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What We Bring to God

What We Bring to God

Words of Faith 5-18-18

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2018

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

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     Jesus has been seeing increasing conflict with a group called the Pharisees.  They were religious legalists associated more with the synagogues in the villages than with the Temple itself.  Part of the criticism was that he had shared meals with tax collectors and sinners.  Now Jesus accepted an invitation to have dinner with a Pharisee named Simon.  Simon was a common name.  This was not Simon Peter or Simon the Leper found near the end of John.  This was the home of Simon the Pharisee. In this odd setting we learn about worship.

 

Luke 7

   [36] 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. [37] 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, [38] and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

    [39] When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner."

    [40] Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."

    "Tell me, teacher," he said.

    [41] "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. [42] Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

    [43] Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."

    "You have judged correctly," Jesus said.

    [44] Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. [45] You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. [46] You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. [47] Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

    [48] Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

    [49] The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"

    [50] Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

 

       What could be more scandalous than eating dinner in the home of a tax collector or with sinners?  Well... how about eating in the home of a Pharisee and having a sinful woman show up as if she knows you!

       At this dinner party, the men would have been around a low table, reclined on their left elbow with feet extended behind them.  In came a woman known to have led a sinful life.  She had a reputation about town.  She was weeping.  Weeping so much, in fact, that her tears wet the feet of Jesus and she began drying them with her hair. 

       Remember that orthodox women covered their hair because it was considered to be sensual.  Many eyebrows would have been raised!  Then she kissed his feet and poured perfume on them.  The dinner was suddenly a scandalous situation!  Today the tabloids would have screamed-- "Famous Rabbi Linked to Prostitute". 

     Simon the Pharisee came to the conclusion that Jesus must not be a prophet at all or he would certainly have been smarter than this!  If Jesus were a real prophet he would have known that this woman was unclean and even allowing her to touch Him rendered Jesus ritually unclean.  The situation was degrading fast but Jesus turned the situation into a teaching moment.

     We learn some powerful things here from Jesus.  First, we learn that this Woman had not come to seek forgiveness as we may have first thought.  She was in fact giving thanks for forgiveness!  In a parable, Jesus led Simon to discover a truth about gratitude that comes from the heart and how it is different from religion.

       That much was powerful enough.  But in this little story we learn much of what we need to know about worship.  It is rare in the Gospels that we see so clearly what a personal moment of worship with Jesus is all about.  Jesus received this expression of love as awkward as it may have seemed and even commended the woman for her faith.  So let's talk about worship for a few days. 

       Do you remember when Jesus spoke to the woman at the well?  He said the time is coming and is now here when those who worship will worship in spirit and in truth.  That is what this story is about.  But there are only a couple of places in the Gospels that really describe what worship of the Lord Jesus Christ looks like. This is one.  This is very much about worship in Spirit, which is from the heart.  Luke 10:38-42 teaches us about worship in truth which is more from the head.  We will deal with that later.

       In this story we see several essential elements of worship.  This may seem surprising since this was not a Synagogue or the Temple.  It was not even a declared worship setting.  Worship is not about location.  It is not about a place although places set apart for worship can be very helpful.  So what is worship?

       First of all, worship is something we bring to God.  Even in the most literal sense, the woman brought something to this place of worship. She brought an alabaster jar of perfume.  A valuable essence was normally kept in such a jar.  Bringing something to God is not new a new idea. The word for worship in Hebrew means "to make offering to God". 

      We get this all confused these days.  We think that if we give alms to people or charity to the poor then we have worshiped God.  That is part of a Godly life.  But worship involves bringing something to God.  Worship involves bringing yourself to God for a time.  Worship is bringing the gift of praise to Him.  Worship involves an offering or a tithe that represents a faithful portion of God's blessing returned to Him.  Most of all worship is bringing yourself to God and offering yourself.  

    Many people see Worship these days in terms of what they get.  We often come to worship in order to get services and activities we are interested in.  We surely get something when we worship, but it is easy these days to see worship as a sort of religious theater in which we are entertained within religious themes.  There is a place for religious entertainment-- Christian theater, concerts and movies-- but this should not be confused with worship. 

      This woman prepared for worship.  She intentionally prepared to bring something to Jesus.  We might well ask ourselves, "What am I prepared to bring to the Lord in worship?"  Am I bringing my voice ready to lift it to the Lord?  Am I bringing my heart ready to offer it to the Lord?  Am I bringing an expression of my gratitude in a tithe or offering?  Am bringing my hands ready to serve?

       As we gather to worship what will we bring?  Will we flock to churches looking for what we can "get," or looking for what we can give to Him?  Will we offer ourselves?  Or will we attend out of obligation and family tradition?  Are we preparing to worship Him?

 

        Lord, more than ever, help me to understand the real meaning of worship.  Help me to prepare.  Show me what You want me to bring to You.  Fill my heart to overflowing that it may rejoice and delight in You.  In Jesus' name.