As I worked out the Power Point presentation for my sermon tomorrow, I began to ponder the way Jesus sets up a contrast between Simon and the sinful woman in Luke 7:36-50. To a Jewish audience, the contrast would be shocking and unexpected. The notorious sinner is praised for her love, while the Pharisee is shown to be less than gracious toward Jesus. This is how the contrast is presented in much teaching, and to be honest I will be using this as well.
However, Luke is writing to a Gentile, Theophilus. He may well have intended that eventually his work would be read by others, but he had to consider to whom he was writing. I doubt that Theophilus would know much if anything about the Jewish sects of Israel, so how could Luke make him have the same visceral reaction to the contrast of Jesus? I believe that is why the details of the banquet, including the seating, were stressed. Luke describes a feast that is obviously given by a man of some means, and given in a style adopted from Hellenistic practice. Theophilus would probably have been shocked that this wealthy and prominent man was considered by Jesus to be less worthy than a common woman. (This is especially true if we accept that Luke's circumlocutions indicate that she was a prostitute.)
To a Jew or a Roman, Jesus' comparison comes as a shock. Is it possible that we who are comfortable in our Christian religious practices could be like Simon, concerned with how Jesus fits into our system and having a love that has grown cold? Do we look down on "sinners," rather than seeing them as those who have much to forgive and therefore have the capacity for much love? Or do we recognize our own sinfulness, and come humbly to Jesus bringing all we have to offer Him? If our study does not raise questions like these, questions that can change our lives, we haven't finished the process.
No comments:
Post a Comment