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STUDY THREE: A WOMAN WHO BELIEVED IN JESUS – LUKE 7:36-50

© Rosemary Bardsley 2015

A. WHAT DID THIS WOMAN DO?
Jesus was invited to a dinner party by a man named Simon, who was a Pharisee. The Pharisees were Jews who kept an expanded version of Old Testament laws in meticulous details. Simon and his guests were enjoying dinner when an uninvited woman walked into his house. Read Luke 7:36-38 to find out about her.

Describe eight things she did:
37    
    
38    
    
    
    
    
    

B. HOW DID SIMON REACT?

Read verse 39.
Simon, like most of the religious Jews was puzzled about Jesus. They recognized that he had teaching ability and a lot of knowledge about God; they recognized that he could do miracles, but they were not sure his power came from God. They heard the claims he made, but they did not believe them. The more they heard of him the more antagonistic they became.

For example:

Mark 2:6    ‘Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”’

Mark 2:16    ‘When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the “sinners” and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?’

Mark 11:27,28    ‘… while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”’

Luke 6:2,7    ‘Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” … The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely …’

Luke 11:53,54    ‘When Jesus left there, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, waiting to catch him in something he might say.’

John 5:16-18    ‘So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.’

John 8:58,59    ‘”I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself …’

John 10:30-33    [Jesus said] “I and the Father are one.” Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”’

C. WHY DID JESUS TELL THE STORY IN LUKE 7:40-43?

Read Luke 7:36-50. Suggest why Jesus told the story in verses 40 to 43.

 

 


D. THE CONTRAST BETWEEN SIMON AND THE WOMAN – Luke 7:44-47
Jesus explained to Simon the difference between him and the woman.

Complete the unfinished sentences below:
Simon did not give Jesus any water to wash his feet; the woman ....   

Simon sid not give Jesus a kiss, bur the woman ...   

Simon did not put oil on Jesus’ head, but the woman ...   

Simon did not love Jesus, but the woman ...   

The woman had received forgiveness and salvation from Jesus, but Simon ...

The woman believed in Jesus, but Simon ...

Obviously at some time before this dinner party, this woman has had an encounter with Jesus. Because of this encounter she has believed in him. Through her faith in him she has received the forgiveness of sins. Because of this wonderful salvation she loves Jesus with a real and deep love. All that she did to him is an expression of her deep love for him and her thankfulness for the forgiveness of sin that she knows she has received from him.

Simon, refusing to believe in Jesus, knows nothing of forgiveness of sins and nothing of the powerful love for Jesus that the woman feels.

E. THE MEANING OF FORGIVENESS
The Bible contains many graphic pictures of forgiveness. God really wants us to understand the meaning of forgiveness, so he has put in his Word these images of forgiveness that are images from our daily lives. Every time these images pop up in our lives they remind us of his comprehensive forgiveness.

Explain  the meaning of the following images of forgiveness?

Isaiah 38:17 - God puts our sins behind his back    

 

Matthew 18:21-35 - God cancels the debt of our sin    

 

Psalm 103:12 - God removes our sins as far as the east is from the west    

 

Micah 7:19    God stamps our sins under his foot

    
Micah 7:19    God throws our sins into the depths of the sea
    

Psalm 51:1l 1 John 1:9    God wipes out the record of our sins
    
Psalm 32:1 - God covers our sins

    
Psalm 51:9 God hides his face from out sins    

 

Colossians 1:14 - God set us free    

 

Colossians 2:13 - God ‘graced over’ our sin    

 

Colossians 2:13,14 - God nailed our sins to the cross of Jesus