[1]NASHVILLE (BP) — This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, Lifeway publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from the Bible Studies For Life curriculum.
Bible Passage: Luke 7:36-48
Discussion Question:
— How can believers guard against judgmental attitudes toward others?
Food for Thought by Mary Margaret West*:
[2]Jesus was often invited into the homes of those to whom He ministered. He continued to surprise people who thought they knew how He would respond to the situations unfolding around Him.
Jesus accepted an invitation to dine at the home of a Pharisee named Simon, a respected religious leader. During the meal, a woman known for her sinful reputation entered and began to anoint Jesus with perfume. Meanwhile, Simon questioned how a true prophet could allow such a person to touch Him.
Jesus never stopped doing ministry but always taught and led wherever He landed. He used the power of stories to help those around Him understand His teaching. He did this with Simon to help him understand the actions of the sinful woman. There’s nothing and no one out of reach for Jesus.
When a person understands the depth of what they’ve been forgiven, their capacity to love and forgive others grows exponentially. The woman with the alabaster jar of perfume was trying to give back to Jesus a tiny fraction of what had been given her. Yet Simon was more concerned with his reputation than with the honor of having Jesus at his table.
Pride and religious status can blind us to grace, but Jesus reaches out to both the broken and the self-righteous with truth and compassion. We can engage others with humility, truth and compassion, reflecting the heart of Jesus.
* Mary Margaret West is an author and women’s director at The Grove Church in Clermont, Fla.
[3]Bible Studies for Life
Bible Studies for Life connects the Bible to life for adults, students, and kids. Bible Studies for Life helps individuals and groups know God’s Word through trustworthy content, creates biblical community through engaging and conversational group studies, and helps people engage the culture missionally by unpacking what the Bible says about real-life issues. More information can be found at Lifeway.com/biblestudiesforlife [4].
Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by Lifeway can be found at Lifeway [5].com/SundaySchool [4].
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