Wrestling with Truth considered Luke 7 today. We looked at the various “models of devotion” contained in this chapter.
- The Centurion who sends some Jewish elders and then some of his servants to Jesus to request healing for his servant.
- The mother whose son has died.
- The disciples of John the Baptist who come to ask Jesus if he is really the Messiah.
- The Pharisee who invites Jesus to a dinner at his home.
- The sinful woman who comes to the dinner uninvited and weeps over Jesus’ feet and covers them with expensive perfume.
PRINCIPLES:
Jesus loves all types of people and seeks to meet their needs.
- Faith can be expressed as believing (creeds, knowledge), trusting (experience, feeling), and doing (will, behavior).
- The centurion’s servant is healed because of the centurion’s faith.
- The widow’s son is raised even without a request. With compassion, Jesus sees and meets the need.
- Jesus fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah by his deeds and clearly demonstrates his Messiah-ship.
- Jesus challenges the misconceptions of the Pharisee.
- Jesus affirms the forgiveness of the sinful woman.
CONCLUSION
Jesus asks the Pharisee, “Do you see this woman?” and then commends both her love and her faith. This is a call for us to see people beyond the obvious, beyond our preconceived notions, and at a depth that can enable us to be the channels of Jesus’ love that helpsbring about the transforming power of love.
TLT