Loving the Marginalized

Good morning.

We continue our Outcasts message series today with a message entitled, Loving the Marginalized. We are going to look at how to overcome the obstacles of sin that keep us from reaching those on the sidelines of life, those who are outside the mainstream of our nice and civil population, those whose reputations tell us that they are nothing if not marginalized,

Our Outcasts series is a 5 week journey looking at those whom Jesus went to in order to reach, and at those who were attracted to Jesus.

We look at this because we need to recognize that the same people that Jesus went to, are the same kinds of people that Jesus sends us to to proclaim the Gospel so that the lost in our city might receive Christ by faith and be saved.

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As you turn there, I want to show you a video.

Video (only screaming and hysterics)

What do you think is going on in this video?

Pause for answers

Let’s watch another clip and see if we can figure it out.

Play video from beginning to initial screaming.

Context is everything isn’t it?

In Bible school, you are taught that context is the main ingredient in properly understanding the Bible, what’s the context of the passage you’re reading?

What are the verses before it? What are the verses after it? Does it quote another part of Scripture?

What was the historical context for the writing?

What is our context now?

How does the meaning of the passage apply in our context today?

When it comes to reaching the lost, reaching the outcasts of our city, context is important as well.

But with Jesus, context is flipped upside down.

Let’s read our primary passage of Scripture together and then we’ll learn what the obstacle is, and how we overcome it by imitating the life and example of Jesus Christ.

Pray.

Luke 7:36–50 ESV

36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 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, 38 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. 39 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.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 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. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

We look at human context as our reputation. To the world, the context for your life and mine is our reputation.

Are we good enough or not?

But to Jesus, He deals with people according the context of their redemption.

Are they saved or not?

Obstacle #3

We place too much emphasis on a person’s reputation and not enough on a person’s redemption.

Lets see how this played out in the passage we just read.

Luke 7:36 ESV

36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.

Right off the bat, its not a small thing to note that Jesus accepted an invitation to dinner with a Pharisee.

We talk all the time about how much the Pharisees get it wrong, and how they annoyed Jesus, but clearly, He still loved them enough to go to their house for a meal, didn’t He?

This story is an engaging contrast between a sinner and a Pharisee.

We’ve been looking at sinners and Pharisees alot in this series so far.

Now, there is another example of where Jesus was anointed by a woman, and that anointing happens later chronologically speaking, right before Jesus’ crucifixion.

That anointing is found in ; ; and .

In that narrative, the host is a leper (matthew and mark), not a Pharisee.

The woman pours the perfume in Jesus’ head (matthew and mark), not His feet.

And in the other similar instance, the argument is over the cost of the perfume, not the character of the woman.

Luke 7:37–38 ESV

37 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, 38 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.

To be sure, for banquets such as these, it would have been in line with custom at the time for a woman, such as the sinful woman in this example to be at the dinner in order to receive some leftovers. Needy people were allowed at such events, if only to get some table scraps so they didn’t starve.

It can be surmised that the woman did come to see Jesus specifically, since she brought ointment/perfume with her. And as she saw Jesus reclining, which is how people would eat together in that day, she poured the perfume on his feet.

As she did so, she could not help but cry mightily as so many tears poured from her eyes that she dried Jesus’ feet with her hair as she kissed His feet.

Luke 7:39–43 ESV

39 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.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

Here we see how focusing on one’s reputation gets in the way seeing one’s redemption in Christ.

Simon the Pharisee muttered under his breath three accusations:

If Jesus were really a prophet He would know what kind of woman was kissing His feet

If Jesus knew what kind of woman she was, He would stop her

Since Jesus doesn’t stop her, He must not be a prophet.

Simon the Pharisee says this under His breath, and then Jesus gets his attention by saying, “Say, Simon, I’ve got something to tell you.”

And imagine Simon’s surprise when Jesus’ words are not some deep truth to debate about, but a rebuking of Simon himself.

Moreover, Jesus’ brilliance is such that Simon knows that by answering Jesus’ question he (Simon) is condemning himself!

Of the Pharisee and the woman, in human terms, who would’ve had the greater debt?

Luke describes the woman as a

hamartolos

Greek word whose meaning implies a person who lives a life of gross immorality.

The woman’s hair was unbound, since she was able to use it to dry Jesus’ feet, and such unbound hair indicates that she was likely a prostitute, among her many other sins.

Let’s finish out the section:

Luke 7:44–50 ESV

44 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. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Jesus doesn’t waste time in getting to the point:

The woman’s faith was placed in Jesus Himself.

The woman’s tears show that she recognized that Jesus had forgiven her of her sin.

In response to the forgiveness of Christ, the woman poured out love upon Jesus.

The woman’s love is not the basis of forgiveness, her faith in Christ is.

The forgiveness was unearned, and because of that fact, she overflows with tears and love for Jesus.

Simon the Pharisee demonstrates that he doesn’t know much about forgiveness or love, as Jesus pronounces the woman forgiven, (which incidentally is another admission by Jesus, in front of people, using human language that He is God, since only God can forgive sins), and Jesus bids the woman that she is saved (expressing the fact that her salvation was accomplished) and she may now go in peace.

What kind of peace?

The Peace with God that comes from being redeemed by Him.

The woman was no longer a slave to sin, she was a child of God.

Questions to Consider:

Do I care more about people’s reputations, or about their redemption?

A person’s human reputation always precedes them, and we have a choice as to how we will relate to them.

Will we do so according to their reputation, or according to their redemption?

If we really cared about people being redeemed by Christ, how might that affect our urgency to reach the lost among us?

Do I care more about perfecting my own reputation than I do about proclaiming my redemption in Jesus?

In what context do I want others to see my life?

My reputation, or God’s redemption?

Simon the Pharisee was all about his reputation, and he lived it out.

I’m sure the banquet was incredible. I’m sure the place settings were top notch. I’m sure the food was delicious. And while that stuff is nice, it doesn’t really matter does it?

The woman, however, was not living according to her reputation, she was living according to her redemption.

Because she was living according to her redemption, she knew that she could draw near to Jesus and that He would not turn her away, rather, He defended her against the accusations of the unrighteous, and gave her forgiveness and peace with Him.

Bring band up here

Some of you are Christians here today, and you spend a lot of time perfecting your reputation. You put a lot of stock into what you do for God, but not so much into what He has done for you. Naturally, then, you want what you do for God to be perfect, because if it isn’t, your reputation might be tarnished, then what would you have?

Some of you are not Christians right now, and just like some Christians, you’re trying to perfect your reputation. And just like some Christians, your reputation, if you are truly honest, isn’t good enough no matter what you do.

You can’t outrun the mistakes and the sins of your past by polishing your earthly resume.

And so you are haunted.

Do you know why you are haunted?

Because you have not accepted God’s forgiveness.

You do not really believe that your sins don’t have to count against you, you don’t really believe that Jesus carried your sins on the cross, and that He paid for them with His very life.

No.

You think Jesus did that for everyone else but you.

I know what that feels like.

College forgiveness experience

I was weeping.

I realized for the first time in my life that Jesus didn’t just save me on the cross, He forgave me.

He forgave me of my worst sins, my grossest offenses, my rebellious crimes against Him and against others in my life.

And I realized that I didn’t deserve it.

And my eyes could not help but pour tears out upon the carpet of my room.

I can tell you that if Jesus had been there physically, I would have looked like this woman.

And you know what, because of Jesus, looking like this woman is not a bad thing at all, is it?

Practical Apps

For others, pray that God replaces your eyes for other’s reputations with a heart for other’s redemption

For yourself, pray that God will give you the humility to live, not as one who relies on the perfection of their reputation, but as one who knows that they are a redeemed child of God

As we respond to God’s Word in song together, I invite you to also respond through prayer. We have our prayer/care team surrounding the walls of the room, and they are here to pray with you, whether you need to repent of chasing a reputation that you think you need, or whether you need to put your faith in Christ for the first time.

Whatever your prayer, don’t let another minute go by where you leave that unaddressed in your life.

The great thing about Valley Bristol is that this is a safe community of people, with whom you can be vulnerable and honest.

We are not a people who are worried about your reputation, we are a people who desire your redemption in Christ.

So if you would like to pray with someone, I invite you to do so, as we close in song.