<<

1

Good morning RCF. My name is Caleb Little and I am one of the pastors here. I am thrilled that you all have chosen to join us outside for church this morning. Thank you for being flexible as we continue to adjust and make changes with all that is going on with covid and our county. High School and middle school students you are dismissed at this time to the back patio where Pastor Levi is prepared for you. I would like to take a moment to draw your attention to the wood cutting project we have going for this next Saturday Oct. 17th. Please contact the church office if you are interested in helping with this event. We are going to be supplying firewood for several families within our church body. We need people to run wood splitters and chainsaws and if you have a dump trailer I would like to speak with you. So if you are interested please contact the church office or pick up a flyer at one of the tables in the back. Alright, I think that is all the housekeeping stuff So a couple weeks ago, pastor John asked me if I would preach this morning and he did a very dangerous thing- he gave me the freedom to pick any passage and topic. He provided no boundaries, he turned me completely loose. In all honesty I really do prefer to be assigned a passage as it can be a bit daunting to try and figure out what exactly to focus in on. The Bible covers a , and how does a pastor determine what exactly will be beneficial for the congregation to hear? Even more importantly, what does the want to communicate to the hearts of those who will hear this message? So for the last couple weeks I have been wrestling with the issue of what passage to choose, which of course dictates what topic you are going to discuss. I began reading through the book of Luke and I got stopped at Luke 7:36 because it has convicted me. Now there is a good chance that you are more spiritually mature than I am and have not struggled like I have over the last few months, but- perhaps there are one or two of you that will find Luke 7 relevant, beneficial, and even a bit convicting, like I did.

The message this morning could be a bit challenging for anyone who has a strong opinion about anything. If I do my well this morning I hope that Luke 7 will speak to the heart of every stanch conservative and every stanch liberal. If I do my job well this morning I hope that Luke 7 will speak to the heart of every individual who holds a committed view on any social justice issues like abortion, homosexuality, climate change, racial injustice, the use of force by police and the list goes on and on. If I do my job well this morning I hope that Luke 7 will speak to the heart of every individual who holds a passionate view on how things should be done at work or how relational issues in your family should be resolved. If you have a strong opinion about anything (the best flavor of pie) than I would ask that you listen closely to Luke 7 and consider what the Holy Spirit might be speaking to you this morning. Now before we go any further, I want to be careful to communicate that this message is not asking you to stop holding your convictions. This message is not trying to convince anyone to give up any political, social or cultural views. I think it is healthy to have convictions and strong 2 opinions. I hope you vote and you are passionate about your vote, I believe it is your civic duty. I think people should have strong, informed views but if you are a Christian, if you know that Christ was crucified on a cross to pay for your personal sins, then as a Christian we each bear a unique responsibility that is peculiar and weird to much of the world in which we live. This morning, we are going to talk about how to fight, More specifically how is a Christian supposed to discourse and debate someone who holds a different view! I’ll say it again, there is nothing wrong with holding convictions with passion, but the danger with strong and passionate views is that humans are capable of severing relationships and even physically attacking people who hold different views. As we work through our passage this morning there is a good chance that you might get offended. I say this because I got offended while preparing the message. We will be starting this morning in Luke 7:36 but I find it absolutely appropriate, ironic and perhaps even funny that right before our passage Jesus Christ declared in verse 23, “blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” Truth is offensive. ’s word is truth and is therefore offensive. So the question for us this morning before we even get started, how do you respond when God’s word offends you? I don’t like it. I know I can’t argue against my Creator but oh it stings my pride. Do you surrender to God’s word and allow the Holy Spirit to begin a work in you or do you make excuses and find ways around it. I think if we are honest, each of us at certain times struggles to surrender to God’s truth and the example that Jesus Christ provides. Is Jesus Christ Lord of your life? Is Jesus Christ your boss, your authority, your master, your Lord? Or are you like so many of us who prefer Jesus to be our Savior who saves us from our sins. But are perfectly content to stop there. We like Jesus Christ as our Savior but we are not too inclined to allow Jesus be our Lord- because if Jesus is our Lord than we have to surrender and I would much rather do what I want when I want, however I want. So the declarations before we get going: 1. This message is for anyone who has a strong view or opinion about anything. 2. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having strong convictions, opinions and views. 3. Jesus declares: “blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” 4. Truth is offensive, God’s word is truth therefore God’s word is offensive. 5. How do you respond to God when you are offended? Do you submit to Him or do you refuse God’s authority in your life? Would you pray with me as we prepare to dig into God’s word, Lord we thank you for the ability to gather this morning to sing praises to you and to be challenged by your word. For the children and youth that are in their various classes this morning, we pray that You, Jesus Christ are being infused in their hearts in such a way that You will be their Savior and Lord for their entire lives. Holy Spirit speak to each and every heart this 3 morning as we examine your Word. It is in the all-powerful name of Jesus Christ that we pray, Amen. To give some context for our passage, Luke 7:36, Jesus Christ is well into his public ministry. Where we are going to drop into the historical timeline of Jesus’ life, He has already produced many miracles, Jesus has healed the sick, raised the dead, chosen his 12 disciples, cast out and Jesus has provided many teachings that are definitely raising eyebrows among the religious elite. Jesus is the talk of the entire region and is accumulating quite the following and reputation. People are interested in Jesus, they want to hear his teachings and watch his miracles. He is also becoming a bit of a controversial individual. Some declare him to be the long awaited King that would reestablish Israel to her full glory, some thought he was a prophet and others saw Jesus as a threat. So with that bit of context, lets dig in: Luke 7:36-38

36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 And behold, a woman of the , who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, 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. 391 There is a lot going on at this dinner that is completely foreign to our modern American culture so it is important that we gain some cultural understanding:  It was not uncommon for the Pharisee to invite a guest speaker from the to their house afterwards for a meal. Since Jesus was often allowed to teach in the it is possible that this is how this dinner party came to pass.  It was also common for the invited guests to sit on low couches that would be situated around a low table, almost like a mattress that is set directly on the floor. This is very different from our dining room table and chairs that allow ample room for feet and legs to be under the tables. In this setting a person would propped themselves up on their left arm so that their right arm would be free to handle the food. Those of you who are left- handed…sorry this is back in the day when being left-handed would have been socially uncouth. With everything so close to the ground there would be no room for legs or feet under the table, and feet were often very dirty and smelly so you wouldn’t want them near the table. So the invited guests would be reclining on their low couches with their feet laying out behind them away from the table where the food was.  It was also common for people from the town who had not been invited to congregate at a formal dinner gathering or banquet. This is very different from our culture today. They would stand/sit against the wall and watch the events unfold at the main table. It was even appropriate for those who were not invited to have interactions or conversations with the invited guests. Now lots of people wanted to be around Jesus to see what

1 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Lk 7:36–39. 4

miraculous things he would do or what incredible teaching he would give, so you can imagine this meal had quite the gathering.  The Dinner party is being held at Simon’s house and Simon is a Pharisee. A Pharisee is a member of a Jewish religious and political party that differed from the Sadducees on certain doctrines and patterns of behavior.2 Every member of the Pharisees would memorizes the Law of and numerous additional traditions and adhere to all of them. You want to talk about having convictions and strong opinions… Pharisees were convinced there was one way and that they were always right! Each member of the Pharisees would make every effort to keep the law of Moses because they lived with the framework that you earned your standing with God and with men. Your value was completely tied to your pedigree and actions. As a Pharisee, Simon was fanatical in his efforts to present himself worthy to God and worthy to men by how he lived. This framework, this worldview also established a pecking order, a system that each person was to be measured against. The farther up the scale you could measure, the more rules you followed the better person you were, as long as you were born with the right pedigree. The more value you have, the more people who would fall beneath you. This system would easily and quickly determine who was superior and who would be considered inferior.

 Now enters the sinful woman. Many scholars have speculated that she was a prostitute, or she was a woman who had been caught in adultery. While no scholar has been able to confirmed the specific sin, it is clear that this woman’s sin was significant and well known throughout the community. So the obvious question to ask is why would this woman who has such a poor reputation go to perhaps most hostile and condemning place in her entire community? This would be like throwing a newborn calf to a pride of lions that haven’t eaten for a week. Why would she willingly put herself in such a hostile environment where the Pharisees are going to immediately identify and treat her as inferior?

 Some scholars argue that because Jesus had been engaged in public ministry for quite some time in this region, it is highly possible that Jesus had already had a significant and personal interaction with this woman, prior to the dinner party. The idea being that the interaction had been so transformative that the woman didn’t even care that it was a lion’s den, because as far as she was concerned, the only person that was there was Jesus. Her transformation was so massive, her gratitude so intense, it caused her to be absolutely singular in focus- she wanted to express her gratitude and love to Jesus Christ and it didn’t matter that Jesus was in the middle of a lion’s den.

2 Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 128. 5

 Her life had clearly been transformed. She felt love and acceptance despite the sin she knew was real.

 So this woman walked into a pharisee’s house with an expensive bottle of perfume. Luke identifies the bottle as being made of alabaster to be sure to communicate it’s significant value. Scholars believe that this flask was a one and done bottle. In order to use the perfume you had to break the neck of the bottle and use all of it’s contents in one single use, because once the neck was broken the bottle could not be sealed again.

 Upon seeing Jesus reclined at the table she was filled with emotion and moved to tears. She approached Jesus’ feet which were bare and dirty and she used her tears for water and began cleaning His feet with her hair. To touch someone’s feet was a shameful thing in that culture, never mind to kiss them. For a woman to let her hair down would be undignified. But none of that mattered, nor did the expense of the perfume. She was grateful that her life had been transformed. But not everyone was as filled with emotion and stirred to such action as this woman. 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.”3 Now to understand exactly what is going on in this pharisee’s head we need to remember his worldview, how does this pharisee understand God and the world? Through the Law of Moses. A man or woman is righteous based on their pedigree and how they live. They have to measure up to God’s standards and pay for their sins by offering animal sacrifices on the alter in the temple.. Your righteousness depended upon yourself. God was viewed as bound by the Laws of Moses. A person had to measure up- everything was up to themselves. It created such pride, and humanity is so good at accumulating pride, aren’t we? Now we don’t know why the pharisee invited Jesus for a meal but it is now clear that his motives were not completely pure.  It could have been to see if he would do any miracles.  It could have been to impress others that Jesus, the one that everyone was talking about was coming to his house.  It could have been to investigate and try to figure out who this Jesus fella actually was. While we don’t know the pharisee’s motives, we are certainly made aware of his reaction to Jesus:  This Jesus is clearly unable to determine just how lowly a person this woman is.

3 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Lk 7:39. 6

 If this Jesus were a prophet, he would never allow such a sinner to touch Him and make Him unclean.  This Jesus is clearly not as committed to the Law of Moses as I am, for I would never allow such a sinner to touch me, therefore I must be better than He.  I am certainly better than this sinful woman! Can you see how his convictions and faith impact the way Simon treats people? If this man, this Jesus were a prophet, he would have known… Can you hear his arrogance and his assumed superiority? Jesus responds to the “hidden” attitude of arrogance by telling a story: Luke 7:40-47

40 And Jesus answering said to him, what is Jesus answering? Simon’s hidden thought. The Lord knows when our hearts are filled with arrogance. “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? 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. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”4

The sinful woman understands the enormity of sin has been removed and taken away. Therefore her love for Jesus is tremendous. The Pharisee in contrast believes his sin is under control, so much so that he can pay for his sins on his own. This self-sufficiency produces a “hidden” arrogance that creates a feeling of superiority. This “hidden” arrogance does not produce love or dependence upon the Lord. And the arrogance certainly doesn’t cause Simon to feel compassion to those around him. Over the last 8 months I have listened and engaged in countless discussions, debates and arguments about politics, covid, the church’s response to covid, social issues, family issues, relational issues and more. You don’t have to look very far before you find differing opinions on any of these topics. I am sure that you are shocked to hear that with a congregation as large as RCF there is more than one opinion about how to do church during a pandemic. I haven’t heard them all, but I have heard a whole bunch of them.

4 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Lk 7:40–47. 7

I also have an opinion. And I must confess that at times I have operated with a “hidden” arrogance that produces a feeling of superiority within me, of course my hidden arrogance isn’t very hidden and my “hidden” arrogance also often produces an emotional response with whomever I am communicating with. At the very beginning of the message I told you that it isn’t bad to have an opinion or to hold onto your convictions with passion. So if we’re allowed to have an opinion, if we’re allowed to hold a passionate conviction, how do we maintain a humble attitude when talking with someone who holds a different view on any given subject?

But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”5 Do I consider myself to be like Simon the Pharisee or the sinful woman? Do I consider myself better than others because of how I live or do I recognize that I have been forgiven of my sins and am no better than any other individual?  Humility does not require you to give up your views, opinions or convictions.  Humility does not require you to be weak.  Humility does not require you to give in to the pressures you feel from the culture or those around you.

 Humility does requires you to look in the mirror, to maintain a proper view of yourself.  Humility does requires you to recognize that your value as an individual is not in what you do, how much money you make, or how popular you are, or if others agree with you or think you are right.  Humility does require you to recognize your dependence upon God, God’s grace and mercy. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” How do we love those who we absolutely disagree with? We always remember how much Jesus Christ has done for us. Our love for people should have nothing to do with the person, and everything to do with our Savior and Lord. The world loves those who deserve it, Chrisians are supposed to love people because they understand the love that God has for them. That is what makes being a Christian so hard. How do we love those who we absolutely disagree with? We remember how much Jesus Christ has done for us. How do we keep from gaining an arrogance that makes us feel superior to those who we think are wrong? We remember how much Jesus Christ has forgiven us.

5 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Lk 7:40–47. 8

The sinful woman used her tears, hair and expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet because she was grateful for what Jesus Christ had done for her. This is perhaps the most frustrating part of this whole passage. Simon’s arrogance towards her did not change her gratitude for Jesus Christ. This is why being a Christian is so hard. If the followers of Jesus Christ are to shine in darkness, if the followers of Jesus Christ are to effectively point lost people to their Creator and Redeemer than we have to be different from the world. In our current culture it seems to be very acceptable to personally attack someone who holds a different view. That is the worlds way of getting people to fall in line. The worlds way is being a bully, to tear people down and try to make them feel like they are less, that their value is diminished if they don’t hold a particular view. What is Jesus’ way? Was Jesus a bully? Jesus was offensive because He always communicated the truth, but that doesn’t make him a bully. Now Caleb, wait just a minute… how am I supposed to respect and honor someone when they are being arrogant, selfish and foolish? he who is forgiven little, loves little. Oh I don’t like that! But I cannot deny the multitude of times that Jesus Christ has forgiven me for my sin, when I was arrogant, selfish and foolish. he who is forgiven little, loves little. But Caleb, how am I supposed to respect and honor someone when they are attacking me? I wonder what kind of looks that woman got from Simon while she cleaned and poured her perfume on Jesus’ feet. I wonder if there was scorn and disgust in Simon’s gaze. And yet, nothing Simon did changed her gratitude for Jesus Christ because she understood just how much she was forgiven. he who is forgiven little, loves little. Jesus told the story to Simon to point to a discrepancy in the amount of debt, the amount of sin that was recognized by both the sinful woman and Simon the pharisee. Jesus told the story to help Simon understand why the woman was doing what she was doing. But Jesus also told Simon the story to help Simon recognize his own sin. But I don’t think Simon could see it! I think Simon held onto his convictions so strongly that he wouldn’t consider the truth that Jesus was revealing to him. Jesus was trying to show and explain a different way for Simon to understand himself. Jesus was trying to show Simon that he didn’t need to earn his salvation by good works, instead he needed to humble himself, recognize his sin (as he recognized the woman’s sin) if he recognized his sin, then he would be able to look for a Savior. But Simon was so convinced that he was right. That he couldn’t see it. The sinful woman’s sin, her muck and mire were all exposed, well known and ugly. Simon’s life looked great on the outside, he was an honored member of society but he also believed that he could be good enough on his own. So in reality who was the greater sinner? They are both exactly the same. They are both equally dependent upon the grace, mercy and love of Jesus 9

Christ so they are equal sinners. One has been redeemed and one has not, but they are both equal sinners. Simon didn’t understand, so he thought he was better than her. But the sinful woman understood that she had received forgiveness and Simon’s arrogance didn’t matter, because now she knew the truth and the truth was setting her free. The sinful woman understood that she had been forgiven much and so she loved much. The sinful woman also understood that love is never free. And so she gave her tears, hair, kisses and expensive perfume. She gave Jesus her worship. Her gift was a prelude that pointed to a greater gift that would be given in the name of love. Jesus Christ would humble himself and allow arrogant men to falsely accuse him, mock him, spit on him, beat him and crucify him. Jesus Christ would allow Himself to die at the hands of arrogant men so that a redeemed relationship with God could be made possible for anyone who is willing to recognize their sin and humbly ask for forgiveness. Do you recognize your sin? Do you look for and trust in a Savior or are you still trying to prove to God, yourself and everyone else that you are good enough? Luke 7:48-50 contains the last of the interactions: Jesus is going to flip back and forth between Simon and the woman, Jesus says to Simon; Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”6

And Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” 7 Your sins are forgiven, Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Did Jesus say to the woman, Your tears, hair, kisses and perfume have saved you? No, humanity does not earn salvation, we cannot pay enough for our sins…the debt is too great! Your faith has saved you. And then how does Jesus dismiss her? go in peace… go in peace. How much peace have we enjoyed in this year? The truth of God gives peace to those who will humble themselves. But to the world, the truth of God drives them crazy, it is offensive to suggest there is sin, it is offensive to suggest that there is right and wrong, it is offensive to suggest that there will be a day of judgement. How do the invited guests respond?

6 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Lk 7:47.

7 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Lk 7:48–50. 10

How dare he! Who does he think he is? No one can forgive sins but God! They were offended! Today in Redding California, the dilemma is still the same. The truth of God gives peace to those who are willing to humble themselves but it is offensive to the world. My biological family is a mess. My parents divorced when I was seven and the relational issues are tremendous. I do not agree with everything that has been said and done by members of my family, my parents and siblings. There has been tremendous hurt and as a result the relationships within my biological family are a mess… it is getting better as we get older but there is still a long way to go. I have chosen to navigate the complex layers of relationships within my family with an attitude of forgiveness. While I cannot say that I have done this perfectly, I can say that I have chosen to keep all lines of communication open with both my parents and all of my siblings. Because I offer forgiveness to all members of my family, I have been called a coward, spineless, without a moral backbone and deemed unfit to be a pastor by certain members of my family who are offended by my willingness to express forgiveness. When we live God’s way we will be attacked. I still struggle with things that have been done and said in my family- at times I can let myself get pretty worked up. But when I stop and remember, and actually acknowledge how much forgiveness and grace I have received from Jesus Christ, I feel compelled and released to extend forgiveness yet again. And I am allowed to have peace, even in the midst of the conflict. But to those in my family that operate the world’s way- Simon the pharisees way- you have to earn your value, you have to be good enough on your own and pay for all your mistakes yourself. Forgiveness drives them crazy, it enrages them because they have not understood, recognize or acknowledge the forgiveness that they need from the Lord. So the next time you are having a heated discussion with a family member… So the next time a coworker won’t listen to your opinion on how things should be done…. So the next time you engage in a conversation about a social issues, politics, or covid… How do you keep yourself from becoming arrogant and thinking that your better than they are while at the same time also holding to your convictions? You remember how much you have been forgiven by God. Being a Christian is hard! And the only way I know how to maintain humility is to keep a solid focus on the forgiveness I have received from Jesus Christ. This is not the world’s way but it is God’s way. And I do believe that when we do things God’s way we can have peace even in the midst of the conflict. This morning- I hope the message challenges you to debate the topics without attacking the person, without assuming a position of superiority. I am not good at this, this is hard! But I do 11 think it is possible to debate a topic with humility when we keep our focus on how much God has forgiven us. Would you bow your heads with me as we prepare to pray; This morning I would like to take a moment to allow some time for self-examination. How are you? Are you filled with peace? Perhaps there are some here today that need a bit of a reset. Maybe you are tired, weary, anxious or angry. Perhaps it is your marriage, or other relational issues within your family, maybe it is a job, or perhaps an extremely difficult coworker or boss, maybe you are consumed by the state of our country, covid, politics, or a variety of social issues. Whatever it is, if you are angry, anxious, or weary and peace is far from you, would you raise your hand. I would like to pray for you in a moment. Perhaps there are some here today who need to forgive someone who has hurt you or offended you. You want peace but your pride has created a sense of superiority within you and you hold bitterness towards them. If this describes you, would you raise your hand. I would like to pray for you in a moment. Lastly, perhaps there is someone here this morning who needs to accept the forgiveness of God. You no longer want to try to prove to yourself and everyone else that you are good enough. If you would like to initiate a relationship with God this morning, if you are ready to allow God to pay for your sins, would you raise your hand. I would like to pray with you. Lets pray, Lord you saw the hands that were raised. For some of us, life has not been what we expected and we are angry, weary and anxious. Lord we ask that you would give us the strength to carry on and give us a peace that surpasses our unmet expectations. Holy Spirit we ask that you would intercede on our behalf when we are unable to see you past our anxiety, fatigue and anger. May the forgiveness that we experience through the cross of Jesus Christ fill us with a gratitude that extends past our circumstances. Lord for those of us who have allowed offense to turn into bitterness and even an attitude of superiority over others, we ask for your forgiveness. Lord, please turn our bitterness into compassion and love. Help us to see ourselves through your eyes and not through the lens of the world. Holy Spirit when bitterness starts to creep into our hearts, help us to remember the cross. Help us to remember that we have been forgiven much and are therefore able to love much. Lastly, for anyone who wants to initiate a relationship with Jesus Christ this morning and accept the forgiveness of God that was made possible through the cross; would you repeat this prayer in your heart. Lord, I am broken. I have sinned and I am sorry. Lord I ask that you would forgive me and fill me with the Holy Spirit. I ask that you would help me to live by your truth. Lord help me to learn to submit to you. Lord I ask that you would fill me with your peace. 12

It is in the all-powerful name of Jesus Christ that we pray, Amen. In just a moment the service will come to a close. If you would like to speak with someone or receive additional prayer, please come to the front, we would be happy to minister to you. Our last act of worship this morning, the giving of our offerings is available for you at the back center table for those of you who would like to drop something in the box. Would you please stand as we close the service with a benediction: May the Lord Jesus Christ be your strength and your shield in this crazy world. And may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds. Amen.

You are dismissed, God bless you.