Sinners Welcome
Notes
Transcript
36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 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.
39 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.”
40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Introduction
Introduction
Wedding dress codes
Black tie
Black tie optional
Formal
Daytime
Semi-formal
Casual
Cocktail
Beach chic
Summer festive
This story illustrates how Jesus feels about people who approach him with everything togetherch
Context
Context
Jesus has been dealing with the Pharisees and faith
This is a different account than the parallels (Mt 26; Mk 14; Jn 12)
Luke
Location: Galilee
Home: Simon the Pharisee
Simon is one of the most common names
Time: Early in Jesus ministry
Annointer: “Sinful woman”
Objection: The sinfulness of the woman
Matthew
Location: Bethany
Home: Simon the Leper not Pharisee
Time: Late in Jesus ministry (near crucifixion)
Annointer: “A woman”
Objection: Finances
Mark
Location: Bethany
Home: Simon the Leper
Time: Late in Jesus ministry (near crucifixion)
Annointer: “A woman”
Objection: Finances
John
Location: Bethany
Home: Unnamed
Time: Late in Jesus ministry (near crucifixion)
Annointer: Mary sister of Lazarus
Objection: Finances
Story
Story
36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 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.
39 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.”
Jesus eats at a pharisees house
Custom: hospitality
Reclining at table
Custom: reclining for banquets
A sinful woman anoints his feet
Custom: Her presence at a banquet on the fringes is not unusual
Her actions are planned and intentional – she brought the perfume
Simon internally rebukes Jesus
He is offended that Jesus would allow this sinful woman to touch him
Custom: Alienaiton of sinners
He believes that Jesus must not know the kind of woman she is and is therefore not a prophet
Jesus knows Simon’s mind and responds
The message of the text is in Jesus’s response to the event
Two actions Jesus takes
The contrast between responses is a theme in the gospels.
Warns the Lofty
Warns the Lofty
40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
Jesus: We need to talk
Parable of the forgiven debt
Application of the parable
The parable is about God’s glory
The man showed little honor to Jesus
The woman has shown great honor
The application to us is clear: If we act like Simon, we don’t understand what Jesus has done for us
How do we act like Simon?
Prioritizing comfort and convenience over compassion
Is church a self-centered time?
A feeling a superiority about our sin
Minimizing our sin
Welcomes the Lowly
Welcomes the Lowly
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Her condition
Sinner
Unclear what’s so sinful
The woman’s action is undertaken on the basis of forgiveness
This is not a conversion story
Her love shows she is forgiven it doesn’t earn her forgiveness (v. 47)
Her intentionality and Jesus proclamation imply that she has already encountered Jesus on some level.
Jesus’s welcome
Based on forgiveness not minimization
Aimed at the glory of God
Conclusion
Conclusion
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Those bearing sin and shame, come
You are NOT okay. You are NOT good enough. You ARE welcome.
The woman – 3 times named a sinner – is welcomed with forgiveness without rebuke, while the Pharisee who apparently keeps the law is rebuked
Demonstrate Grateful Love
Demonstrate Grateful Love
Through worship
Through welcome
Jesus has ascended and left his body the church behind to do his work
Welcome sinners
Proclaim forgiveness
Church should be the place people want to go at their lowest, not the place they go once they’re sorted out
We will be enabled by a recognition of what we were and who we are
9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
