Weekly Bible Notes Ordinary 11
Year C, Colour = Green
Ordinary 11 Year C
Introduction
In our Bible Reading for this Sunday, Jesus is anointed with perfumed oil by a woman we presume to be a prostitute. She is considered a public sinner, and Jesus' host at dinner is obviously annoyed that Jesus doesn't recognise her as an object of scorn. Jesus pronounces however, that this woman's many sins are easily forgiven, because she 'loved much.' What Jesus is saying is that love covers a multitude of sins. This should give us a sense of relief. We are not given a licence to sin, but for al long as we seek to be loving persons, we can be assured that God considers our sins to be pardoned.
There is therefore no need to burden ourselves with guilt trips, and no reason to look down upon ourselves because of mistakes which lie in the past. Love sets us free from our failings, so that we can get on with or life with God.
Opening Verse of Scripture Psalm 8:1
O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have
set your glory above the heavens.
Collect Prayer for the Day—Before we read we pray
Lord you have taught us that all our doings without love are nothing worth: send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love, the true bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whoever lives is counted dead before your. Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ' sake, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Common Worship
Faithful Creator, whose mercy never fails: deepen our faithfulness to you and to your living Word, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Common Worship Shorter Collect)
Your glory, O God, fills heaven and earth and all creation resounds with your praise. As we rejoice in your presence may we know your power to save and praise you for your faithfulness, now and for ever; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Methodist Worship
Generous God, you gather your people and lavish your gifts upon us, day by day. Grant that each experience of your pardon may enlarge our own love, until is meets the measure of your extravagant forgiveness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Methodist Worship
First Bible Reading 1 Kings 21:1-10 (11-14) 15-21a
1-10 Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. Ahab said to Naboth, "Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth." But Naboth replied, "The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers." So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat. His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, "Why are you so sullen? Why won't you eat?" He answered her, "Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, 'Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.' But he said, 'I will not give you my vineyard.'" Jezebel his wife said, "Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I'll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite." So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city with him. In those letters she wrote: "Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death."
11-14 So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them. They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, "Naboth has cursed both God and the king." So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. Then they sent word to Jezebel: "Naboth has been stoned and is dead."
15-21 As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, "Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead." When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth's vineyard. Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: "Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. Say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?' Then say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood--yes, yours!'" Ahab said to Elijah, "So you have found me, my enemy!" "I have found you," he answered, "because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD. 'I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel--slave or free.
Second Reading Galatians Chapter 2:15-21
We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Gospel Reading Luke 7:36 - 8:3
Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he
went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table.When a woman who had
lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the
Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood
behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears.
Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this
man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman
she is--that she is a sinner." Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something
to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said. "Two men owed money to a certain
moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither
of them had the money to pay him back, so he cancelled the debts of both. Now
which of them will love him more?" Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had
the bigger debt cancelled." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said. Then he
turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came
into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my
feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a
kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my
feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my
feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved
much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." Then Jesus said to
her, "Your sins are forgiven." The other guests began to say among
themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" Jesus said to the woman,
"Your faith has saved you; go in peace." After this, Jesus travelled about
from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the
kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been
cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven
demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's
household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support
them out of their own means.
Post Communion Prayer
Loving Father, we thank you for feeding us at the supper of your Son: sustain us with your Spirit, that we may serve you here on earth until our joy is complete in heaven, and we share in the eternal banquet with Jesus Christ our Lord.
Commentary
In the episode from Luke today, Jesus is found having dinner in the home of
Simon, a Pharisee. There can be no doubt that Simon was a Pharisees, Luke
tells us three times in the opening two verses! It is as though he was
shouting the word Pharisee at us. The point is that Pharisees were strict
religious people, with high standards. It was whilst Jesus was in such
company that we are told a woman who had lived a ‘sinful life’ came and
sought Jesus out. So here we have a man with the highest reputation, finding
his home invaded by a woman of the lowest reputation, an uninvited guest,
with Jesus in the middle.
It is this contrasts which Luke wants to draw our attention to. We are
almost invited to guess what reaction Jesus might have, will he be critical
of the woman? Will Jesus worry that this woman might compromise his
reputation? The woman is not discreet. We are told that she
‘stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her
tears.
Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.’
We know that washing the feet of another person was identified with slavery.
But there is more going on here, this is a violation of social convention in
caressing the feet of Jesus and rubbing them with her hair. Even today I
would imagine that you and I would have been worried about our reputations,
what indecent things would others have thought about Jesus? Jesus however
recognises that the touch which you and I would perhaps see as a
transgression of social boundaries, is instead a sign of reverential love.
Jesus is able to do this. He is able to go beyond mere appearances, beyond
cultural blindness and see things in a completely different way. Once again
this story is about Jesus turning everything upside down.
The story is one of contrast, the powerful Pharisee, Simon, represents the
dominant religious, Jewish elite with all of its power and influence. The
woman represents those on the margins, shunned by her own ethnic group. She
begins an action which was a cultural gesture of moral depravity. Quite
rightly we might say, Simon is scandalized. As a woman, and as a sinner this
woman has and can have no value, no voice, in Simon’s eyes or in the eyes of
his Jewish culture. How can she presume to do this thing ?
Here a powerful man, sees Jesus involved in a dubious act with a woman, and
we are told he thinks to himself, ‘he shouldn’t be doing that.’ You and I,
if we were there, would undoubtedly have said exactly the same thing.
We are worried about social convention, not Jesus. Jesus reads Simons’ mind
and challenges him. Jesus is not apologetic, as we would have been, instead
Jesus turns the tables on Simon the Pharisee and tells him that it is the
woman who is the example of true religion.
Simon had perhaps not been inhospitable but neither had he gone to the
lengths which this woman had gone to – to show real love and gratitude to
Jesus. Simon is right about this woman. His original premise was correct:
she has committed great sins. But his mistake was in seeing the sin and not
the woman, or the forgiveness which she felt.
Jesus reverses everything, the ‘sinful woman’ is a demonstration of God’s
love and forgiveness, Simon is exposed as just another hypocrite. The
implication of the story, is that the woman loves or will love Jesus more,
since she has a greater debt to be forgiven. When we look at people, we see
their faults. When Jesus looks at people he sees only grace and forgiveness.
Jesus tells Simon to look at this woman. She will be as a teacher to him.
She can teach him about being forgiven. She can teach him about receiving
grace. She can teach him about love and hospitality.
She can also teach us. On occasion, we can all show that we have received
just enough forgiveness to enable us to be properly judgmental of others. We
all need to recognize our need of much more forgiveness in order to cause us
to be as graceful and forgiving of others, as God has been toward us. The
story asks us to question our attitude. Are we a welcoming people or a
judgemental people? Are we like Jesus or Simon? In speaking to Simon Jesus
plays with words ‘he who has been forgiven little, loves little.’ Of course
we should all know that we have been forgiven lots. Are we a Simon? Are we
scared of our reputations? Do we have the generosity and love of Jesus which
this woman possessed? Charles Royden
Meditation
Meditation
To God, our ability is less important than our availability. Our ability can
even get in the way if it obscures God's role in our achievement.
Hymns
- Sing the almighty power of god 334
- God’s spirit is in my heart 315
- Let earth and heaven agree 226
- Lord God in whom all worlds 384
- For the healing of the nations 402
Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead
"Prayer is a plant, the seed of which is sown in the heart of every Christian.
If it is well cultivated and nourished it will produce fruit, but if it is neglected, it will wither and die."
O God, the strength of all those who put their trust in you, mercifully accept our prayers and, because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without you, grant us the help of your grace, that in the keeping of your commandments we may please you both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
God of truth, help us to keep your law of love and to walk in ways of wisdom, that we may find true life in Jesus Christ your Son.
Into your hands, O Father, we commend our souls and our bodies; our loved ones and our neighbours; our benefactors and our friends; all who confess their faith and all who stand in need of your mercy and protection; bless us with your grace and grant that we may never be separated from you; but abide with you in time and in eternity, now and for ever. Amen Edmund of Abingdon, 1180-1240