Little and much
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 6 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Relationships are the connections we have with other people. to have good relationships involves knowledge about the other person, time and commitment, and a loving kindness. Our relationships are important. there are many people in our lives that have different roles, maybe parents, children, friends, workmates, neighbors etc.
We are in relationship with each person that we know. Maybe those relationships are good, or maybe they are struggling, but you are in relationship regardless.
In the bible we witness a number of relationships that teach us about others and ourselves. I think the most interesting relationship we have is with Jesus. He has done more for us than anyone could, He knows everything about us, He is there all the time, His commitment shows in who He is, and He loves us with an everlasting love.
for the weeks to come, we will look into the relationships of Jesus. we will see how He treated people and how people treated Him, also we will discover why He said what He said and did what He did.
we will find out more about this One who has changed everything for us. Jesus.
one more note, as scripture was written in a time period that is far from us now, we will look into their customs and see how these relationships followed or broke social rules.
One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.
Luke 7
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,
Luke 7:
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.
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.”
we will stop here to get the full context or picture of where we are at and what the situation is because after this point Jesus will be dealing with this by sharing a story that directly connects to this situation that is happening.
A note to think about, Jesus used circumstances to display truth about His Kingdom. He reached out to the poor and needy but also made relationships with the wealthy and the honored.
What we see here is a Pharisee inviting Jesus over to his house to eat. a very honorable thing to do, we are not told of any hidden purpose or agenda, just dinner or was it? Eating with others in those days usually spoke about how you felt about a person....they could be considered friends of yours. Some meals were much more open than others, very different from our culture, this meal would have been a time where people would be coming in and listening to what was happening because a Rabbi was there.
And we must look at the customs of the day for guests coming to dinner.
When a guest entered such a house three things were always done. The host placed his hand on the guest’s shoulder and gave him the kiss of peace. That was a mark of respect which was never omitted in the case of a distinguished Rabbi. The roads were only dust tracks, and shoes were merely soles held in place by straps across the foot. So always cool water was poured over the guest’s feet to cleanse and comfort them. Either a pinch of sweet-smelling incense was burned or a drop of attar of roses was placed on the guest’s head. These things good manners demanded, and in this case not one of them was done.
Barclay, W. (2001). The Gospel of Luke (p. 112). Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press.
So Jesus accepts and reclines at the table. not a lazy boy recliner like ours today but as you research the the times they lived in, you will find that they had tables that were close to the floor, so when they came to the table to eat, they would lay down on a rug on their left side, propping their head up toward the table with their left hand and eat with their right. this picture helps us understand some of the meal time events like when John’s head was on the chest of Jesus or as in this story with the woman at the feet of Jesus, because His feet would have been away from the table, and verse 38 explains she was behind Him, at His feet.
speaking of this woman, we see a description of her in verse 37, a woman of the city, who was a sinner. now that doesn’t sound like a great introduction, and it isn’t.
a woman of the city.... a description of a prostitute. She was not thought of as a respectable woman but an outcast, a lowlife.
so for her to even enter this Pharisees house had to be a humiliating moment for her...... she had incredible courage.
as the woman comes to Christ, picture everyone looking at her and wondering what she is doing.
Now, we do not know if there is a past encounter with her and Jesus, but she obviously knows who He is and most surely has heard Him speak but the moment is overwhelming for her and she breaks down crying.
as her tears fall onto His feet, she then does a socially unacceptable thing by letting her hair down. I assume now that everyone in the room is in disbelief. She wipes the Lords feet with her hair and then puts the perfume on them…she is taking the place of the servant and what should of happened when Jesus first showed up to Simons house.
Now, what should the owner of the house be thinking? should he be thankful that this woman has served Jesus? should he feel embarrassed of himself for not doing what was right? as the story goes....
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.”
we get an inside view of this Pharisee. how did he view Jesus?
contempt. judgement. He looked down on Jesus, and the woman.
this is a Pharisee, a law abiding, upstanding person, right? but his attitude showed where his heart was, and it wasn’t Godly.
Jesus is ready to teach. verse 40.
And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
now, a denarius is a workers wage for the day.
When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Jesus makes Simon judge a story here. sometimes we can see in a story clearer than we can see in our own life…right?
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.
You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet.
You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.
Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
this is confirmation for her since she had already expressed an incredible gratitude towards Christ..... most commentators believe she had met Jesus earlier, had believed in Him and recieved grace, this is why she is so unashamed to show her love to Him.
Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”
And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Luke:7
a quote from Calvin says,
it is the forgiven sinner who knows the true meaning of sorrow for sin (cf. Calvin, Institute, III, 3; Schürmann, I, 432f.).
Marshall, I. H. (1978). The Gospel of Luke: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 309). Exeter: Paternoster Press.
the contrast of this woman and the Pharisee is stark. He with indifference, with a heart of stone, and she with passion and fearlessness for her Savior. Breaking social norms because of the love she had for Jesus. Showing her humility by kissing His feet. We can say, she was certainly changed by the Lord.
Finish with.....
Finish with.....
I think we get the point of the story here, that the woman was forgiven much and expressed her love to the One who freed her. the Pharisee thought to well of himself to need help, so his love was lacking.
but how can we apply this?
think about your life. how much forgiveness do you need? how much have you recieved? is it the size of the ocean or a mud puddle? would it weigh as much as the world? or as much as a marble?
we don’t even have to answer, because our life reveals the truth. How do you respond when someone sins against you? your attitude towards them will reveal how much forgiveness you have recieved. Either we are the Pharisee, proud and indifferent, or we are the sinner, humble and grateful!
_____________
Church, may we be people who realize just how much we need Christ. How much we need from Him to live this life as an example. If we just get how much Jesus wants to give us, humbling ourselves to receive ...... we will love others with a radical love, we will step across the social line to give to others all that He has given us.
Pray.
