Here’s how the study works: Read the chapter mentioned in the heading several times during the week and share any words, thoughts, verses that stood out to you. Having a week for a chapter creates the opportunity to reread it several times and make additional comments as you feel inclined as well as make comments on other people’s insights.
v.4-5 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.”
So often, like these people, we have a sense of entitlement. We expect God to response to our righteous deeds. However Isaiah 64:6 tells us our righteous deeds are like 'filthy rags'. Yet in spite of this Jesus went. When someone is gravely ill, it is not the time to be correcting their theology.
v.4-5 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.”
So often, like these people, we have a sense of entitlement. We expect God to response to our righteous deeds. However Isaiah 64:6 tells us our righteous deeds are like 'filthy rags'. Yet in spite of this Jesus went. When someone is gravely ill, it is not the time to be correcting their theology.
v.13 When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”
Jesus allows others to move his heart.
v.13 When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”
Jesus allows others to move his heart.
v.30 But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.
How amazing is that! These people who supposedly knew God better than anyone else, who knew the Scriptures better than anyone else, rejected God's purpose for themselves. We can think we know it all but be so far from the truth.
v.30 But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.
How amazing is that! These people who supposedly knew God better than anyone else, who knew the Scriptures better than anyone else, rejected God's purpose for themselves. We can think we know it all but be so far from the truth.
v.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.”
Actually Jesus wouldn't have needed to be a prophet to know what kind of woman she was. In the previous verse we read, "Then she wiped them with her hair." A woman letting down her hair in that culture already indicated what kind of woman she was. But Simon had already made up his mind about Jesus before this since he had not given him the customary welcome v.44-46.
v.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.”
Actually Jesus wouldn't have needed to be a prophet to know what kind of woman she was. In the previous verse we read, "Then she wiped them with her hair." A woman letting down her hair in that culture already indicated what kind of woman she was. But Simon had already made up his mind about Jesus before this since he had not given him the customary welcome v.44-46.
v.8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
He understood how authority worked. A lot of people don’t. He also realized that Jews don’t generally enter a Gentile home. He didn’t even wanted Jesus to be in the awkward position of coming to his house at all.
Presumably he recognized that sickness was under Jesus’ authority.
v.8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
He understood how authority worked. A lot of people don’t. He also realized that Jews don’t generally enter a Gentile home. He didn’t even wanted Jesus to be in the awkward position of coming to his house at all.
Presumably he recognized that sickness was under Jesus’ authority.
v.22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.
The blind receiving sight, the lame walking, the deaf hearing, good news being preached to the poor were all things that it was prophesied that the Messiah would do. But there were some things Jesus was not yet doing – freeing the captives from prison, restoring David’s kingdom etc. Since John was a captive I imagine this was of particular concern to him.
v.22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.
The blind receiving sight, the lame walking, the deaf hearing, good news being preached to the poor were all things that it was prophesied that the Messiah would do. But there were some things Jesus was not yet doing – freeing the captives from prison, restoring David’s kingdom etc. Since John was a captive I imagine this was of particular concern to him.
v.24 After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind?
Although John may have been having some doubts, Jesus wanted to make sure that people didn’t think he was a reed swayed by the wind.
v.24 After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind?
Although John may have been having some doubts, Jesus wanted to make sure that people didn’t think he was a reed swayed by the wind.
v.29 (All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John…)
John’s baptism was for repentance. Those who had been baptised were open to God’s ways and purposes those who had not been baptised were not.
v.29 (All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John…)
John’s baptism was for repentance. Those who had been baptised were open to God’s ways and purposes those who had not been baptised were not.
v.48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
(From Constable’s Commentary) “Jesus was not now imparting forgiveness to her for the first time but was commenting on her forgiven condition. This is clear because throughout the story Jesus consistently regarded the woman as a forgiven person. Her acts of love sprang from her sense of gratitude for having received forgiveness.”
v.48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
(From Constable’s Commentary) “Jesus was not now imparting forgiveness to her for the first time but was commenting on her forgiven condition. This is clear because throughout the story Jesus consistently regarded the woman as a forgiven person. Her acts of love sprang from her sense of gratitude for having received forgiveness.”