We come to one of my (Russ) favorite passages in all of the Bible: Jesus in Simon's house (Lk.7:36-50). The irony here: I say this as a recovering Simon. Simon is a religious leader, wealthy, well-educated, reputable... and so he invites Jesus over to see if Jesus is worthy of his time and attention. Yet in Jesus' wake comes a woman who is everything Simon is not: "sinner", street walker, pariah. And before their meal is done, Jesus is lauding this woman as a model of faith while pointing out why Simon has so little joy. With all Simon has, why is he so joyless? And if so, how do we get joy like hers? Let's visit Simon's house.
Discussion Questions
Sermon-Based Discussion Questions | Pacific Crossroads Church SOUTH BAY
“The Restoring Joy of Jesus – Restoring Reputation” Luke 7:36-50
Sunday, April 11, 2021 Russ Hightower, Lead Pastor
https://pccsouthbay.org/sermons
Some find it soothing to linger on TV shows that show people who are less favorable. Do you have a guilty pleasure like this; where you’re set up to sit in judgment over others? Kidding aside, why do you like it so much? What could this say about you and your idols?
Simon didn’t have a faith where he could let loose and pour out his soul – like the tears that flowed from the woman in our story. Can you share a faith moment where you poured out your heart and soul, either with emotion, action, or a major life decision?
Little sin leads to little Savior, little rescue, and little love. Big sin leads to a big Savior, big joy, and big change. The way to avoid God is to avoid sin. To what degree do you go only so far with God, avoiding your rebellion and need for a savior? Answering this honestly would be like breaking the jar open.
The woman is responding to an identity shift. What identity are you keeping or guarding? Has God ever changed you this radically, beyond just growing up or maturing in life? Have you ever been changed this drastically?
In Psalm 23, David is just celebrating God, not asking Him for anything. Do you ever pray this way: God-centered rather than you-centered?
What did you need to hear in the sermon, or during this discussion?
