March 1 – Luke 7:36-50
Main Focus: Anointing
Luke tells us the story of an unnamed woman who brings an alabaster jar of perfume to Jesus. Alabaster is a soft stone frequently used as a perfume container. Reclining toward a low center table(s), the feet of the participants would have faced outward like spokes from a hub. With her tears she washed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. Her tears are tears both of thankfulness and also of reverent awe as she senses the presence of God in the person of Jesus. Her act would have been considered improper, therefore it took great courage to honor Jesus in this way.
p>The Pharisee charges that Jesus is not a prophet because a true prophet would not allow a sinful woman to touch him. Jesus knows Simon’s thoughts, showing that he is indeed a prophet. Jesus said to Simon,“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Five hundred denarii is equivalent to about 20 months’ wages. Fifty denarii is about two months’ wages.
When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more? The analogy here is of sin with debt. Simon’s answer leads to the comparison of his lack of hospitality (no water for my feet . . . no kiss . . . did not anoint my head with oil; with the greater love of the woman (washing his feet with her tears, continually kissing his feet, and anointing them with expensive ointment). For she loved much refers not to the cause of the woman’s forgiveness but the result of it. Jesus says to her “Your sins are forgiven” Those at the table say “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” Luke intentionally raises this question for his readers to reflect on the significance and implications of who Jesus is. The woman experienced the forgiveness of her sins not because of love but through faith, which was evidenced in the way she honored Jesus in her act of washing his feet.
Discussion questions
Read Luke 7:36-50
– What surprised you the most about this story (Jesus’ words, the reactions, etc), and why? What questions do you have from this story? Why do you think this text is included in the Bible? What would we be missing without it?
– The practice of anointing with oil is foreign to a lot of evangelical christians, and churches seldom practice it. However, it is a beautiful practice for the church to make their prayers tangible before God and to be reminded of God’ s constant comfort and care. Why is this practice so “ weird” for many of us? What do you think the church misses without tangible expressions of our faith?
– Grace is offensive to many. In this story, the Pharisees missed the whole point of God’ s love. Rather than seeing themselves as the “chief of sinners” needing grace and forgiveness, they had become elitists who looked down on sinners like the woman in this story. Seeing yourself as the “chief of sinners” must be more than a Christian catchphrase. There is a work involved in letting God reveal the depth of our sin in our actions, minds, and affections. The more we allow God to reveal the depth of our sin, the more we will experience the bounty of the gospel! What areas of sin has God revealed to you that you were once unaware of?
– How can we pray and encourage one another in light of this story of grace and forgiveness?