Luke chapter 7, talking about Jesus' relational ministry with others.
Christian Living
Encouragement
Forgiveness
Repentance
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So, just in this continuous moment of worship, let's just dig into the Word. I definitely think God has made His presence known, and let's just get into the Word and just continue worship through His Word. In Luke chapter 7, verse 36, as we continue on our series of On Your Way, a series that talks about Jesus' relational ministry with others as He is on His way doing ministry. Verse 36, it starts out here. It says, one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him, and he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment. Let's just pause there real quick. We're not going to go through everything at first. So we first have an opening person here in this story, which is this woman, who appears at this Pharisee's house while Jesus is also there. And I want us to just get into her mindset a little bit. Now we don't know much about this woman's background, but we do know that she, as the Bible says, that she's a sinner, and apparently she was well-known in the community of the things that she did to call her a sinner. So we don't know if she was just walking past by Simon the Pharisee's house and then kind of did a double take and like, is that Jesus? We don't know if she maybe already knew that Jesus was going to appear at Simon the Pharisee's house. We don't know what information, what point it got at her, but what we do know is that she had a commitment to see Jesus. She had a plan to make sure that she was at that exact moment, time, and place, not just her, but also bringing this alabaster flask of ointment. Being even though as a sinner, probably at a very large stake, a very large risk, appearing at a religious figure's house, that probably would have probably stoned her right then and there for even intruding or for knowing that she has done certain things that is not, you know, welcomed in the community or in the society. But she didn't care about any of those things. All she knew that she needed to go see Jesus. So that was that woman there. And then verse 38 is saying, continue, it says, and standing behind him at his feet weeping, this is her, she began to wet his feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with ointment. It's a little bit weird, especially for us day and age, post-COVID period, getting so close to somebody, you know. For us reading this would happen thousands of years ago, but it shows again her commitment, that it wasn't just there for her to see Jesus, but it was to know him intimately, it was to touch him. And in verse 39, it says, now when the Pharisee, and here's the other person of this story, when the Pharisee who had invited Jesus 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. And here incoming Simon, Simon the Pharisee in this story. Now let's, again, all we know for him, he is a religious figure. He has authority. He knows the Old Testament law probably by heart. He knows how to write it all completely by memory. And then here he is inviting Jesus over to his house. And then it was in this moment that he probably was, probably was like a moment like, see, I knew it all along. Because if this man was really a prophet, from all the things that was really happening, the healing, all the things that was happening, people following him. At that point in time, people, Jesus already made his ministry known. So this Pharisee was inviting Jesus over to basically test him out. And in that moment, he already immediately judged and made his decision as far as like, you don't even know who this woman is. You're not a prophet. And in verse 40, it's like Jesus did some type of like mind reading trick because he knew what Simon was thinking. Jesus says, and Jesus answering to him, mind you, it looks like through this, he didn't really necessarily spoke to Jesus, you know, if this man were a prophet. He didn't say, hey, Jesus, if you knew who this woman was, he basically, Jesus was answering to him as if Simon was thinking of it. He said, Simon, I have something to say to you. And in here, look how Simon responded. And he answered, say it, teacher. It wasn't, say it, my Lord, as we have read in other stories when Jesus, you know, commands somebody to do something or talks back to them. It wasn't, you know, say it, my God, or anything like that. It was say it, teacher, not that. And the word obviously there was actually say it, rabbi, because rabbi also means teacher. So we don't know if really Simon was belittling him or mocking him. At that point, he's sort of like, go ahead, teach us something, whatever you think you know. You don't even know this woman. And then verse 41, it says, he begins telling a story. Jesus says, a certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed 500 denarii and the other 50. When they could not pay, he canceled the debt of both. Now, which of them will love more? Simon answered, the one I suppose for who he canceled the larger debt. And then Jesus said to him, you are right. You have judged rightly. Then in that moment, wait, before we move on, I want us to not get past the story. So basically, 500 denarii, you know, denarii are like silver coins back in the day. And basically, 500 denarii in today's figures, you know, add inflation, carry the two, round it up, whatever you want to do, it was almost two years worth of work. So you guys understand. That is a lot of money. And so he's basically trying to give him a story to what he's about to really explain to him. He said, verse 44. Then churning towards the woman, he said to Simon, and we're going to take a look at a brief of how customs and customs are, how you greet people. It says, do you see this woman? I entered your house and you gave me no water for my feet. It was customary when a guest comes over to the homes that you at least give water because, you know, I'm wearing sandals like this. Can you imagine me going around and, you know, kicking dirt and just walking around the streets during those days that was dirt everywhere and mud? It was customary to at least give your guests water to wash their feet, you know, as they entered their house. But he did not do that. He says, you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. Verse 45, you gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in, she has not ceased to kiss my feet. It was also customary when you come, when you visit somebody, it was customary to kiss on the cheek, like just a greeting, as a form of greeting. This man, Simon the Pharisee, knowing very well the rules and customs of the time, did no such thing either. And then verse 46, you did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with her ointment. Again, it was customary for when people are visiting each other, it's kind of like a perfume, air de perfume. You know, hey, you stink, put on some oil, you know, like to at least give some oil to refresh themselves. You know, so you got clean feet, you got a nice greeting, hey, here's some, you know, some Gucci Couture perfume to just freshen yourself up, you know. But he did no such thing. And then verse 47, he says, therefore, I tell you, her sins, her 500 denarii, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. And what that means is really, it means she understood how deep her sins was, but she understood even more how much she has been forgiven. And he goes on, but he who is forgiven little, loves little. I mean, he was taking a jab at Simon the Pharisee, he's like, you don't even know who is in front of you to be able to forgive your sins. And he said to her, your sins are forgiven. Then those who are at the table with him began to say among themselves, who is this who even forgives sins? And then verse 50 said, to the woman, your faith has saved you, go in peace. So we just read a very, one of my favorite stories because it just shows the different contrast between the woman who is a sinner, was called a sinner in the story, and Pharisee, and Simon the Pharisee. And here's my challenge for you guys tonight. Which one of these people do you really see yourself more rightly aligned with? Are you the person that no matter where Jesus is, no matter where he is, you go out looking for him and bring all that you got, all your 500 denarii's worth of whatever it may be, and give it all to him right there, or are you like Simon the Pharisee, testing out the waters but really you ain't testing, it seems like you already made up your mind about who Jesus Christ is and you want nothing to do with him. So tonight, that is the question for you guys. Tonight, I want to challenge you guys to understand, even from the woman's point of view, that her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. It's actually one of the questions I want to challenge you guys in your small groups to just think about. Maybe you don't want to answer that. Do you understand how big, how deep, how wide Christ's love is for you? During this week of Passover, and we're about to celebrate Jesus' resurrection, it already happened, but we're celebrating it, you know, it happened thousands of years ago, it's a good reflection thought. Are you still celebrating a man that is hung on a tree, or do you know that he is alive and well, and that he is for you, and that he is pursuing you every single day, and he doesn't want to have a relationship with you like Simon the Pharisee, where sometimes we allow Jesus to come into our lives, but Jesus don't go through that door. You could come into my house, like Simon the Pharisee, he allowed him in the house, he allowed him to eat the food off the table, but he didn't go any deeper than that. There was no deep connection. And let me tell you guys, thousands of years ago, even before Jesus' time, there was a time where people, how they worshiped God, was that the presence of God would fall into a specific type of place, and people weren't even allowed into that room except for once a year to atone for their sins. But Jesus came to break that barrier, to tore down that veil, so that we can actually have a deep connection with him, so that we don't have to rely on old religious ways, old covenant laws, and all the hundreds of them, but rather all we have to say, Jesus, here I am, I want to have a deep connection with you, I need you, and you are there wanting also a relationship with him. The question when they say, who is this who even forgives sins? Because even at that point, they've already seen him do miracles. Because even at that point, they already see the crowd falling. But let me tell you guys, at the end of the day, whether the lights all shut down and we're, the concert, the music, everything, all of this, the fancy, the extra things that we, we don't need all this, all we need is to have a relationship, and when it comes down to it, it's what happens at the cross. And what happens at the cross is your sins are 100% forgiven, not 99.99, like some antibacterial effectiveness, it's 100%. But do you believe that? Are you like this woman who understood that she didn't even care, even if, to the point where if she, it's like as if she made up her mind, even if I die in that Pharisee's house that night, at least I have touched my saviors, at least I got to know my saviors, even more to the point, my sins are forgiven. It's kind of a hard struggle, even for ongoing Christians, to remember what Christ did on the cross, where maybe some of us who have been Christian for many years, or four years or three years or whatever it may be, and then along the way, you kind of forgot the meaningful impact that Christ did for you on the cross. And I don't mean to come down on hard on you on this topic, but I'm just really passionate in just asking you, do you know how much Jesus Christ loves you? And that question comes through a thought process of answer, knowing that all your sins, no matter how deep they are, no matter how deep that thought is, no matter how deep that feeling is, Christ is still there. He is still with you. And what's amazing is that when he tells her, in verse 50, he said to the woman, your faith has saved you, go in peace. He didn't say the alabaster jar that you brought saved you. He didn't say when your tears have saved you, the fact that you cleaned my feet saved you. He realized the relationship aspect in that moment, and it was her faith. And I'm saying this part because some of us may come from a background where we need to do something in order to get what we need. Well, I'm telling you right now, it's probably a little bit scandalous that you don't need to do anything to earn the salvation and the gift that God has for you. And that's amazing. And I know that's sometimes hard to wrap our minds around, especially how we spoke about the woman, the Samaritan woman at the well, and how she was even herself doubtful. Are you really who you say you are? You're just a prophet. And then he revealed himself to her by basically telling the Samaritan woman... to women all of her past, and then she realized there was something different about him. And now at the moment that he said that, I am the Messiah, guys, that is such a relief. The person who is not just here to be an ATM, to be a bank account for you to answer your prayers. No, he is there in your darkest, deepest moments, and he is there in the highest point of your life as well. And this woman realized, and I know I'm going back to a different story, but the Samaritan woman and this woman have realized it's the Messiah. It's the Savior. And I know that maybe those words may seem outdated, but if it helps you guys, it's the person that's going to get you where you need to go, and that is eternity. That is a relationship with God. We were created to worship God. And that's what Jesus Christ is doing. He's reestablishing that connection that Adam and Eve broke a long, long time ago. And it is finished. It is done. And it is something to celebrate about, especially this week. So during this week, during Easter services, whichever one you guys are going to go to, maybe you guys have your own type of way to remember Christ during this weekend. You don't necessarily have to come to church. Remember what He did for you at the cross, and remember that it is finished. Each time your mind goes there, each time the enemy tries to go there, each time the world tells you different, you tell them, no, it is finished, and then allow the Word of God to impact you and change you. Allow being in the presence of God impact you and to change you. Don't change just because, just like how Anhi was saying, don't do it just to do it. Do it because you want that intimate relationship. Do it because you're pursuing Him. Because I can tell you guys right now, He is pursuing you right now, 100%. We're going to watch a video right now, and I remember watching this around your age as well, a couple years back, and I just remember that this video and how this certain preacher, I forgot his name, just kind of laid it all out of who Jesus Christ is. And I want to share this video to you guys, and maybe there might be a title that He calls Jesus by or God by that you guys may relate to. But just so you know, these stations, they're not just closed just during worship, but even afterwards, if you want to still ride into, as Anhi instructed, whatever you're struggling, whatever you want to give over to God, you surrender to. It's still there. And you don't need, this is just to facilitate that. So you can still do that, and you can also still do that at home. You know, rip a piece of paper at home, put it on the wall of your mom's, be like, what are you doing? Tell her, what are you doing? So let's take this moment and just watch this video, and after the video, I'm going to come up and we're going to pray and then break off to small groups. He's the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizon of this world. He's God's son. He's a sinner's savior. He's the centerpiece of civilization. He's unparalleled. He's unprecedented. He is the loftiest idea in literature. He's the highest personality in philosophy. He's a fundamental doctrine of true theology. He's the only one qualified to be an all sufficient savior. I wonder if you know him today. He supplies strength for the weak. He's available for the needy. He's available for the tempted and the tried. He sympathizes and he saves. He strengthens and sustains. He guards and he guides. He heals the sick. He cleans the lepers. He forgives sinners. He discharges debtors. He delivers the poor. He's the only one qualified to be an all sufficient savior. I wonder if you know him today. He supplies strength for the weak. He's available for the tempted and the tried. He sympathizes and he saves. He strengthens and sustains. He guards and he guides. He heals the sick. He delivers the captive. He defends the feeble. He blesses the young. He serves the unfortunate. He regards the age. He rewards the diligent and he purifies the meek. I wonder if you know him. He's a key to knowledge. He's a wellspring of wisdom. He's a doorway of deliverance. He's a pathway of peace. He's a roadway of righteousness. He's a highway of holiness. He's a gateway to tall truth. He's a way of illness. He's a gateway to salvation. I wonder if you know him. He supplies strength for the weak. He provides food to the poor. He delivers the captive. He gives in to the feeble. He blesses the young. He delivers the unfortunate. He's a gateway of glory. Do you know him? Well, his light is massless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. His yogh is easy and his burden is lighter. I wish I could describe him for yet he's indescribable. He's incomprehensible. He's invincible. He's irresistible. Well, you can't get him out of your mind. You see, you can't get him off of your head. You can't outlive him and you can't live without him. Well, the pharisees couldn't stand him, but they found out they couldn't stop him. They found in him, terror couldn't kill him, death couldn't have him, and the grave couldn't hold him. That's my king. That's my king. This moment right now, I'm just praying to you, God, that we can make room for you as we were singing earlier. Not in a way like Simon the Pharisee made room and invited you over thousands of years ago over to his home, but really did not welcome you into his heart, but making room in a way that is just crashing onto our lives in the way in this woman crashed this party that she wasn't even invited to, God, but she made a way, she made it possible to see you, God. Lord, let us be in that type of state of mind where we are fighting through, we are struggling through to see you every single day, that we will not allow our sins to stop us, that we will not allow our struggles to stop us, that we will not allow anybody, any physical person, any thought to stop us from getting to know you, to getting to know you deeply and intimately. Jesus, thousands of years ago you died on the cross and now you are alive, and you forgive us of our sins, and I pray that if anybody in this room has not reached to a point to knowing who you are as Savior, as Christ, as the Messiah of their lives, then I ask that you meet them right now in this moment, and that they can make room in their hearts for you. Jesus, I thank you so much for this message, I thank you that we get to celebrate what you have done, and it is a privilege to preach and to teach about you, Jesus, and I pray that the students and everyone else in this room can have a deeper relationship with you every day, that we fight against this war, that we fight against the fleshly desire, Lord, and you give us the armor, you give us the strength and the willpower to do so, knowing that we are not alone. Thank you, Jesus, so much for this message. Thank you, Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.
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