Thank you for taking the time to read the Weekend Sermon this week. I am glad to be able to be with you and post the sermon. I hope and pray that all of you are doing well.
I have been working on writing this week and doing some ministry work. I've been very busy with work, and I also went to the dentist. Everything went well at the dentist, and I am thankful for your prayers regarding this.
I would like to ask for your prayers regarding a couple of things. My area of the country has experienced a lot of heavy rain and flooding this summer. So far, my garage has only had a little bit of water get into it once. Others in the area have had real devastating damage. Tomorrow, the forecast is for more heavy rain and flooding. Please pray that the rains are not heavy and that there is no flooding. Also, I've been feeling down lately, and I would ask for your prayers regarding this as well. Thank you for your prayers. I pray for everyone who reads the blog every day.
In other areas of prayer, please be in prayer regarding the forest fires in Montana. There has already been loss of life in these fires. Pray that they will be brought under control soon.
Let us also pray for those in Yemen who are suffering with cholera. Pray that the medicine that they need will reach them soon.
Please continue to pray for peace in the world. Pray especially for Syria, Iraq and South Sudan.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for Mongolia and Oman. Pray that many in these two nations will hear about the love of Jesus.
For most of this year, we've been studying the parables of Jesus here on the Weekend Sermon. We don't have too many more parables to study. Lord willing, we will wrap this study up in the next couple of months I think.
Today, we will turn our attention to what is know as the parable of the two debtors. This parable and the circumstances surrounding its telling are found in Luke 7:36-50.
Jesus had been invited to a dinner at the house of Simon the Pharisee. While Jesus was reclining at the dinner table, a woman came into the dining area. She took an alabaster jar of ointment and anointed Jesus' feet. She was weeping and wiping Jesus' feet with her hair.
When the Simon saw this, he was offended. He figured that if Jesus was really a prophet, He would know what a sinful woman this was, and Jesus would not allow her to touch Him.
Knowing Simon's thoughts, Jesus told the parable of the two debtors. Jesus said that a certain man had two people that owed him money. One owed 500 denarii, and the other owed 50 denarii. The creditor cancelled both debts.
Jesus asked Simon who he thought would love the creditor more. Simon responded that it would be the one who was forgiven more. Jesus said that that was right.
Jesus told Simon that Simon had not done Him the basic courtesy of even offering Him water to wash His feet, yet this woman had wet Jesus' feet with her tears.
Jesus said that though her sins were many, they were forgiven. Jesus said that she had shown great love. He also said that the one who is forgiven little loves little.
I think that this is an interesting story and an interesting parable. For one thing, we don't know who this woman was. Also, we have to assume that she had had an encounter with Jesus beforehand that is not recorded in the Bible. Was she healed of a sickness? Was she delivered from an evil spirit? It is just my opinion that Jesus had treated her with respect and dignity. When she saw Jesus love and compassion, she responded as in the story. Because of her great love, she was forgiven.
Another thing that I find interesting in this story is the parable itself. I think that it has a general application, but I am not sure that Jesus meant that this was always the case. I think it is relative insomuch as one perceives they need forgiveness. Some people aren't great sinners so to speak. However, they realize their need for a Savior and turn to Jesus. They are grateful for what Jesus has done for them. With their hearts full of love, they serve Jesus fully.
Others have been forgiven from a huge weight of sin. However, they don't always respond by much outward demonstration of their love for the Lord.
I think what Jesus was saying in this parable is that as a general rule, those who are forgiven much love more. It is something interesting to think about.
Now, I think that their are at least two important lessons that we can learn from this parable. First of all, we don't want to be like Simon. He had no real respect for Jesus, and he did not even offer Jesus the basic hospitality of the day. Simon was also very judgmental. He thought that he was better than the woman who came to see Jesus. He felt he had little to be forgiven of and loved little.
Sometimes, those of us who have been Christians for many years can get a sense of superiority. We can become Pharisaical. We want to be people who loved like Jesus loved, we don't want to be like the Pharisees.
Jesus loves everyone. He has His arms of love open wide to embrace all those who will come to Him. Whoever comes to Him, He will not cast them out.
The second lesson from this story for us is that we need to demonstrate by what we do how much we love Jesus. The woman in this story showed her love in a tangible way. That is what we need to do. There are so many ways that we can show our love for Jesus. One way is to spend time with Him through prayer and meditation. Another way is to obey His commands and teachings.
By loving those who Jesus loved, we show our love for Jesus. Jesus said that when we do something good for the least among us, we have done it as unto Him. There are many needs in this world. There are many people who need for us to reach out in love to them. Let us imitate the Lord Jesus and be people who love.
Next week, we will be back to our regular schedule on the blog. On Monday, I will post the verses. I will have a review on Wednesday, and we will continue with our parable of Jesus series on Friday. May God bless you all. Amen.
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