September 30th, 2024
The Upward Look, by Jon Forrest
The Most Thankful Woman Ever
Based on Luke 7:36-50
A family having a garage sale decided to include a mirror they had received as a wedding gift. The reason they were selling it was that it had a gaudy aqua-colored metal frame and they just couldn’t find a room in their house where it looked good.
Shortly after the sale began, a man (who was looking to decorate his apartment) bought the mirror for one dollar. He was all excited, and he said as he bought it: “This is a great deal - it still has the plastic on it.” Then he peeled off the aqua-colored protective covering… to reveal a beautiful gold finished frame underneath.
Lots of people go to garage sales looking for bargains just like that. Some people have a saying about garage sales: "One man’s trash is another man’s treasure," but once in a while, someone stumbles upon a treasure that the owner doesn’t know he has.
There are people who are counted as garbage by some who find themselves in the position of superiority. But we must understand that Jesus sees the world’s garbage and turns it into treasure.
Such an instance occurred in our text. Jesus was reclining at the table of a very religious man named Simon. Simon was a part of the ruling religious class called the Sanhedrin. He was a Pharisee.
Such gatherings were actually public dinners. Public figures, and Jesus had become one, would be invited to attend as guests. The guests would recline on cushions around a low table and dine. The door would be open to the public to come and listen to the conversation and “wisdom” of these important people.
While this very religious crowd was having dinner a party crasher showed up. A woman who was well known to have lived a sinful life came into the room. You can only imagine the unison “gasp” that came from the guests when this woman, apparently not knowing her place, approached Jesus. What a scene she made? She was crying uncontrollably as she knelt at the feet of the popular rabbi, Jesus, and began to wash his feet with her tears and dry his feet with her long flowing hair. It was considered to be inappropriate in that culture for a woman to let her hair down in public. Topping it off, she continually kissed his feet and opened a fancy jar of expensive perfume that had to be more than she could afford and anointed Jesus’ feet. Her act of contrition and worship was not appreciated by the highly religious crowd in the room.
Look at the account in Luke 7 beginning with verse 39.
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 people 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 forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“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—as her great love has shown. But whoever 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.”
There is a close link between the forgiveness of sin, faith and thanksgiving. In a sense, gratitude is an expression of modesty. In Hebrew, the word for gratitude - hoda’ah - is the same as the word for confession. To offer thanks is to confess dependence, to acknowledge that others have the power to benefit you, to admit that your life is better because of their efforts. Such an attitude of gratitude must be present in the humble person.
The woman who had worshipped Jesus was filled with humility. Her passionate worship was out of her understanding that she was a sinner. The doubtful religious people in the room were not only doubtful about Jesus and the woman, but were also doubtful of their own need of forgiveness. After all, they were “good people” some of the best.
In America we set up one special day for “Thanksgiving!” That is a very good thing, but it is of little use if it does not inspire a life of thankful living. When the pilgrims and the local Indian tribes joined together for that first Thanksgiving feast it was out of understanding that without God they would not have survived to this point.
It is crucial to see how the woman’s gratitude for Jesus and his love connected to the final words of the Master to her. “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
This is why she was the most thankful woman ever. I wonder, Does your level of worship and thanksgiving represent your understanding of Christ’s forgiveness of your sin?
You too could be the most thankful person ever.
This Sunday we will look at Proverbs 15:1-7 and other words from Proverbs and share a message titled Watch Your Mouth, It is my hope that we will find ways to overcome the issue of an uncontrolled tongue and grow in our walk with Jesus. Bring your friends, family and neighbors.
Thankful too,
Jon
The Most Thankful Woman Ever
Based on Luke 7:36-50
A family having a garage sale decided to include a mirror they had received as a wedding gift. The reason they were selling it was that it had a gaudy aqua-colored metal frame and they just couldn’t find a room in their house where it looked good.
Shortly after the sale began, a man (who was looking to decorate his apartment) bought the mirror for one dollar. He was all excited, and he said as he bought it: “This is a great deal - it still has the plastic on it.” Then he peeled off the aqua-colored protective covering… to reveal a beautiful gold finished frame underneath.
Lots of people go to garage sales looking for bargains just like that. Some people have a saying about garage sales: "One man’s trash is another man’s treasure," but once in a while, someone stumbles upon a treasure that the owner doesn’t know he has.
There are people who are counted as garbage by some who find themselves in the position of superiority. But we must understand that Jesus sees the world’s garbage and turns it into treasure.
Such an instance occurred in our text. Jesus was reclining at the table of a very religious man named Simon. Simon was a part of the ruling religious class called the Sanhedrin. He was a Pharisee.
Such gatherings were actually public dinners. Public figures, and Jesus had become one, would be invited to attend as guests. The guests would recline on cushions around a low table and dine. The door would be open to the public to come and listen to the conversation and “wisdom” of these important people.
While this very religious crowd was having dinner a party crasher showed up. A woman who was well known to have lived a sinful life came into the room. You can only imagine the unison “gasp” that came from the guests when this woman, apparently not knowing her place, approached Jesus. What a scene she made? She was crying uncontrollably as she knelt at the feet of the popular rabbi, Jesus, and began to wash his feet with her tears and dry his feet with her long flowing hair. It was considered to be inappropriate in that culture for a woman to let her hair down in public. Topping it off, she continually kissed his feet and opened a fancy jar of expensive perfume that had to be more than she could afford and anointed Jesus’ feet. Her act of contrition and worship was not appreciated by the highly religious crowd in the room.
Look at the account in Luke 7 beginning with verse 39.
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 people 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 forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“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—as her great love has shown. But whoever 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.”
There is a close link between the forgiveness of sin, faith and thanksgiving. In a sense, gratitude is an expression of modesty. In Hebrew, the word for gratitude - hoda’ah - is the same as the word for confession. To offer thanks is to confess dependence, to acknowledge that others have the power to benefit you, to admit that your life is better because of their efforts. Such an attitude of gratitude must be present in the humble person.
The woman who had worshipped Jesus was filled with humility. Her passionate worship was out of her understanding that she was a sinner. The doubtful religious people in the room were not only doubtful about Jesus and the woman, but were also doubtful of their own need of forgiveness. After all, they were “good people” some of the best.
In America we set up one special day for “Thanksgiving!” That is a very good thing, but it is of little use if it does not inspire a life of thankful living. When the pilgrims and the local Indian tribes joined together for that first Thanksgiving feast it was out of understanding that without God they would not have survived to this point.
It is crucial to see how the woman’s gratitude for Jesus and his love connected to the final words of the Master to her. “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
This is why she was the most thankful woman ever. I wonder, Does your level of worship and thanksgiving represent your understanding of Christ’s forgiveness of your sin?
You too could be the most thankful person ever.
This Sunday we will look at Proverbs 15:1-7 and other words from Proverbs and share a message titled Watch Your Mouth, It is my hope that we will find ways to overcome the issue of an uncontrolled tongue and grow in our walk with Jesus. Bring your friends, family and neighbors.
Thankful too,
Jon
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