One Year Bible Readings and Commentary for Sunday, March 27th "Jesus Teaches Simon the Pharisee a Lesson!"
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Click Here to Read Deuteronomy 7:1-8:20
As Moses continues his speech to the Israelites, there are several principles worth noting as to how God dealt with the Israelites. Since God never changes, they would apply to us today.
1. God chose the Israelites to be his special, chosen people. He calls them, "His own special treasure." Note God chose them not because they were necessarily the bigges nation, but simply he loved them and was honoring the covenant he made with their ancestor Abraham.
2. With their special calling came special responsibilities. Most importantly they would worship Him alone as the one true God. The nations that they were driving out worshipped other gods and their corrupt practices revealed the type of God they served. It was especially important that they would teach their children to worship God. As the Israelites followed the Lord's commands, they would reveal that He was the one and only true God to the people around them.
3. God's deep desire was to love and bless them with every kind of abundance, as they were faithful to Him. God would bless their wives with many children. He would bless their fields with abundant crops. They would have great herds of cattle, sheet and goats. God would protect them from all disease and sickness. There is nothing they would not have.
4. God gives them a stern warning, as they become prosperous in every way. They would be tempted to forget that it is God who provided all of this to them. They would be tempted to forget God and follow other gods to their peril and destruction. The bottom line as God rescued the Israelites from the Egyptians and fed them manna in the wilderness was to show them it was only because of God that they they survived. When they became rich and prosperous it would be tempting to forget all of this. Worst of all they might think their wealth came from their own energy and strength.
5. What does this mean for us today? If you are a Christian, Jesus chose you and set you apart as His special possession. Jesus paid for your sin on the cross and freed you from being in bondage to sin. Jesus has given you all of his gifts, most importantly the gift of eternal life. Like the Israelites, as you follow Jesus by His Holy Spirit, you will show the world what the one true God looks like and reveal the love He gave to the whole world through His Son.
Jesus calls this special treasured possession his bride, or the church. The church is not Lutheran, Catholic, non-denominational, or Pentecostal. The church is those who have been set apart by Jesus to spread the love of God. Jesus never envisioned a church separated by denominational titles. He wanted us to be One, as He and the Father are one. God has called each one of you to be part of a local church where you can work with the others in the church to build up the church and draw more people to Christ. He gave you gifts and resources to help build the church. He wants you to be a disciple and also make other disciples in the church. Meaning he wants you to grow as his follower and then help come alongside another brother or sister in Christ and help them grow.
Click Here to Read Luke 7:36-8:3
Luke continues his emphasis of Jesus' love toward toward the outsiders. Those who had been written off by the religious establishment. He continues to expose the Pharisees for their critical and judgmental attitudes, and their lack of love toward him. In this story a woman who led an immoral lifestyle came to the house of a Pharisee, who was having Jesus over for dinner.
1. The woman was very bold to come to the house of this Pharisee, who was entertaiing a rabbi, especially given her lifestyle.
2. The woman spent a large amount of money buying perfume to anoint Jesus' feet with. Both the alabaster flask and perfume in it were expensive.
3. While she was preparing to anoint him, most likely by anointing his head, she was overcome by emotion. She was crying so much, her tears were enough to wash Jesus' feet. Then, she dried them with her hair. The whole scene was a display of someone who came in complete humility and offered everything she had to Jesus without regard to how she might be viewed by the others.
4. Instead of commending the woman, Simon the owner of the home condemns her and then asks Jesus why he would even associate such a sinner, much let her wash his feet.
5. Jesus then tells Simon a parable to teach the error of his thinking. Simon wonders why Jesus can't see the woman in front of him. But Jesus asks Simon, "Do you see this woman?". Did Simon see her heartfelt repentance and sorrow over her sin? Did Simon see the extravagant gift she brought to honor Jesus? Did Simon see his own sin? If he did, then why did he not acknowledge it any way like she did.
Today, Jesus teaches us an important lesson. Our love, devotion, and service to Jesus is in direct proportion to our understanding of our own sinfulness and what Jesus has done for us to forgive us of our sins. When we truly understand the love Jesus had for us when we went to the cross, we will not care what others think when we worship him publicly. We will want to give him our very best, our alabaster flasks and expensive perfume.
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