Luke 7

How God love His people Range of Jesus love and how people respond September 7, 2024 How God love His people God is love The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” 18 Genesis 2 01 Jesus ministers to all of us Faithful Centurion Surprising faith and loyalty 02 Grieving Widow Death could not hold His people 03 Impatient Prophet John questioned Jesus; Jesus answered 04 Sinful Woman We are known, forgiven and redeemed 05 Religious Snob Recognizing how much we owe Him 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our Faithful Centurion nation and has built our synagogue.” 6 So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” Jesus marvels at the faithful Centurion When you pray, do you think you deserve what you asked for? Who do you consider insider? Who do you consider outsider? Under stress, who do you call? Grieving Widow 12 As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” Witnesses reacted differently “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” Really? Jesus grief with the widow His heart went out to her Did Jesus heal all the sick people he saw? Did Jesus raise all the dead people he encountered? How do you explain him raising the widow's son at Nain while passing many graveyards his route? Compassion is a dangerous virtue to cultivate. Why is that? What is the cost of compassion? What is the reward of compassion? Can you be a true disciple and be dispassionate toward people in need? Why or why not? Prophet Questions John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, 19 he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” John is impatient. Are you? As John suffers in prison, what’s God doing? When things you pray for don’t happen, how do you feel? Ever wonder what God is doing? "Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." (Luke 7:23). Do you wrestle with God? Jesus Answers 21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 23 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” “What did you go out into the wilderness to Jesus Answers see? A reed swayed by the wind? 25 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is the one about whom it is written: “‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 28 I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” Jesus delights in John Even as John wavers When you are impatient in Christ, do you know God may be delighting in you? Jesus looks at a man's strengths, not his weaknesses. Jesus' assessment of John is not critical of his current discouragement, but appreciative of his faith and deeds in his heyday. Do you need a reminder of grace? Sinful Woman 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 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. 39 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 truly sees the woman. Sinful woman & woman of God The woman worshipped at the feet of Jesus. What do you place above the love of God? Do you recognize that you can be both? Do you recognize that we are all sinful? But we choose to become man or woman of God? Religious Snob 41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. Jesus confronts our inner snobs Appreciating the depth of our sins Do we sometimes forget the depth of our sins? Have you taken a small part of someone and see him as all that he is? The story of Simon the Pharisee is open-ended. If you were him, how would you respond? God is love These stories teach us to grow as a community, love one another, ….