Extravagant Grace

Luke 7:36-50

God Gives Us His Words of Eternal Life

Todays Scripture:

!uke 7:36-50

Found on page 864 in our guest Bibles.

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
~ Jesus of Nazareth, John 14:6

There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
~ The Apostle Peter, Acts 4:12

Christianity is too narrow. I believe that good and sincere people can find their way to God no matter what they believe?

Is God only for those who are good?

Extravagant Grace
Luke 7:36-50

Be on the lookout for... 1 2 The popular notion of who God accepts How Jesus radically upends this notion

Luke 7:36

One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisees house and took his place at the table....

Luke 7:37-38

And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisees house, brought an alabaster ask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping,

Luke 7:37-38

she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment....

A woman was to loosen her hair only in the presence of her husband. The Talmud says that a woman could be divorced for letting down her hair in the presence of another man.

So grave was the offense that the rabbis put a womans loosening her hair and uncovering her breasts in the same category. The guests and the onlookers were in intense shock.

Luke 7:39

Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner....

For him, religion was all about being good. God was for good people, not for people whose lives were a mess. By thinking this way, the Pharisee thought that he was maintaining high moral standards,

...but in fact he was graceless, merciless, and loveless. The only thing he could do with sinners was condemn them; he had no grace to give.

Luke 7:40

And Jesus answering said to him, Simon, I have something to say to you. And he answered, Say it, Teacher....

Luke 7:41-42

A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed ve hundred denarii, and the other fty. When They would not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more...?

Luke 7:43-44

Simon answered, The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt. And he said to him, You have judged rightly. Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, Do you see this woman...?

Luke 7:44-45

I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet.

Luke 7:46-47

You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven-for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little....

Luke 7:44-46

And he said to her, Your sins are forgiven....

Jesus brought the good news of Gods forgiveness of those unable to pay their debts. The revolution of God is a revolution of forgiveness. Those in the revolution are those who have received that forgiveness through Jesus, and whose lives are (or should be) marked by grateful love for Jesus.

Luke 7:49

Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, Who is this, who even forgives sins...?

Luke 7:50

And he said to the woman, Your faith has saved you; go in peace.

Important Question
Why does Luke include this event in his historical biography of Jesus?

The Gospel of Jesus is about extravagant grace to the worst of sinners that calls forth an extravagant response to Christ the King.

1
(Re) Discover the extravagant grace of Jesus Christ

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Here is a saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst.
~The Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 1:15

Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me I once was lost but now am found was blind but now I see
~ John Newton Amazing Grace 1779

2 Let the Gospel overow you

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