On Line Bible Study - For the Week July 19-25, 2010
Lesson 449
Luke 7: 36Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38and 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.
39When 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."
What is your process for scoping people out? Me, I like to hang back, watch people for a while. I like to see who they mingle with, perhaps try to overhear some of their conversation, and make a determination whether I should get into it with them.
I don't usually invite people over for dinner unless I'm pretty sure I am going to like them. However, especially when looking to hire someone for a ministry position, my wife and I invite the individual and their family to have supper with us. If we are not comfortable with them at the table, I probably am not going to be comfortable with them in the office.
Jesus was invited to supper at Simon's house (that's the Pharisee ...). There is no indication that the woman was invited. In fact, I think it's safe to assume just the opposite. Perhaps it was reluctance to turn someone away in front of company that caused Simon to allow the woman in ... unless of course, the entire thing was choreographed.
I often have skits as part of a Children's Message. And these are frequently made to look as if they are impromptu. Last week, as one of these skits began, one of the children looked at me and asked: Is this planned?
Whether Simon had it choreographed, or the woman simply wandered in as a result of her being drawn to Jesus, it doesn't take long for the Pharisee to make assumptions about his invited dinner guest.
You know how this story goes - that Jesus calls out Simon on his assumptions, and that Christ both forgives the woman's sins and tells her she is saved. Then we have this wonderful line toward the end of the story: And those who were eating with him began to say among themselves: 'Who is this, who even forgives sins?' This is not what they expected. It is a bit difficult to say for sure whether they got more or less than what they had hoped for.
But isn't this the point: Simon is amazed that Jesus would have anything to do with a sinful woman, yet he seems completely impervious to the miracle that Jesus would have supper with him! Jesus has the desire to have supper with you, too - not because of anything special you have done, but because he loves you, pure and simple.
I don't usually invite people over for dinner unless I'm pretty sure I am going to like them. However, especially when looking to hire someone for a ministry position, my wife and I invite the individual and their family to have supper with us. If we are not comfortable with them at the table, I probably am not going to be comfortable with them in the office.
Jesus was invited to supper at Simon's house (that's the Pharisee ...). There is no indication that the woman was invited. In fact, I think it's safe to assume just the opposite. Perhaps it was reluctance to turn someone away in front of company that caused Simon to allow the woman in ... unless of course, the entire thing was choreographed.
I often have skits as part of a Children's Message. And these are frequently made to look as if they are impromptu. Last week, as one of these skits began, one of the children looked at me and asked: Is this planned?
Whether Simon had it choreographed, or the woman simply wandered in as a result of her being drawn to Jesus, it doesn't take long for the Pharisee to make assumptions about his invited dinner guest.
You know how this story goes - that Jesus calls out Simon on his assumptions, and that Christ both forgives the woman's sins and tells her she is saved. Then we have this wonderful line toward the end of the story: And those who were eating with him began to say among themselves: 'Who is this, who even forgives sins?' This is not what they expected. It is a bit difficult to say for sure whether they got more or less than what they had hoped for.
But isn't this the point: Simon is amazed that Jesus would have anything to do with a sinful woman, yet he seems completely impervious to the miracle that Jesus would have supper with him! Jesus has the desire to have supper with you, too - not because of anything special you have done, but because he loves you, pure and simple.
posted by Mark D at 10:40 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home