Anticipating Pentecost - "Moving with the Spirit" (Acts 2:1-13)

Jesus had promised his followers that they would receive the Holy Spirit. This Holy Spirit would be the dynamic source of their effectiveness as they shared the gospel through word and deeds. The Holy Spirit is not a cuddly little indulgence (as some might think), but rather the actual powerful presence of God in the world going forward. And the Holy Spirit chooses to inhabit and work through us as the followers of Jesus. Also, the Holy Spirit goes ahead of us and around us, drawing and guiding us into God’s mission of connecting with people and reconciling them to God.

As the Holy Spirit comes, the church is born. The Holy Spirit gathers us together to make a difference in the world. The Holy Spirit gives us gifts, that when brought together in one body, has a tremendous effect for the common good. The Holy Spirit also works deeply into our beings so that we develop attitudes and strengths that work for good within interpersonal relationships – qualities like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

So it is, the church, when it is gathered, and also when it is dispersed, will live and walk in the Spirit of God through all the challenges and trials, bringing all the glory to God. The Holy Spirit can do all this, because the Holy Spirit is part of the diverse yet unified community of God we have come to know as the ‘Trinity’.

The Holy Spirit was active in the creation of the world – “a wind from God swept over the face of the waters” (Gen 1:1); and then was active in guiding appointed leaders like Moses and prophets like Jeremiah. The Holy Spirit was active in the recording of the stories of people’s encounters with God (that we now have in the Bible). The Holy Spirit had been encountered by significant characters like Mary (the mother of Jesus), Simeon, John the Baptist; and of course Jesus himself experienced the ‘descent’ of the Holy Spirit upon him at his baptism to acknowledge his particular and unique ministry on earth.

Now, the Holy Spirit would be for all believers to embrace and express! Just like if we want to know what God is like we look to Jesus, the Holy Spirit brings the essence of who God is into everyday life. Pentecost brings us a big vision of worshipping God, but an even bigger vision of touching people’s lives with the good news of Jesus.

Just look how the Pentecost miracle plays out. According to Acts 1:15 there would have been about 120 believers by this time, including the eleven remaining disciples plus the newly elected Matthias, the various women who had encountered and followed Jesus, and Jesus’ mother and brothers (who had now come to accept Jesus as Son of God). There was the sound like a tornado, representing the incoming presence of God. A fiery vision appeared, indicating that they were receiving something powerful from beyond themselves. All of a sudden the hearts of these “believers” were kindled, their minds were inspired, their mouths were activated, and, as they spilled out into the streets, God’s great “deeds of power (V.11)” were broadly and diversely communicated.

People whose forbears had been dispersed all over the Greco-Roman world (due to the various conflicts of previous centuries), and thus came back to Jerusalem from a variety of cultural and language groups, heard the gospel in their own various languages. There would have also been many other visitors around, celebrating the annual festival of the ‘first-fruits’ of the grain harvest. And all this from a bunch of humble Galileans (who could not possibly know these languages)! On what otherwise might have been a mundane day, this was an astonishing event. And for many, this would become an exhilarating day! It is the Holy Spirit that facilitates the gospel being heard across cultural boundaries. The Holy Spirit facilitates willing servants to speak and the interested seekers to hear in ways that eventually leads to thousands coming to faith. They in turn formed themselves in house churches spreading right across the Roman Empire.

We face cultural boundaries today. The biggest one of these barriers is the growing number of people (through no fault of their own, repeat, through no fault of their own) have never heard of the name of Jesus and his good news. And if they have heard of Jesus, outside the use of his name as a profanity, the presentation they have received about Jesus has often been deficient ... based on life styles and/or theology that lack credibility. Yet we have the Holy Spirit to facilitate in us ways of communicating that will touch lives.

And, at the same time, the Holy Spirit is also preparing ears and hearts in advance for the presentations that will come. Not all of these presentations will be words – many, perhaps most, will at least initially be actions. Actions will indeed speak louder than words, with the Holy Spirit aiding the interpretation of what these actions indicate – Jesus-followers with a love for their neighbour seeking the welfare of their neighbourhood.

There were those that day who just didn’t get it ... all they could guess was that these excited communicators were drunk. There will be always those who don’t quite get it, misunderstand the message, or pull down the blinkers and refuse to see it. But there will always be those who are seeking truth and new answers to old problems. There will always be those who can come to see that God is alive seeking to draw people into relationships with their Creator and Saviour. Subsequent to this incident, Peter took the gathered crowd through a process of understanding, leading to heartfelt responses and mass repentance. The possibilities of this still get me up in the morning.

What does the presence of the Holy Spirit in and around us mean?

(1)    We have the living wonder of Jesus within us, and also specific creative spiritual giftedness (to be utilised mutually for the common good)

(2)    Fear giving way to courage

Those first century followers of Jesus, sometimes living under severe persecution, now have such a keen sense of God securing their lives, that they will not have fear; indeed we know that many of them went on to display great faith and inspirational courage. Thus, in much more mild, yet still sometimes challenging situations, we too should not be afraid. As we see through the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit enables the Jesus-disciples to tackle the most complex challenges imaginable.

(3)    Being witnesses

We can actually fulfil our mission of being witnesses to Jesus (Acts 1:8) – that through us others can become ‘disciples’ of Jesus too! The thought behind the Holy Spirit’s appearance, is to see the life of Jesus re-enacted on earth every day everywhere. As God was on the move in creating the universe, and was again on the move in sending Jesus to earth, we are to be on the move pointing the way toward God. When the wind blows and we have fire in our belly, we are on the move! Sharing ‘good news’ is about allowing it to be heard as “good” – as not only the possibility of freedom from guilt and shame, but also the opportunity to embrace one’s potential in life.

(4)    Becoming better interpreters

As the Spirit gives us clearer understanding of what we read in the Bible and what we see happening around us, we become more ‘in-tune’ with God and thus better presenters of the gospel message. Because of Spirit-led fresh understanding we can leave convenience, personal preferences and traditions behind, to embrace experiment, risk and flexibility through the all the twists and turns of the journey.

(5)    Holy Spirit going before us into the places we need to go, opening the doors and preparing the way for us to be received with hospitality.

The Spirit is moving to draw us into the life environments of people where we might make a transformative and redemptive difference. This is much more than just inviting them to church. We still need to provide a ministry to those who won’t, for whatever reason, come to our territory.

(6)    Living with purpose

We don’t just go through the motions in life, but rather live with purpose and hope. We should continually monitor ourselves whether this is the case, or whether we are only mirroring how the rest of the world deals with life. If we don’t feel the Holy Spirit working in and around our lives, then we need to assess what we might be allowing to block the way i.e. competing distractions or persistent sins. Are we really ‘sold-out’ to the Jesus way?

"Good Investments" (Luke 12:13-21 & 21:1-6)

Like most societies, the one in which Jesus lived was pretty focussed on economic matters. When Jesus was asked to make a judgement in a particular family dispute (Luke 12:13), he took the opportunity to put monetary matters into perspective. Jesus told a simple little parable from which we can deduce quite a bit.

Jesus had detected that the heart attitude of the questioner in verse 13 was overly fixated on his financial situation to the point of obsession. In the parable told from verse 16, Jesus tells of a rich farmer who has done very well with his crop.

One notices that it is not the rich man’s efforts that have led to his success, but rather what?? It is the “land” that has “produced abundantly”! And we should note that “land” like this should always been seen as a gift from God. But this is not how the rich farmer saw things, as he proceeded to keep all the good produce to himself.

When this rich man asked himself the question (v.17), “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops”, the suggestion of giving some away never seems to have entered his head. The question wasn’t asked as to what might ethically be required of him in this matter. This man’s default position was to respond to an over-supply by tearing down smaller barns and building bigger ones.

Maybe this would have been the action considered normal and sensible by others according to the prevailing culture?!? This is what you do when presented with this situation. But aren’t we required to think a bit more laterally than this?!? This would certainly allow the rich man to store more, but how ever is he going to consume all this produce himself. Apart from the possibility of gluttony here, there is a direct suggestion of waste.

There was no thought of sharing with those not doing so well! More crops automatically equated to larger barns. And anyone who hoards like this has to face the issue of having a problematical ‘possession addiction’. This is then borne out by the following comments from the rich man, "Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry” (v.19). The only person worth consulting on this matter was himself! And added to his selfishness, we have the attitudes of complacency and laziness.

These attitudes are of course founded on his previous unwillingness to share his current crop and then work productively toward future harvests. With the mention of this man addressing his “Soul” about his feelings of ‘contentment’, we are led to see that this is not just an economic decision-making problem – this all derives from his misaligned spiritual state. The needs of others have not touched this man’s soul (or spirit) at all!

This is addressed as Jesus suggests that God sees things in very different ways. When God blesses us in a variety of ways in life, there is a call upon us to invest well in response! And this good investing should happen as we go, not something that is left to later or more personally convenient times.

How would you describe good investments??? What is a good investment?

Maybe ... an appropriate and helpful application of our resources! This of course would include much more than our money, assets and possessions; also our time and our talents ... in fact this is about the investment of our whole lives! We read Paul’s words in Romans 12:1, “I appeal to you ... brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God [the various provisions e.g. land, forgiveness, etc] to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship”.

What will our lives been known for, and for what will they be remembered? Jesus concluded the parable in Luke chapter 12 with a comment about being “rich toward God”. How can we be rich toward God?? This is taking that ‘appropriate and helpful application of our resources’ directly into the spiritual realm.

Maybe ... this means ... God gets (the) first and (the) best!! God desires all good things to be brought back into God’s “storehouse” i.e. the service of God’s Kingdom. This is an application of resources that helps make God known to others. And we should do this voluntarily, happily, even joyfully! This is especially our spiritual giftedness, and our various ways of being creative in community, but also our simple everyday lives. Jesus is saying that this rich man’s approach to life is, at best absurd, and at worst criminal.

We also read the famous narrative about the “poor widow” bringing her offering to the temple (in Luke 21:1-6). The “two small copper coins” would have been worth very very little (compared to the previous gifts), but was likely a much much greater percentage of her available resources than anyone else had given. And Jesus didn’t miss the broad significance of this.

We often remark on the amazing and sacrificial nature of this offering, however to stop there misses the major point. This is because we miss the context of the verses that follow and the verses that come before. Let’s go back to the way that the previous chapter concludes (20:45-47).

In the hearing of all the people [Jesus] said to the disciples, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honour at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.

These self same religious leaders, while seeking religious honour, were part of an economic system that led to the poor getting poorer, and widows literally losing their homes to their creditors! These “scribes” themselves may have even been the ones offering loans at high interest rates and then foreclosing as soon as they got the chance.

After we remark on the magnificence of this poor woman’s gift, we then should be horrified that she had to make such an offering in the face of the oppression she was living under, the total lack of concern and care that was being shown to her, and on top of that, as we read verse 21:5, the ways such offerings were being used.

And then we should be thoroughly captured by the fact that this poor woman gave to the functioning of the temple, in the firm knowledge that nothing would return to her (in terms of any practical help) due to the way the place was being run.

Despite her oppression, this “poor widow” was indeed being “rich toward God”. Her heart attitude could bring tears to our eyes. But then our next emotion should be one of shock, because this “poor widow” has now made herself even more vulnerable – she had actually increased her personal hardship through her giving.

This all takes us back to good and bad investments. Jesus certainly again made his point about the intolerable situation of having a temple all decked out with beautiful stones and other expensive and extravagant items, while there were God’s children who could not even afford a good meal or a proper place to lay their head. Good investments are those made toward the well-being of people, not the beautification of buildings.

Such decadence and the misguided priorities this represents, will lead to this very temple being destroyed again. A society economically divided against itself cannot stand! A society so spiritually poor needs help.

Valuable resources from the community purse misspent on unnecessary luxuries (in the face of the homeless poor) will come to nothing in God’s economy. Valuable resources hoarded only for personal use will also come to nothing in God’s economy.

Let’s consider the need to invest all our various resources wisely – time, giftedness and assets. God seeks giving and generous hearts to address the inequalities and injustices in our society, at the same time as drawing attention to the graceful and loving God that we serve and worship. Those who have humbly received God’s grace will be keen to be broadly generous to the widow (and the widower), to the orphan and refugee, to the homeless and unemployed.

Each of us has no doubt given of ourselves and our resources in a variety of ways to help those in need and advance the cause of Jesus. So ... thank you for giving to the Lord > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFrdJ2V3r7Y. 

"Being thankful" - thoughts on Luke 17:11-19

The reputation of Jesus had grown. And so when ten people afflicted with leprosy heard that Jesus was coming by, and thought that he might just be able to heal them, they were certainly desperate enough to approach him. But not too close mind you, because the law prohibited “lepers” from leaving their places of isolation and interacting with the rest of society. But is there also here, in keeping their distance, an understanding acknowledgement that Jesus could still heal them even across this gap. Even if artificial barriers of separation are erected because of the fear or distrust of others, this would not interfere with Jesus offering a ministry.

In these new testament times, many skin diseases were grouped together under the term leprosy, the common factor being a disfiguring of the skin. So this probably would have ranged from ‘Hanson’s disease’ through to eczema and psoriasis. Not properly understood, all these conditions were thought to be highly contagious. Because of this, and how the various sufferers would have appeared, these so-called “lepers” were generally feared, despised and marginalised – forced to live outside of mainstream society in remote and desolate places (often enduring horrible conditions). Thus they were deprived of their family, friends, community support and place of religious worship. Once outcast, these people were basically left to their own devices, and also commanded to yell out “Unclean, unclean!” if any uninfected person accidently came across their path.

Yet it seems even outcast “lepers” had heard about Jesus’ outreaching ministry. So these “ten” sufferers called out and threw themselves on Jesus’ mercy. Jesus responded to their desperation, hopefulness, courage, trust, maybe even their audacity, by sending them off to the priests. Only a priest could declare a person cleansed from leprosy and allow them to re-enter normal community life. So when the “ten” heard Jesus say this, they would have known that Jesus had agreed to heal them.

And this is exactly what happened. They all showed that they firmly believed in Jesus’ power to help ... as each of them turned to visit their priest, and yes, they were made clean. This indeed was a compassionate and definitive act of physical healing by Jesus; and, as we shall see, it was also designed to alert them and us to an even greater level of healing.

Nine of the them went on their way – but we read that “one” of them, when he looked all over his body and found that he was completely healed, turned back, singing out praises to God. This “one”, out of the “ten”, realises that what has happened to him deserves a personal heartfelt response! So this “one” very publically dropped at Jesus’ feet in worship and thanked him profusely. This “one”, out of the “ten”, obviously had given more thought to the significance of what had just happened ... how miraculous and wonderful it was ... and how great must be the One responsible! [In this way, this healed Samaritan is very like the forgiven “woman of the city” featured in Luke 7 in his response to Jesus’ goodness.]

It’s when we slow down and take time to think about the significance of the things that happen to us in life, and where God might have fitted in there, that we can start to gain greater perspective and thereby grow our faith. And in turn this leads us into attitudes of great thankfulness. This “one” thankful former “leper” had made the firm discovery that Jesus had come from God to bring a ministry of transformation, and that he, himself, this day, had personally benefitted.

And what a surprise!!! This man was a “Samaritan” (a “foreigner”). To those present, and also to the first century hearers and readers of this Gospel narrative, this Samaritan would have been seen as the most unlikely to have returned and responded in this way. This remains a lesson to us, to never restrict the possibilities of who will respond positively to the message of Jesus.

If he was the only Samaritan in the group of “ten” as is likely, then he would have been travelling alone back towards the location of his own Samaritan priest, when it occurred to him that there was something else he should be doing. In his thankfulness and worship that day, this Samaritan showed that he was anticipating even more blessing.

Jesus has judged that the return of the Samaritan to give thanks shows that he has found true faith in who Jesus is. And as such, this encounter means that this “one” has not only been made “clean”, as in physically well (from his particular skin condition), but also made “well”, as in spiritually well. Through this person’s humility, openness, thankfulness and faith, he has now received everything that Jesus had to give him (far beyond the limits of the physical). This man has now been “saved”, and thus was now fully alive! It was clearly his gratitude that most eloquently and sincerely expressed his faith.

Unfortunately, the other “nine” missed their opportunity. Spiritual healing, salvation and full freedom was also available to them, but they missed out. Why? Were they simply satisfied just with physical healing? Were the other “nine” so preoccupied with physical things that they missed entirely the spiritual significance? A shame really, because they had come so far, just to fall a little short, with a big cost.

This is a lesson in keeping our minds attuned to all of what Jesus wants to do for us, and not just be content with enough to satisfy immediate needs. There are other challenges up ahead, and we will need to not just be made clean, but to also be made well. So we don’t want to be holding out on God, or accepting some level of mediocrity, when there is total freedom to be experienced.

Part of this freedom, as a disciple of Jesus, is the sort of attitudes we take forward into everyday life. We can easily deduce from this passage that thankfulness is a very positive attitude for us to have and express. This would not only be thankfulness to Jesus, but also to all those who make helpful contributions to our lives. And then further, the spirit of thankfulness, as it develops within us, can be used as a missional tool, to show others around us some evidence for the existence of God. We are thanking you, even though we don’t know you that well, simply because we are so thankful to God, and this has become a habit for us.

Being thankful allows us to acknowledge the blessings that we have, and in so doing, alerts us to those who lack many of the benefits we enjoy, and thus activates us to do whatever we can to address these needs. Thankfulness indeed opens us up more to the heart of God (who deeply loves the lost and hurting).

Here are some attitudes of thankfulness that run against the normal tide:

Ø  You can be thankful for lawns that need mowing and windows that need cleaning, because this means you have a home in which to live

Ø  You can be thankful for a pile of laundry to wash, because it means that you have clothes to wear

Ø  You can be thankful for having dishes to clear up, because this means you have had food to eat

Ø  You can be thankful for the taxes you pay, because this means that you are employed

Ø  You can be thankful for the trials and challenges you find in life, because these give you the opportunity of growing in your faith

Ø  You can be thankful for your tired mind and aching muscles at the end of the day, because this means you have had a purpose for the day

Ø  You can be thankful for your husband or wife hogging the covers on wintery nights, because he or she is with you and not out with someone else

Ø  You can even be thankful for the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours, because it means you are alive!

So in conclusion, let us always remember to journey down the path of discovery, and thus explore all the depths of God; to push the boundaries of our faith, and not just be satisfied with mediocrity. We can then rightly expect mighty things to happen both in and around us. We can have the eyes that see God working around every corner, opening pathways for people to discover his presence and cry out: “Jesus, have mercy on us”!

Are you out there?

Where are the missional thinkers and community engagement types living in and around Tarneit? I'm still looking for you, so that we might partner together in some exciting adventures. We already have the basis of a good working group going - active committed people, but we need more participants and labourers to grow stronger and more effective - with the interests and skills of each finding a greater purpose within local community functioning and strengthening. In his book An Unstoppable Force (2001), Erwin Raphael McManus bemoans those who have taught and received the very short-sighted notion that accepting Jesus is only about escaping hell and gaining heaven, without ever taking seriously the call to discipleship typified in Acts 1:8. Me too! McManus writes (p.208) that this prevailing lowest of all common denominators (my term) only offers "a bondage of mediocrity", rather than addressing the greatest level of freedom that God has for us - apostolic movement!!

"Friendship at the Margins" - a Bible Study on Luke 7:36-50

Luke 7:36-50      (New Revised Standard Version)

36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. ³⁷And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. ³⁸She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment.

³⁹Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.’

⁴⁰Jesus spoke up and said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Teacher,’ he replied, ‘Speak.’ ⁴¹ ‘A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴²When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?’ ⁴³Simon answered, ‘I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.’ And Jesus 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; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. ⁴⁵You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. ⁴⁷Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.’

⁴⁸Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ ⁴⁹But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’ ⁵⁰And he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’

“FRIENDSHIP AT THE MARGINS”

Introduction:

Many people lack friends, which leaves them lonely and socially disconnected. Many people get trapped in lifestyles that they cannot easily escape, especially when left to their own devices. Many people would like to turn their lives around, but lack the social networks to find a way forward. This passage gives us a remarkable example of how Jesus dealt with the problem of desperate isolation and a desire for change.

Questions:

1)  What do you think is the key verse in understanding this passage?

·  Verse 39 – This is where Simon the Pharisee suggests that if Jesus was truly a prophet then he would know what sort of a woman this was and therefore he wouldn’t go anywhere near her. Ironic … as it is because Jesus knows exactly what this woman’s situation is, that he accepts her worship. This then exposes the Pharisee as one who does NOT understand the (reconciling/ /redeeming) ways of God. The Pharisee was NOT willing to accept that the connection (even friendship) between Jesus and this woman could be a Godly thing. We know from this passage, and from the Gospels generally, that Jesus was very keen to touch the lives of the friendless and those regarded as “sinners”. Jesus even called a “tax collector” to be a close disciple.

·  Verse 47 – This is where we see that those who have been open enough to know how far short they have lived and been sincerely repentant, have been so far transformed as to be wholly released in their love for Jesus and others; in comparison to those who just go through the motions and live in relational mediocrity. Two different mindsets with two very different outcomes.

2)  What can we know about the “woman”?

·  a “sinner” (v.37) – generally known and regarded as such

·  of “the city”, i.e. code for a prostitute or woman of low virtue

·  bad reputation – according to the Pharisee (v.39)

·  It is not clear whether this woman had met Jesus before and had made her confession and received her forgiveness previously, and now was demonstrating her love for Jesus; or whether all of this repentance is implicit in her behaviour right in the midst of the Pharisee’s gathering. Either way, this woman’s guilt and shame were met by such loving grace and by such a caring presence (in Jesus) that she was liberated into faith. I think we are being led to see that God was internally active in this woman’s life preparing for her upcoming personal contact with Jesus.

3)  What can we know about Simon the Pharisee?

·  generally Pharisees were renowned for their religious leadership, piety, knowledge

·  however here, he is exposed as judgmental, rigid, unkind (v.39); the formal religion of the Pharisees had no real answer to the problem of sin, and could only respond with disapproval and condemnation (Wilcock)

·  lacked the normal hospitality and respect for such a guest (v.44-46)

4) So, why did this Pharisee invite Jesus to his house?

·  Must have heard about what Jesus had been doing and teaching, and wanted to check him out personally! He was obviously interested in Jesus … to a point … maybe to the extent of what suited him. This was probably an intellectual pursuit – where the brain was engaged, but not necessarily the heart. He invited Jesus home for a meal, but to what end … to learn from him or to discredit him? Who was this Jesus? An interesting teacher? A miracle-worker? A prophet? Or, a fraud?

5)  Why did Jesus accept this invitation?

·  Jesus wanted to reach out to everyone, in the hope of bringing them closer to God (even Pharisees, who would seek to bring him undone). Sometimes Jesus would reach out with a loving touch, but sometimes circumstances would require a challenging word.

·  Even if Simon the Pharisee would never respond positively, there were always the other guests.

6) How did this notorious woman gain admittance to the dinner?

·  Was she a gate-crasher?

·  Some commentators suggest that this dinner must have been an open community event, as was common in this culture, with this Pharisee opening his home so that many could come to hear Jesus speak. Also, the poor were permitted to hang around the outskirts of such a gathering in the hope of getting their hands on some leftovers.

·  Or, was this a trap set for Jesus, where the woman was encouraged to attend in the hope of Jesus being embarrassed and discredited?

7) What did it take to enter as she did?

·  courage – in the face of many unwelcoming and disparaging looks

·  faith – that Jesus would accept her worship and respond to her positively

8) Why did the woman do the things she did (v.37-38)?

·  this was a very public acknowledgement and a beautiful act of service to the One who would do so much for her i.e. gratitude and witness

·  she probably had noticed that the customary acts of hospitality had not been offered to Jesus (refer v.44-46) … it would have been customary for Jesus to have been offered water to wash his dusty feet, kissed on the face in welcome and have oil applied to his head

·  in bathing Jesus’ feet with her tears (Jesus would have been reclining on a couch in front of a low table with his feet to the side and behind him) the woman would be emotionally signifying both repentance from sin and the joy of forgiveness

·  it was regarded as a shameful thing for a woman to let her hair down like this in public, so, in drying Jesus’ feet with her hair, this was a demonstration of how this woman’s previous feelings of shame had been dealt with

·  kissing Jesus’ feet and anointing them with the ointment was an act of humility, love and commitment [not clear what “the ointment” was, but it was likely far more elaborate than the basic ‘oil’ used for anointing, and probably the best quality the woman could afford]

·  this woman’s love and gratitude is evidence of how great her ‘debt’ has been, and how correspondingly great the Lord’s forgiveness is (Wilcock)

9) How do you think Jesus felt about this display of affection?

·  Jesus warmly received this woman’s ministry to him

·  received as a sincere display of repentance and worship

·  Jesus lifted up this woman as an example – “Do you see this woman?” (v.44) … wow! What a turnaround!!

·  this shows us that when we reach out to another with the hand of friendship, it is likely that our new friend has plenty to offer us in return

10) What do you think the host Pharisee is now thinking / feeling?

·  embarrassed – that he himself hadn’t offered this hospitality or sign of respect

·  angry – that his woman had upstaged him (in his own home) in front of his guests

·  ‘nose out of joint’ – that Jesus had accepted this service from such a notorious person … would he change his attitude at all?!? … could this Pharisee ever be able or willing to look beyond sinfulness and see a person in need of help?

·  perhaps revengeful when it came to Jesus

11) How did Jesus respond to the thoughts of the Pharisee?

·  told a little parable (v.41-42) and asked the Pharisee to interpret its meaning; thus hopefully setting the Pharisee on the path of honest reflection and self-discovery, and critiquing his negative attitude towards this woman and his self-satisfied attitude to his own life

·  Jesus connected the concepts of forgiveness and loving service – those that are most open to receiving forgiveness are best placed to respond lavishly in loving service; the Pharisee conceded the point … albeit a bit reluctantly – “I suppose…” (v.43)

·  showed that at the very least he was a prophet in being able to know the Pharisee’s thoughts (“he said to himself” – v.39); laying the foundation for challenging all those gathered that he was very much more than this (“Your sins are forgiven” – v.48)

·  the most shocking thing of all for the Pharisee to come to terms with (if he ever could) was that Jesus befriending this woman was the most natural thing for him to be doing (and Jesus drew joy from this)

12) How were the two characters now being viewed?

·  The Pharisee – lacking the necessary perspective to really experience God; had probably never really opened his heart toward a spiritual awakening. He was probably trying his best to live a decent life – but only in his own strength. Because of this, he was not able to lavishly respond in worship to Jesus as Saviour & Lord, but rather only doubt & analyze him! This Pharisee’s life was not really open to Jesus, and therefore he was at a ‘stalemate’!!

·  The Woman – when she became aware of her lostness and need, and the wasteful way in which she was living, she did something positive about it. When she heard about Jesus, how he had helped and healed others, and how his teaching was transforming people’s whole outlook on life … she was willing to throw herself on his mercy. Instantly her life began to change for the better! Jesus did not ignore this woman’s sin, as sin is far too destructive to be taken lightly, rather he utilizes all the positive power of God’s grace to reverse the strangle hold that sin can have on a person’s life. For this woman, God’s forgiveness was not just a theological proposition, but something very real, very personal – to be enjoyed and expressed … expressed in unrestrained worship of Jesus.

13) How do you think the woman now feels?

·  accepted, valued, grateful, renewed

14) Which character do we wish to emulate?

·  Jesus in his offer of friendship, compassion and grace? If we make ourselves vulnerable in travelling outside our comfort zones and in offering friendship to those on the margins of our community, this is likely to be where we can be at our strongest … for here we are totally reliant on the Holy Spirit. Community members, who we don’t yet know, are fellow life travelers, and potential friends, and even potential co-workers in the Kingdom of God. Jesus shared himself with others, cultivated trust and faith, and drew people together into a bigger vision (where each of their particular contributions would be valued). “Putting ourselves in places where people on the margins can find us involves slowing down, taking time to be where people can befriend us …” (Heuertz & Pohl in: Friendship at the Margins, p.130-1).

·  The woman in her willingness to receive grace, change and respond so enthusiastically? She truly understood and appreciated all that she had gained.

·  NOT Simon the Pharisee at all I trust!

15) What were the other guests now thinking (v.49)?

·  they were absolutely right to be thinking that only God could ultimately forgive sins – that this indeed was a Divine prerogative! Would they be able to come to accept Jesus as Son of God?

16) How can we all hear the words of Jesus in verse 50 (“Go in peace”)?

·  Having exercised faith that has led to our salvation through forgiveness, we should walk in God’s Spirit offering this great gift of grace to others

·  Peacemakers are reconcilers – making friends for God!

Campaigning in Wyndham - Respectful Advocacy

At last Monday night's "Make Your Voice Heard" forum at Wyndham City Council, it was great to hear talk, especially from the mayor, about the need, no matter the depth of the issue, to advocate in a respectful way. This is because we are dealing with human beings - and this is not only the right thing to do, but also the way of going about it that will bring the best results. Decision-makers will respond better to your cause if they are approached properly. Yes, advocates need to "ruffle feathers" occasionally, but this can be done with eyes on the "ball" (issue) rather than the "man" (human decision-maker)!

Now this sounds a lot like the attitude and behaviour Jesus promoted - "In everything do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Matthew 7:12). Now I will personally have to take this on board when I see outrageous (in my opinion) decisions being made, and remember that those making those decisions, rather than being only influenced by personal agendas, may be under great pressures of varying kinds, including a plethora of competing opinions and needs. These community leaders are also made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and should be treated in a way that encourages and nurtures them in finding their home in God. So there's the rub of the prophetic voice of advocacy.

Rev'd Tim Costello spoke inspiringly, and I think lifted everyone in the room to lend their voice to what moved their heart. Barry Harvey was equally passionate. Jeremy Samuel, although I became aware I would be disagreeing with some of his political stances, gave some outstanding tips in the area of campaigning through social media that for me crossed over very effectively into promoting missional and gospel enterprise, with the catch-cry "Who are we and why should they care".