Being persecuted because of stupidity is different than being persecuted because of righteousness. As we said earlier, people found it hard to persecute Jesus. He was so loving, gracious, and merciful that even those who hated His message still tried to figure out a way to include Him in their lives.

Luke 7:36-39 (NIV) Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so He went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears.

Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who is touching Him and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner.”

As you know, Pharisees really didn’t like Jesus. But they just couldn’t leave Him alone. There was something special about Him. Jesus knew that Pharisees hated sinners. He also knew they really hated prostitutes.

Jesus, on the other hand, loved repentant sinners. He even loved repentant prostitutes. But, Jesus was at the house of an important man. If He was going to keep the peace, He needed to send the repentant prostitute away. What was the righteous thing to do?

Luke 15:7 (NIV) I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.