to be enjoyed by invited guests. Nobody was there except the invited com pany. Now, bearing these things in mind, we are pre pared to consider her strange conduct. They were at the feast and in conversation. Doubtb'ts Jesus was leading them, as he usually did, up to a climax of spiritual teaching. As they were thus engaged in conversation, in came this woman. She was not invited, and it was a great breach of the customs of the time for a woman to be at such a place where men were. Most certainly she was not invited. The first sight that is had of her she is stand ing at the table, at the feet of Jesus. And not only standing there, she makes a disturbance; she is weeping and crying. She has in her hand an ala baster box of ointment, a very exceptional thing. Only a few people enjoyed such luxuries. In her en thusiasm she broke the box of ointment and began to pour it on the Master’s head and feet. Then she dropped down at the Master’s feet, and began to wipe them with the hairs of her head. That was the rudest thing that I can possibly imagine a woman to be guilty of; and the Phari see so understood it, and made complaint: “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toueheth him; for she is a sinner.” pany. The Golden Age for March 29, 1906. Welcome to Jesus. Now remember that this criticism by the Pharisee was not spoken. The record says, “He spake with in himself,” —he simply thought it. That was enough. It was simply a thought, but it was articu late enough for Jesus to understand it. Jesus and our Thoughts. Jesus understands not only our spoken words, but our thought words. He does not have to have us speak for him to understand. You did not have to speak a word of complaint for Jesus to hear it; Jesus knew it. You did not have to speak words of criticism for Jesus to hear them; your every thought of complaint was understood by him. Jesus seems to be in himself a kind of thoughtograph. How awful the responsibility, es pecially when we remember that we shall have to give an account at the last day for every idle word and thought. The answer to the Pharisee’s thoughts is very in teresting. Jesus said to him, “ Simon, I have some what to say unto you. I heard what you said; I heard it though you did not say it. I heard your thoughts, and I want to answer them: ‘There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him the most?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most.” And he said unto him, “Thou hast rightly judged.” And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, “Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she has washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with oint ment. Wherefore I say unto thee, her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” Why a Sinner? Now, let us go back to get again the picture of this -woman, for just here is a very deep and impor tant truth. Some one may ask, “What kind of a woman was this?” I know the world says of her that she was a public, street woman. I do not be lieve it. Certainly she was a woman of refinement, for only such women had such boxes of alabaster ointment. But says one, “How do you account for the fact that she was a sinner? Simon said she was a sinner, and Jesus said she was a sinner. How do you account for her being a sinner if she moved in such a circle?” There are two standpoints from which she was judged a sinner: First, she was judged a sinner from the stand point of a rigid Pharisee. Everybody outside the Pharisee’s church was a sinner in his opinion. She did not belong to the Pharisee’s church. And oh, how many thousands there are like him! Jesus judged her a sinner from an entirely dif ferent standpoint. Jesus judged her a sinner because of unbelief. She was an unregenerate woman, wheth er* she moved in the circle of alabastrine or not. That is the thought of all others that I should like to stamp upon your heart. I think we need more teaching with respect to this one truth than anything else I know. There is such a difference in the world’s view point concerning sin and sin ners. I remember once speaking to a woman in an af ter-meeting. She had not stood as a Christian. I walked up to her and said: “I see you are a sin ner, and I should like to talk to you.” 'She said, “I am not a sinner, I am a lady.” I replied, “Yes, you are a lady, but surely you do not understand the nature of sin,”