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   Not used this week

(This is the word of the Lord - Thanks be to God) 

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.  (This is the word of the Lord - Thanks be to God)

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.  (This is the word of the Lord - Thanks be to God)

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

1. Sing the almighty power of god 334
2. God’s spirit is in my heart 315
3. Let earth and heaven agree 226
4. Lord God in whom all worlds 384
5. 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

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