Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Day 17: "Faith without works is dead"

Today’s Scripture Reading: “Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. [37] When 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, [38] and 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. [39] When 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."[40] Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you.""Tell me, teacher," he said. [41] "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. [42] Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?" [43] Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said. [44] Then he turned toward the woman and said 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. [45] You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. [46] You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. [47] Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." [48] Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." [49] The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" [50] Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Luke 7:36-50 (NIV)

Just a few notes as commentary on Luke 7:

Jesus accepted the invitation to the Pharisee’s house – why because he had a need for the Word of God – whether he realized it or not.

The woman in this text was a sinner likewise but here sins are not named, but we get the impression she was a woman with a bad rep. She admitted she was a sinner but the difference is that she was a repentant sinner.

Simon real problem was blindness. He could see the woman sins but couldn’t see his own need.

This text doesn’t deal with the amount of sin in a person’s life but the awareness of that sin in the person’s life. It is not the amount of sin that make a person a sinner [Simon and the woman were both sinners]

Simon was guilty of sins of the spirit [especially pride], while the woman was guilty of sins of the flesh.

This woman faith moved Jesus. While the other men in the room had rejected her, Jesus did not this woman’s tears and her gift of ointment and her work were the evidence of her faith.
“Faith without works is dead!” James 2:20

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