He was a man so slick, I kept waiting for his clothes to slide right off him.”
–Lou Bradshaw (Blue Valley)
“He who obeys instructions guards his soul, but he who is contemptuous of his ways will die.”
“He who obeys instructions guards his soul, but he who is contemptuous of his ways will die.”
–Proverbs 19:16 (NIV 1978)
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I try to have an attitude of thankfulness and gratitude. In the midst of all that life throws my way, I try to remember Paul’s admonition that, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NKJV). It was G.K. Chesterton who said the the most important lesson he had learned was, “When it comes to life the critical thing is, whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.”
There is a truth that is very evident, if you work with people much you will soon find out that “Unthankful people are almost always unhappy people” (Gary Inrig). Thankfulness then, is a “prime indicator of our relationship with God” (Inrig). Are we grateful? How do we express it?
There is a story, that from the beginning does not seem to be about thankfulness, but Jesus will bring that in as we delve into the story. It is a story that we should stop and contemplate and is found in Luke 7:36-50. It is vital, not only for our spiritual well-being, but for our mental and emotional well-being as well. Look at those individuals who are not thankful and you will see that their heart will begin to harden. It is inevitable.
I want to draw your attention first of all to the setting of the parable. “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.” (Luke 7:36-37, NIV 1978)
We see Jesus being invited to the house of a Pharisee, who we will find out his name is Simon. That is in itself interesting. Realize that not all Pharisees were contemptuous of Jesus, but we must ask if there was some ulterior motive. Simon could have been an admirer and sympathetic, but Barcly perceives that, “the whole atmosphere of discourtesy makes that unlikely.” Perhaps Jesus was invited with the intention of tricking him. Another reason might be that Simon was trying to patronize Jesus, use His status for his own gain.
Notice, after the invitation, that we see Jesus reclining at the table. This is an important feature of the story so don’t read over it. William Barclay explains the situation, “When a guest entered such a house three things were always done. The host placed his hand on the guest’s shoulder and gave him the kiss of peace. That was a mark of respect which was never omitted in the case of a distinguished Rabbi. The roads were only dust tracks, and shoes were merely soles held in place by straps across the foot. So always cool water was poured over the guest’s feet to cleanse and comfort them. Either a pinch of sweet-smelling incense was burned or a drop of attar of roses was placed on the guest’s head. These things good manners demanded, and in this case not one of them was done.”
Then we see, at the house of this upstanding Pharisee, a woman standing there. Not just any woman. The NIV says she “had lived a sinful life.” Barclay identifies her as “a woman in the town, a bad woman.” He goes on to say that she was “a notoriously bad woman.” The theologian, J.B. Phillips describes her as “a woman, known in the town as a bad character.”
This was the type of woman who normally would never set foot in the house of a Pharisee such as Simon. “She was notorious throughout the town for her immoral way of life” (Inrig). Why was she there? Two reasons: first, the woman “took advantage of the social customs that permitted needy people to visit such a banquet to receive some of the leftovers” (Walter L. Liefeld). However, most importantly, she came specifically to see Jesus and we read that she brought a jar of perfume–she had prepared herself.
Jesus came, the guest who was courteous enough to accept the invitation from the Pharisee. Who, as Gary Inrig points out, “That the fact He was a friend of sinners did not mean that He was unwilling to be a friend of the respectable and self-righteous. They also needed the gospel…” Simon was there, after all it was his home, but we cannot be sure of his motives. And we see that there was the “sinful woman” in attendance. Ponder this scene and the individuals involved.
—————————————
I try to have an attitude of thankfulness and gratitude. In the midst of all that life throws my way, I try to remember Paul’s admonition that, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NKJV). It was G.K. Chesterton who said the the most important lesson he had learned was, “When it comes to life the critical thing is, whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.”
There is a truth that is very evident, if you work with people much you will soon find out that “Unthankful people are almost always unhappy people” (Gary Inrig). Thankfulness then, is a “prime indicator of our relationship with God” (Inrig). Are we grateful? How do we express it?
There is a story, that from the beginning does not seem to be about thankfulness, but Jesus will bring that in as we delve into the story. It is a story that we should stop and contemplate and is found in Luke 7:36-50. It is vital, not only for our spiritual well-being, but for our mental and emotional well-being as well. Look at those individuals who are not thankful and you will see that their heart will begin to harden. It is inevitable.
I want to draw your attention first of all to the setting of the parable. “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.” (Luke 7:36-37, NIV 1978)
We see Jesus being invited to the house of a Pharisee, who we will find out his name is Simon. That is in itself interesting. Realize that not all Pharisees were contemptuous of Jesus, but we must ask if there was some ulterior motive. Simon could have been an admirer and sympathetic, but Barcly perceives that, “the whole atmosphere of discourtesy makes that unlikely.” Perhaps Jesus was invited with the intention of tricking him. Another reason might be that Simon was trying to patronize Jesus, use His status for his own gain.
Notice, after the invitation, that we see Jesus reclining at the table. This is an important feature of the story so don’t read over it. William Barclay explains the situation, “When a guest entered such a house three things were always done. The host placed his hand on the guest’s shoulder and gave him the kiss of peace. That was a mark of respect which was never omitted in the case of a distinguished Rabbi. The roads were only dust tracks, and shoes were merely soles held in place by straps across the foot. So always cool water was poured over the guest’s feet to cleanse and comfort them. Either a pinch of sweet-smelling incense was burned or a drop of attar of roses was placed on the guest’s head. These things good manners demanded, and in this case not one of them was done.”
Then we see, at the house of this upstanding Pharisee, a woman standing there. Not just any woman. The NIV says she “had lived a sinful life.” Barclay identifies her as “a woman in the town, a bad woman.” He goes on to say that she was “a notoriously bad woman.” The theologian, J.B. Phillips describes her as “a woman, known in the town as a bad character.”
This was the type of woman who normally would never set foot in the house of a Pharisee such as Simon. “She was notorious throughout the town for her immoral way of life” (Inrig). Why was she there? Two reasons: first, the woman “took advantage of the social customs that permitted needy people to visit such a banquet to receive some of the leftovers” (Walter L. Liefeld). However, most importantly, she came specifically to see Jesus and we read that she brought a jar of perfume–she had prepared herself.
Jesus came, the guest who was courteous enough to accept the invitation from the Pharisee. Who, as Gary Inrig points out, “That the fact He was a friend of sinners did not mean that He was unwilling to be a friend of the respectable and self-righteous. They also needed the gospel…” Simon was there, after all it was his home, but we cannot be sure of his motives. And we see that there was the “sinful woman” in attendance. Ponder this scene and the individuals involved.