LBC Sunday School Lesson: Luke 7:36-50

Luke 7:36-39

Jesus was invited to a dinner party at the house of Simon, a Pharisee.  These events were the black tie galas of the first century.  It was common for crowds of spectators to gather around the house to witness the event.  While Jesus was laid back at the table, an immoral woman, probably a prostitute came to Him in tears.  She had heard that Jesus would be there, and so she sought Him out.  She washed His feet with her hair, kissing them and anointing them with expensive perfume.

Simon the Pharisee scorned Jesus with his thoughts.  “If He were truly a prophet, He would know what sort of woman was touching Him,” he said to himself.  The Pharisees despised sinners.  They hated them with a self-righteous passion.  They taught that if anyone who associated with a sinner became unclean.  Jesus allowing this woman to touch his feet appalled the Pharisees, revealing their doubt and unbelief.

Luke 7:40-43

Jesus proved His power to Simon.  Jesus knew what Simon was thinking and responded with a parable.  A creditor had two debtors, one owed him five hundred days wages and the other owed him fifty.  The creditor canceled both debts.  Which one will love him more?  “The one who owed five hundred,” Simon answered correctly.  Jesus knew that love for God directly correlates to His forgiveness.  This parable penetrated to the Simon’s hard heart.  The woman loved Jesus greatly because she acknowledged her sin and accepted Christ’s forgiveness.  The Pharisee, however, believed he was righteous because of his actions.  He didn’t acknowledge his sin or his need for a savior.  Therefore, he didn’t love Jesus.

Luke 7:44-50

It was customary for the host to have his servants wash the feet of the guest.  Remember that these guys wore sandals in the desert, and so their feet would get quite dirty.  Also, it was proper to greet the guest with a smooch on the cheek, and hive him some oil to anoint his head.  Simon failed to show Jesus these courtesies out of his own pride.  He trusted in his own good deeds and not in Jesus.  Conversely, the woman humbled herself, and served and worshiped Jesus.

Jesus made a similar point in Luke 18:9-14.

Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 

In both passages, the Pharisee trusted in himself, while the despised sinner recognized his transgression and humbled himself.

The first step of genuine faith is humility, acknowledging your own sin and depravity.  It’s no coincidence that the first beatitude in Mathew 5 is “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Humility is a prerequisite of faith.  It is required just to get in the door of God’s Kingdom.

And the result of faith in Jesus is forgiveness (justification).  And the fruit of forgiveness is love.  Just like the woman in Luke 7, our acts of service, worship and devotion are outward expressions of our inward faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Biblical reiteration of God's resistance to pride and His grace towards the humble.

Note taking is a critical skill one must master in order to be successful in college.  I had professors that would blather on the entire class about anything and everything, making it difficult to determine what would be on the test.  I soon learned one valuable tip.  If the professor wrote something on the board, it was important.  If the professor wrote something on the board multiple times, it was a guarantee that this information was vital and would defiantly be on the test.  The same principal can be applied to our Biblical studies. 

Read Proverbs 3:34, 1 Peter 5:5, and James 4:6.

These scriptures all illustrate the same message.  God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.

I think that one's gunna be on the test.

Jesus Reassures John

Luke 7:18-23

¹⁸The disciples of John reported to him about all these things.

 ¹⁹Summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?"

 ²⁰When the men came to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, 'Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?'"

 ²¹At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind.

 ²²And He answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.

 ²³"Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me."

Although John the Baptist had declared that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, things hadn’t panned out the way he expected.  For one thing, John was sitting in a dank, dark prison (Matt. 11:2).  Like many Jews of his time, John expected a triumphant Messiah who would overthrow Rome and reign over the entire Earth.  However, this was not Christ’s mission during His life here on Earth.  Jesus was building the foundation of the kingdom of God, a spiritual kingdom and not an earthly empire.  Therefore, doubt began to creep into John’s mind because of his messianic misconceptions and false expectations.

Often, we as Christians become disappointed because God does not meet our false expectations of Him.  We must understand that the will of God supersedes our idea of how things should be.  This is why it is crucial for us to continually test our beliefs and assumptions about God against the scriptures.  In this way our minds can be renewed and we will better know the revealed will of God, avoiding the doubts which can arise from false expectations.

Jesus tells the disciples to tell John about the signs being performed: the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead live, and the good news is preached to the poor.  These were no random set of miracles, they were predicted to be a part of the Messiah’s ministry by the prophet Isaiah (Is. 356:5-6, 61:1), and gave testimony that Jesus was indeed the Expected One. Jesus then encourages John not to lose heart, because anyone who is not ashamed of Jesus, the humble, suffering savior, is truly blessed.

Luke 7:24-30

²⁴ After John's messengers left, He began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind? ²⁵ What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft robes? Look, those who are splendidly dressed  and live in luxury are in royal palaces. ²⁶ What then did you go out to see? A prophet?  Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet. 2⁷ This is the one it is written about:

    Look, I am sending My messenger ahead of You;  he will prepare Your way before You.

²⁸ I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John,  but the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." ²⁹ (And when all the people, including the tax collectors, heard this, they acknowledged God's way of righteousness, [d] because they had been baptized with John's baptism.  ³⁰ But since the Pharisees and experts in the law  had not been baptized by him, they rejected the plan of God for themselves.)

Jesus had nothing but praise for John.  What did the people go out into the wilderness of the Jordan to see?  A fickle, wavering man whose message changed with the wind of popular opinion? A man dressed in fine clothes?  No, they went to see a prophet of God boldly proclaiming God’s word.  John was more than a mere prophet.  He was privileged above all the other prophets because it was he who announced the arrival of the expected Messiah.  The common people and the despised tax collectors were the ones who accepted John’s message of repentance, but the Pharisees and religious leaders had rejected God’s message given through John.

Luke 7:31-35

³¹ "To what then should I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? ³² They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to each other:

    We played the flute for you, but you didn't dance; we sang a lament,but you didn't weep!

    ³³ For John the Baptist did not come eating bread or drinking wine,  and you say, 'He has a demon!' ³⁴ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!  ³⁵ Yet wisdom is vindicated  by all her children."

Although John and Jesus had the same message, their ministries were opposite in approach.  John led a life of rigid abstinence, dwelling in the wilderness on a diet of locusts and honey.  The Pharisees rejected John and accused him of being possessed by a demon.  Jesus on the other hand,  ate and drank as a normal man, and the Pharisees called Him a glutton.  Ironically, the very qualities the Pharisees wished to see in Christ’s ministry were prominent in John’s, whom they had rejected.  Like little children who did not want to play wedding or play funeral, they were discontent and unbelieving, which revealed the hardness of their hearts.

Is Homosexuality Natural?

One common rationale in the defense of the homosexual (gay) lifestyle is that homosexuality is natural.  The argument is that homosexual behavior can be observed in nature, making it a natural phenomenon.  This argument was cited in the Supreme Court Case Lawrence vs. Texas, which struck down sodomy laws in 14 states.  It is true that homosexual behavior is prevalent in the animal kingdom.  Recent research indicates that over 1500 different species have exhibited same-sex behaviors such as sexual relations, courtship, affection, and parenting.  These behaviors have been documented in a wide range of animals, from primates to penguins to fruit flies

There are, however, two foundational flaws in this argument.  The sociological and moral aspects of the animal kingdom are not directly analogous to humankind, and nature itself has been corrupted to an unnatural state.

My son once tried to eat his dinner by sticking his head in his bowl and lapping up the food.  He was confused by my subsequent scolding, arguing that is the way the puppy dog eats.  He failed to grasp that the rules for animals are not the same as those for humans.

BISD MLK Parade Flyer

I usually shy away from politics, especially concerning BISD.  However, when I am confronted with such bold hatred and poorly executed propaganda, I can't resist myself.

The following is the exact word for word flyer sent home to parents from BISD to encourage attendence at the upcoming MLK Day parade.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade

"Making the Dream a Reality"

Saturday, January 15, 2011

You are invited to join Regina-Howell Elementary in the MLK parade. We will have signs and banners reminding people of King's philosophy of peace, social justice and global interdependence. Help us create a large peace and justice contingent to counter the presence in the parade of militaristic organizations like the JROTC, ROTC, Police and Sheriff's Department. All BISD schools will be represented.
Parents must accompany their child/children at all times. Please wear your Regina-Howell t-shirt. All students will receive a participation gift at the parade.
On behalf of the Parade Committee, we look forward to seeing you there and thank you for your interest and participation in the 2011 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade.
Time: 8:30 am (for line-up)
Place: Franklin @ MLK (position 5)

Militaristic organizations? Well, yes, the police force is militaristic in that they carry guns and wear uniforms, but thats all part of the fighting crime gig.  I wonder if they will complain to the officers who will be diverting traffic for the parade, or the officers in charge of crowd control.  The flyer implies that the police and sheriff's department are antithetical to the idea of peace.  Does BISD view the police force as the enemy of civil peace?  Is that what they have gleaned from the teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr.?  Do they expect the cops to show up with tear gas and water cannons to persecute the follows of peace?  I doubt it.  It is my opinion that this sentiment is an expression of the ignorance, prejudice and hatred in the heart of the (anonymous) author.

Hatred is a strong drug, that skews the perception of reality.  The only antidote is the grace and love of Christ Jesus (which we all need).  Therefore, I pray for the administrators, employees, and students of BISD.

Luke 7:1-10

¹ When He had concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum.² A centurion's slave, who was highly valued by him, was sick and about to die. ³ When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to Him, requesting Him to come and save the life of his slave. ⁴ When they reached Jesus, they pleaded with Him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy for You to grant this, ⁵ because he loves our nation and has built us a synagogue."  ⁶ Jesus went with them, and when He was not far from⁷ That is why I didn't even consider myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be cured.  ⁸ For I too am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under my command.  I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes; and to another, 'Come!' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it." the house, the centurion sent friends to tell Him, "Lord, don't trouble Yourself, since I am not worthy to have You come under my roof.

    ⁹ Jesus heard this and was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following Him, He said, "I tell you, I have not found so great a faith even in Israel!" ¹⁰ When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

Love for others

The centurions concern for his slave contrary to the reputation of Roman soldiers.  In fact, this is the only instance recorded in scripture where someone seeks healing from Jesus for a slave.

Humility

Apparently, this gentile centurion had been very kind the Jews, going as far as to build their Synagogue.  The elders of the Jews felt compelled to bring his cause to Jesus.  They described the centurion as being worthy.  However, the centurion himself confessed, “I am not worthy.”  He did not consider himself worthy for Jesus to even enter his house.

Belief

The centurion was knowledgeable about authority, being the leader of 100 Roman soldiers.  He had ultimate authority over his subordinates.  He recognized that Jesus had this same authority over disease.  He believed that a simple word from Jesus was all that was required to heal his servant.

Jesus marveled at the simple faith of this gentile centurion.  No one in all of Israel had made such a bold confession of Christ’s supreme authority.  Here again, Luke chronicled a portrait of genuine faith coming from an unlikely source.

Happy Birthday Song

Performed by JJ.

Lord, Lord

Luke 6:46-49

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?  Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.  But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great."

In Luke chapter six, Jesus gave a detailed discourse on the basics of Christian faith and conduct.  He outlined the principals of the kingdom: loving others, praying for your persecutors, generously giving to everyone who asks, forgiveness, and mercy.  So now He ends his lecture by commanding obedience to these principals.  To call Christ “Lord” is to wholly submit to Him as master of your life in both word and deed.  Obedience is a key ingredient in genuine, saving faith, and faith without subsequent action is dead (James 1:22-25, 2:17).

The wise man builds his life on the principals of Christ’s teachings, so that when the flood of sorrows, persecutions, and pain beat against him he will stand firm because his foundation is built on the solid rock.

The foolish man builds his life on the carnal principals of worldly wisdom, in disobedience to the Word of Christ.  When the storms of life rage, he is swept away because his life is without a foundation.