forgiven-1 36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. 37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”
40 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
So he said, “Teacher, say it.”
41 “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”
And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” 44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Luke 7:36-50

 

Lets just get into this passage:

I love this passage for the unsaid things – what did this woman know about Jesus – had she encountered Him before – had he prayed for her, healed her, delivered her? What motivated her to spend a whole years wages on expensive rare oil and break it over jesus and extravagantly and demonstratively and so publicly show her affection and thanks to Him.

Did she ever consider that he would turn her away?

Look down on her with distain?

Reject her?

Tell her what a waste of money it was?

Like the religious leaders did, like even Judas, a disciple of Jesus did….

I think this woman had a revelation of God’s love – and was responding to it.

What came first the chicken or the egg?

What came first – God’s love or her worship?

1 John 4:9-11 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son[a] into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for[b] our sins.

The amazing thing about God’s love is that it comes first – we don’t earn it or have to work our way to be good enough to get it first.

Over and over again the bible says BEFORE we deserved it, WHEN WE SUCKED, when we were sinners not even caring about God He loved us….

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-9

Crucified_Jesus__the_face_by_DevCageR

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesisans 2:4-5

This is no small thing. What Jesus did on the cross – its no small thing. The redemption plan from the beginning of time – it is no small thing. Does it not sound absurd and extravagant to you that the Son of God loved you and gave himself for you? Does it not sound absurd and extravagant to you that Jesus took all the punishment and wrath that we deserve upon the cross in our place? Does it not sound absurd and extravagant to you that God gives you all of the gifts of salvation simply through faith – that He lavishes His love upon you unconditionally?

Yet this is the truth. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-9

The woman with the alabaster jar had being a prostitute – can you hear the disdain drip as simon THE LEPER says: This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” But she had a revelation of God’s love and knew that ment she could approach Him

You see a revelation of God’s love begins first encounter and realizing WOW GOD IS REAL, realer than the air you breathe and the seats you sit on. It begins with responding to His invitation of salvation – to become new, forgiven, holy, righteous – part of His family.

Just as married people stand up the front and “get married” / have a wedding – we can mostly all look back to a “start point in faith” – the time when we became born again and believed in Jesus…

But it takes living married and in love the rest of our lives to make a great marriage. A wedding doesn’t hey presto great marriage – it takes time, commitment, choice, surrender, kindness, joy, adventure, communication, passion – to make a great marriage. It takes a revelation of love for each other and choosing each day to make the marriage work for a lifetime.

In a similar way it’s like that with our relationship with God.

It begins with salvation but there is so much more on offer. We’re created to know God, to know His love, to have supernatural relationship with Him here on earth as well as on the other side of eternity. We’re created to feel His presence and live in friendship with God. It begins with being born again but continues through love.

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A revelation of God’s love keeps our eyes fixed upon Him and His greatness and His gloriousness and on what He is doing over what our circumstances say.

A revelation of God’s love will get you through the darkest times – the flood and the fire because you have it settled in your soul that God loves me and that He is with me and for me and that nothing can separate me from His love and that in those times He is our refuge and our strength. A revelation of God’s love reminds our heart and soul to trust in our Almighty God. It rests in Him. Our hearts are confident when filled with His love.

A revelation of God’s love will overflow out of us and spill onto others as we want them to experience the reality of salvation and relationship with God. It keeps us excited about the future and the adventure that God has planned out for us and keeps us pressing forward into that. When the woman with the alabaster jar came and broke it over Jesus – the fragrance of the oil filled the house – it transformed the atmosphere and people became aware of something remarkable – the presence of Jesus – in our lives, when we respond to the revelation of God’s love for us it overflows and touches other people and people see God at work in our lives.

A revelation of His love restrains us and keeps us walking on the narrow path, throwing off those things that want to distract and entangle us.

A daily encounter with the love of God will produce a daily compulsion of obedience to the voice of God. The Ramp

Walking and following Jesus, taking up our cross and denying ourselves, living a no compromise life, obedience and transformation, all begins with one thing. Knowing that God loves me and that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, gave His life for us to pay the penalty for our sin.

Staying in love with Jesus all flows from knowing His love, from keeping it fresh with God.

Stepping out into the greater things that God has called us to do, fighting the fear and talking to strangers and our friends and family about God, all is fueled by knowing His great love and wanting others to know that reality too.

We are called to live ever more deeply in the knowledge that God has shown us extravagant and unmerited love and grace. We’re called to take our cues from the woman at Jesus’ feet, whose gratitude was so intense that it poured itself out in service and worship.

love

God is faithful. His love endures for ever. He loves us with an everlasting love. His love is so great that Jesus Christ stretched His arms out on the cross and died, paying the penalty for MY sin, for OUR sin, that we might know this love.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1

The woman with the oil had a revelation of God’s love and it won her over totally. She didn’t care what the religious leaders said, she didn’t care about her past, she wasn’t held back by fear – she had to respond.

40 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
So he said, “Teacher, say it.”
41 “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”
And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” 44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

We are all loved much. We have all being forgiven much. Our sin cost Jesus His life. Our love drove the nails into Jesus’ hands and feet. Our sin caused Him to cry out “my God my God, why have your forsaken me.”

How then will we live?

We will live like the woman.

We will live experiencing God’s love.

We will live loving Him in response – because that is what our obedience and worship is. Response to His love for us first.

We will know God and know His love and love Him in response, releasing fragrance to those around us.

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. We can never earn His love. It’s a gift, given to us, lavished upon us.

Tonight do you know that God loves you?

Like totally?

Are you living responding to His love?

Like totally?

Tonight the challenge is for us to be like the woman with the oil – to know we are forgiven, to get a fresh revelation of God’s love for us.

If you need to encounter God again then this is the space to do it.

 

notes from message to young adults church, sunday night

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