"When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 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.” 40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[a] and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Luke 7:36-5
Labels that society and we put on each other divide us and are not what Jesus does. We are to see people not dismiss them. Simon only saw what this woman was known for -- labeled her as a sinful woman -- didn't actually see her as a person created and loved by God.
Simon didn't show Jesus common courtesy. The woman went above and beyond common courtesy. She showed him love.
Don't follow society's practice of using labels. It is comfortable placing people in categories. Then you can predict what they will do (not really, but that is what we think). We only then see categories, impersonal groups we love or hate.
Examples of Label Using in the BIble:
John 4 -- The Samaritan Woman
John 8 -- The woman caught in adultery -- seen only as an adulterous
Acts 4:13 -- Uneducated, common people "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13
Don't be a Label Maker/Caller
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Matthew 7:1-2
And don't limit yourself with labels either.
Here are 3 labels you have that you can and should embrace:
#1 I am forgiven.
#2 I am capable (I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13)
#3 I am dearly loved. (Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12
#4 I am a child of God. ( 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." John 1:12-13)
Live in Humility. We are not meant to be part of the labeling trend.
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine." Isaiah 43::1b
We need to be unifiers.
41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[a] and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Luke 7:36-5
Labels that society and we put on each other divide us and are not what Jesus does. We are to see people not dismiss them. Simon only saw what this woman was known for -- labeled her as a sinful woman -- didn't actually see her as a person created and loved by God.
Simon didn't show Jesus common courtesy. The woman went above and beyond common courtesy. She showed him love.
Don't follow society's practice of using labels. It is comfortable placing people in categories. Then you can predict what they will do (not really, but that is what we think). We only then see categories, impersonal groups we love or hate.
Examples of Label Using in the BIble:
John 4 -- The Samaritan Woman
John 8 -- The woman caught in adultery -- seen only as an adulterous
Acts 4:13 -- Uneducated, common people "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13
Don't be a Label Maker/Caller
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Matthew 7:1-2
And don't limit yourself with labels either.
Here are 3 labels you have that you can and should embrace:
#1 I am forgiven.
#2 I am capable (I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13)
#3 I am dearly loved. (Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12
#4 I am a child of God. ( 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." John 1:12-13)
Live in Humility. We are not meant to be part of the labeling trend.
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine." Isaiah 43::1b
We need to be unifiers.
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