Sermon Tone Analysis

Good morning again.

Okay, I'm ready.

So this fall we are doing a new series called eating with Jesus.

And what we're doing is we're going through the Gospel of Luke and looking at each occasion in which Jesus eats with someone we're doing this for a couple of reasons.

One is because it's clearly an important element to Luke because he includes it a lot for Scholars who will say that eating is the, the unifying theme throughout the Gospel of Luke there is over 10.

Actually, I think I'm going to have to cut one to make it fit in our sermon series before we get to Christmas season cuz it's such a common thing in the gospel flu.

But also hit the important thing.

We talked about last week in on our relationships, that that who we eat with matters and makes a difference, it says something.

And that we will often use.

Occasions, when we eat for to make connections to build up relationships.

It's a powerful element in how we build our relationships, and we see the same thing for Jesus.

And so, when we look at the meals that Jesus had and the reasons why he had them and what happened in those meals, we see something powerful about who Jesus is and what his mission was in the first century when he came and what his mission for us continues to be this day.

Last week, we look at the first meal, which was dinner with Levi, Levi, with the tax collector, a sinner who was considered unrighteous, and and the kind of person you weren't supposed to spend time around and Jesus went to him and invited Levi to follow him and Levi said yes.

And the first thing Levi did in following Jesus was to throw him a feast and with all of his Center friends and Jesus accepted his invitation to go into this meal full of sin, and the Pharisees came in and questioned his actions, and they're questioned of the issue.

If you remember from last week, it was the fact that he was trying to bring Sinners to repentance.

It was a factor that what he was doing with them.

Didn't look like repentance to the Pharisees because Jesus seem to think that it was being with Jesus.

It was eating with Jesus, that made the difference, the other, the Pharisees and John, the Baptist, they would start by diagnosing.

The problem telling you what you were doing wrong and then telling you what you should do differently.

Jesus instead of starting with that, he started with his presents, he started with, let's let's eat together.

Let's spend time together.

Follow me, and we'll work that out on the way and sold for Jesus.

It would seem to be that.

Being with him, is what made the difference that why he had to offer.

People was not simply a new 12-step program to following the law of Moses or or a new way of diagnosing and prescribing for sin.

But it was his presence that changed people and made it possible for people to actually change their lives or to be changed.

This week, we're moving into the next Meal, which is another dinner.

It's another Feast that is thrown in Jesus's honor.

It's kind of interesting though because there's a bit of role reversal here tonight or today we're looking at a meal that is thrown by a Pharisee.

And then a sinner is going to come to the meal as opposed to the other way around, in our previous story and we will see just some interesting things that happened in this encounter.

I'm going to read the story first and then we'll unpack.

It will talk about what happened in the story.

So it's we're going to Luke chapter 7, starting in verse 36.

When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus have to have dinner with him.

He went to the Pharisees house and recline at the table.

A woman in that town.

Who live the simple life learned that Jesus was eating the Pharisees house.

So she came there with an alabaster jar perfume 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, kiss them, and pour perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who invited in Solace 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 answered him Simon I have something to tell you.

Tell me teacher.

Two people owed money to a certain moneylender, 10 him, 500 and REI and the other 50, neither of them had the money to pay him back.

So he forgave the debt of both now which of them will love him more.

Simon replied.

I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven, You have judged correctly.

Jesus said then he turned toward the woman Inside 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.

You did not give me a kiss, but this woman from the time I entered has not stopped kissing my feet.

You did not put oil on my head but she has poured perfume on my feet.

Therefore, I tell you her, many sins have been forgiven as our great love is shown, but whoever has been forgiven, little loves little.

Then Jesus said to her, your sins are forgiven.

The other guests began to say among themselves who is this?

Who even forgive sin?

Jesus said to the woman, your faith has saved you.

Go in peace.

So this is an interesting story after the one that we looked at last week.

Because in last week's story, Jesus comes to a sinner and calls The Sinner to follow him.

And so this tax collector throws A Feast for Jesus and the Pharisees kind of crash it.

This time, it's a Pharisee who throws A Feast for Jesus and Jesus a tens.

And and a sinful woman comes in.

And the comparison here is very interesting because sometimes tempted to do is to focus on the difference between how Jesus treated the woman and how the Pharisee treated, the woman, which is a fair thing to look at.

But this story is at the way Luke is written, it's actually focused on a different comparison.

Its focus on comparing, Simon the Pharisee and the sinful woman.

Because these two people both want to spend time with Jesus.

They both seek out Jesus and, and want to be in a meal with him.

But for very different reasons.

was very different motives was very different agendas and for people who are watching Jesus to figure out if he's the Messiah and what kind of Messiah he's going to be They'll be very interested to see which agenda, Jesus vindicates.

Cuz it tells us.

Why should we eat with Jesus?

what should we be looking for when we follow, Jesus, and when we spend time with him, That's what this story is meant to tell us until what we're going to do.

As we unpack the stories, we're going to start by looking at Simon in Simon's agenda.

I know we're going to look at this woman and her agenda and then we're going to look at how Jesus response to the two of them.

So let's start by looking at Simon.

Why does Simon want to eat with Jesus?

I'm going to argue for what we see in the story that Simon saw the Mula, Jesus, as an opportunity for Prestige and scorekeeping

This is a common thing to do in relationship to meals.

Especially Feast Banquets fancy Gatherings are an opportunity for people to establish their.

I like to gain prestige.

And to establish their rank in Social Circle.

This is one of the reasons this.

One of the things we do in Social Gatherings and meal Gatherings.

As we kind of figure out the pecking order or we show off our place in the pecking order.

And this is essentially what Simon is interested in.

Consignment throws A Feast for Jesus.

Levi.

Also threw a feast for Jesus.

And we didn't question then say, there was anything wrong with that.

But this is, this is an expensive undertaking lot of food.

Lot of servants.

A lot of work goes into throwing this feast, Levi did it and now Simon is doing it, but there is a difference in their motives.

He threw an expensive, banquet Simon did, but it was not out of love for Jesus.

How do we know this?

Well, Jesus pointed out in public in front of everyone.

Are these describing what happened as easy as retelling the events of the evening to sign.

Then he says I came into your house.

You did not give me water for my feet.

You did not give me a kiss, you did not put oil on my head.