God's Love for SInners

GAME - Slides of people, what is the first word that comes to your mind?

We are quick to form opinions on others.

How would Christ see those people. What would his opinion of them be?

Simon was trying to form an accurate opinion of Jesus.

As a Pharisee, this was his responsibility.

Jesus was at the start of his public ministry, and the pharisees wanted to make sure about his teaching, was it orthodox?

Simon invited Jesus to his home for a meal, in order to see what Jesus was all about. Simon needed to know if he should recommend the new rabbi, or warn people against him.

In that culture, when a meal like this happened, people from the community were welcome to come into the room and listen in.

Luke 7:37–38 HCSB

And a woman in the town who was a sinner found out that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of fragrant oil and stood behind Him at His feet, weeping, and began to wash His feet with her tears. She wiped His feet with the hair of her head, kissing them and anointing them with the fragrant oil.

Simon judged Jesus by how Jesus treated this woman

-but he judged without understanding.

-how often do we judge without understanding.

(some of Simon’s conclusions)

-Jesus didn’t know she was a sinner

-she was making Jesus unclean

-Jesus must not be a reliable teacher, if he would allow her to touch him

(what do we mistakenly conclude about people)

-tall people are good at basketball, (short people aren’t)

-how old a person is

-someone is super intelligent (because of how they look)

-that someone is ditzy (because of how they look)

-that a having a different opinion makes us enemies

-that people wont want to have a conversation with you

-that people will think poorly of you because of a mistake that you’ve made.

-you think poorly of a person because of a mistake that they’ve made.

-Simon formed a wrong opinion about Jesus.

Jesus told Simon a parable to give him understanding

Luke 7:41–42 HCSB

“A creditor had two debtors. One owed 500 denarii, and the other 50. Since they could not pay it back, he graciously forgave them both. So, which of them will love him more?”

Denarii is one days wage.

Average wage in ALberta is $250 a day for ages 25-54

One owed $125,000. The other owed $12,500

Who loves their banker more?

Turning to the woman, he said to Simon...

Luke 7:44–48 HCSB

Turning to 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, with her tears, has washed My feet and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss, but she hasn’t stopped kissing My feet since I came in. You didn’t anoint My head with olive oil, but she has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

How Simon treated Jesus said what he thought about Jesus

-no kiss, no oil, no foot bath.

How we treat others says what we think about them

Our love for God grows as we understand how we have been forgiven.

What is God’s opinion of you?

Its an accurate opinion, he knows you better than yourself or anyone else.

He is willing to pour out his love on you, just as he was willing to pour out his love on the woman in the passage.