April 21
Lesson 8 (KJV)
Faith of an Anointer
Devotional Reading: Romans 8:1–16
Background Scripture: Luke 7:36–50
Luke 7:36–39, 44–50
36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house and sat down to meat.
37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
39 When the Pharisee who had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
49 And they that sat at meat with him began to ask themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
50 He told the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
Key Text
He said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.—Luke 7:50
Examining Our Faith
Unit II: The Measure of Faith
Lessons 6–9
Lesson Aims
After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:
1. Identify what “saved” the woman.
2. Compare and contrast the mindsets of Jesus, the Pharisee, and the woman.
3. Evaluate his or her own mindset in light of those three.
Lesson Outline
Introduction
A. A Person’s Value
B. Lesson Context
I. Three People (Luke 7:36–39)
A. An Invited Guest (v. 36)
B. An Uninvited Guest (vv. 37–38)
C. An Ungracious Host (v. 39)
II. Different Actions (Luke 7:44–50)
A. Criticism and Praise (vv. 44–46)
Feet Worth Kissing
B. Little and Much (vv. 47–48)
C. Forgiveness and Peace (vv. 49–50)
The Right Rock
Conclusion
A. Who Needs Forgiveness?
B. Prayer
C. Thought to Remember
How to Say It
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Alabaster |
al-uh-bas-ter. |
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Capernaum |
Kuh-per-nay-um. |
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Josephus |
Jo-see-fus. |
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Magdalene |
Mag-duh-leen or Mag-duh-lee-nee. |
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Nain |
Nay-in. |
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What Do You Think? When have you been reduced to tears in Jesus’ presence? Digging Deeper What blessing did you experience after being vulnerable at Jesus’ feet? |
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What Do You Think? When do you practice hospitality? Keep in mind that this is not limited to hosting dinners. Digging Deeper How does your hospitality honor Jesus? |
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What Do You Think? What danger exists in not acknowledging one’s sins as serious or many? Digging Deeper How do you guard against excessive pride in your efforts and debilitating awareness of your sin? |
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What Do You Think? What circumstances make it difficult to experience peace in your salvation? Digging Deeper If Jesus told you to “go in peace,” how would that impact your daily activities? |
Conclusion
A. Who Needs Forgiveness?
Many unbelievers today are involved in unholy, unbiblical activities. Some even make their living doing things that Christians know are immoral. It is easy for those within the church to take a dim view of these people, judging them to be incorrigible sinners. To be sure, a judging function does (or should) exist legitimately within the church (Matthew 7:16; 1 Corinthians 5:1–6:5; Titus 1:10–16; 3:10; etc.). But this judging function bears little resemblance to the one used by Simon the Pharisee. His viewpoint was that of complete rejection, thinking of himself more highly and being confident of his own righteousness (compare Luke 18:9–14).
But Simon was not wholly sinless. As a student of the Law of Moses, he should have realized, as the Pharisee Paul did, that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23; compare Acts 23:6). Another way to look at it is to imagine a survey being taken in Pharisee Simon’s village. The survey question is, “Who needs to be forgiven, Simon or the immoral woman?” The villagers would predictably respond overwhelmingly to “the immoral woman.” But this is really a trick question since it presents a false choice. It is not a matter of “either/or” but one of “both/and.” They both needed to be forgiven of sin. They both required a humble faith that would bring them to God with hearts full of love. They both needed to follow Jesus, love God, and serve others. The tragedy of this story is that only one of these people left the banquet forgiven. Simon’s apparent pride in seeing himself superior to the woman blocked any realization of needing forgiveness.
Christians are to flee from sin and obey God. We show our love for God when we keep His commandments (1 John 5:2–3). But does this justify us when we reject and condemn those who struggle with sin? Are sinners welcome in our fellowship if they are seeking to love Jesus? Or must they clean up their sinful lives before they enter the doors of our church? Jesus taught that even the vilest of sinners can be forgiven if they turn to Him in faith and love. Are we willing to follow Him in His love for sinners and help them as they strive to follow Jesus, however imperfectly?
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What Do You Think? What makes a good dinner guest? Digging Deeper Do Jesus’ words and actions at this dinner change your answer? How or why not? |
B. Prayer
Heavenly Father, You have shown us Your willingness to forgive sinners. May we not keep that message to ourselves! And let us not be selective in pretending to know who will accept and who won’t. Help us to love our neighbors as you love us by taking the good news of Your Son to them. In His name, we pray. Amen.
C. Thought to Remember
To have forgiveness, we must first realize that we need it.
Involvement Learning
Enhance your lesson with KJV Bible Student (from your curriculum supplier) and the reproducible activity page (at www.standardlesson.com or in the back of the KJV Standard Lesson Commentary Deluxe Edition).
Mark S. Krause et al., “Faith of an Anointer,” in The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2023–2024, ed. Jane Ann Kenney, Ronald L. Nickelson, and Taylor Z. Stamps, vol. 71, The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary (Colorado Springs, CO: Standard Publishing, 2024), 295–296.
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