Fall 2008 Lesson 6

Week 6 Crossings Huddle Group Surrendering Your Life to Honor God Definition : Surrender • to give (oneself) up into the power of another • to yield to the power, control, or possession of another God created us to worship Him. However, we usually find it easier to worship the worldly things we love rather than Christ. Worshiping God requires us to constantly check our heart and surrender ourselves to Him. While it can be difficult, surrendering ourselves to Christ is possible. Worship is linked to surrender and is seen in Jesus’ encounter with a Pharisee and a woman. What motivated this woman to honor Jesus this way? Why might she have been moved to tears? In this passage, Simon, a Pharisee, judges both the woman and Jesus. The Pharisees were a highly influential group of Jews who emphasized meticulous observance of God's law (as understood both from the OT laws and from their accumulated extra-biblical traditions) as the means by which one attains righteousness before God and retains his favor. The Pharisees held a pious attitude toward sinners, having nothing to do with them. By Jesus associating with the sinner, the Simon the Pharisee goes as far to believe Jesus is not a prophet or He would have known of the woman’s sins. But Jesus had a different view of the woman. Can you imagine how the woman must have felt, a known sinner, given the stature of the Pharisees (as a group)? I bet she was uncomfortable entering the house of a Pharisee and hearing what he would say about her. Have your opinions or judgments every kept someone from experience God? The Pharisee was blind, obviously of his own sins. Jesus even points out the woman has done what the Pharisee failed to do. Do we sometimes find ourselves blind to our own sin? Do you have a hard time seeing and/or admitting your own faults? Surrendering our life to God requires acknowledging our personal faults and asking for God’s forgiveness. How do we do this? When you experience God’s mercy and forgiveness in your life, how do you feel? How do you feel when you try to avoid acknowledging your sins and asking God for forgiveness? Jesus is not saying that the woman's works have saved her. Rather, the love and forgiveness that have made her feel accepted by God (the parable's point) have produced her acts of love. Jesus commends the faith that led to her works. How can your faith, love and God’s forgiveness change you? Daily Bible Readings Romans 12: 1-2 1 Peter 2: 4-5

Luke 1: 26-38 Genesis 22: 1 - 18

Mathew 5: 8

A Sinful Woman Forgiven (Read Luke 7: 36 – 50 on back) 36(A) One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. 37(B) And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and(C) wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If(D) this man were(E) a prophet, he(F) would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner." 40And Jesus answering said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he answered, "Say it, Teacher." 41"A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred(G) denarii, and the other fifty. 42(H) When they could not pay, he(I) cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?" 43Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt." And he said to him, "You have judged rightly." 44Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house;(J) you gave me no water for my feet, but(K) she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45(L) You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to(M) kiss my feet. 46(N) You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47Therefore I tell you, her sins,(O) which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." 48And he said to her, (P) "Your sins are forgiven." 49Then those who were at table with him began to say among[a] themselves,(Q) "Who is this, who even forgives sins?" 50And he said to the woman, (R) "Your faith has saved you;(S) go in peace."