The Care and Feeding of Dinner Guests

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting February 3 to study Luke 7:36-50. This is one of a couple of dinner parties Jesus is invited to where He winds up embarrassing the host.

As you read through the passage a few times, be sure to look for cultural things that sound strange, customs, word choices; try to imagine what the whole scene looks like.  Make notes of these things, and jot down questions along with observations.  Once you've gone through a few times with your own observations and questions, go back through with some sort of commentary.  Some of your questions will be answered, and other questions will come up.

After you've worked through the passage on your own, go back through with the questions below:

• We're not told where this event happens, but it seems to immediately follow Jesus' statement about the Pharisees and Lawyers disbelief.  How likely do you think it is that this Pharisee, Simon heard and understood Jesus' prior statement about "this generation"?
• The woman is considered a "sinner in the city".  It's not like a secret or anything, so what do you think it would take for her to reach Jesus through the people at or around the dinner party?
• Why do you think she would go through all that to reach Jesus?  To this point, He hasn't done much more than heal, cast out demons, and preach about forgiveness.  Like the Centurion, we're left wondering what she heard about Jesus that prompts this response.  What do you think it is about Jesus at this point in His ministry that prompts this woman to go to Him?
•  The woman has purchased a vial of perfume.  We're not told details about cost here, but that aside, what do you think it took for her to weep, to wipe His feet, and then anoint Jesus' feet with the perfume?  Why do you think she thought to honor Him in this way?
• The Pharisee "said to himself", why not out loud?  What does this tell you about "Simon the Pharisee"?
• Simon the Pharisee thinks of Jesus as a prophet.  Why a prophet?  What sort of "Messiah" do you think this indicates the Pharisee is looking for, or is he looking?
• Jesus calls Simon the Pharisee out on what he's thinking by telling him a "parable" about debtors and forgiveness.  What do you think the Pharisee is thinking about the "rhetorical" question Jesus asks about who "loved" more?
• The city-sinner woman hasn't been forgiven yet so what do you think Jesus is getting at with His comparison of her treatment of Him and the Pharisee's?
• If Jesus' comparison is between two people who have been forgiven, what does that tell you about Simon the Pharisee? Do you think that Jesus considers Simon the Pharisee forgiven?
• Do you think Simon considered himself "forgiven", or would he have understood himself as one of the debtors along with the city-sinner woman?
• Jesus tells the woman that her many sins are forgiven.  What do you think Simon the Pharisee thought of that?
• The others at the table begin "saying among themselves", but the grammatical structure is very similar to Simon the Pharisee's except it's plural not singular.  Do you think they spoke out loud and among each other or silently to themselves?
• These at the table also see the woman touching Jesus and hear His parable with explanation.  So why do you think they focus on Jesus' statement about her sins rather than the love for the "forgiver" which is Jesus' point?
• Jesus sends her away in peace.  What do you think was said after the city-sinner woman leaves?
• There are possible parallel accounts in Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, and John 12:1-8.  How likely do you think it is that all of these are the exact same event or woman?

 Now consider what element of this account of Jesus, whether from what you discovered in the text or from a commentary, woke you up to something in your life that needs to change.  If you're honest about yourself in light of that element, what action is the Holy Spirit leading you to take?  What change needs to happen in you based on what you learn here?

That should do it for this week!