November 17, 2024

Luke 7:36-50

Pride and Shame Encounter Jesus

Sunday Sermons

In Luke 7, Jesus is invited to dinner at a Pharisee’s house. What happens next is both awkward and uncomfortable, yet profoundly beautiful, as Jesus encounters a woman publicly known as a sinner. Pride meets shame, and Jesus reveals the truth of the debt we all owe and the lavish grace on offer to everyone. As we wrestle with our inner narratives, it’s essential to understand where our identity is found and sourced. Join Pastor Matt as he teaches us through Luke 7:36-50 and helps us explore the love of God in Christ for all of us.

Speaker

Matt Pierson

Series

The Gospel According to Luke

Go to Series

Scripture

Luke 7:36-50

Topics
Growth & Discipleship Suffering

Sermon Notes

“In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame!”
Psalm 71:1

“Jesus is the moneylender to whom both the Pharisee and the notorious woman owed a debt. Her extravagant love is the result of his extravagant forgiveness. Simon the Pharisee may think he has less debt to pay to God than this woman does. Jesus doesn’t fight him on that. Instead, he shows him through this woman what a forgiven person looks like.”
Rebecca McLaughlin, Jesus Through the Eyes of Women

1. Pride wants to convince us we don’t need Jesus

“But do remember, the only thing that matters is the extent to which you separate the man from the Enemy.”
C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

“Pride is your greatest enemy; humility is your greatest friend.”
John Stott

2. Shame wants to convince us we can’t come to Jesus.

“Shame…bends and twists our narratives into painful story lines. It is ubiquitous, seeping into every nook and cranny of life…It is not just a consequence of something our first parents did in the Garden of Eden. It is the emotional weapon that evil uses to (1) corrupt our relationships with God and each other, and (2) disintegrate any and all gifts of vocational vision and creativity.”
Curt Thompson, The Soul of Shame

“There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.”
Corrie Ten Boom

“Without the gospel, we hate ourselves instead of our sin. But when we realize we’re loved despite our sin, we begin to hate the sin itself and allow God to change us.”
Tim Keller

3. The invitation of Jesus is offered to all

“The minimum bar to be enfolded into the embrace of Jesus is simply: open yourself up to him. It is all he needs. Indeed, it is the only thing he works with…you don’t need to unburden or collect yourself and then come to Jesus. Your very burden is what qualifies you to come.”
Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly

“We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time, we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”
Tim Keller

Discussion Questions

  • Do you tend to struggle more with pride or shame? How does this struggle manifest itself in your life?
  • How can we avoid the Pharisee’s inclination to judge others and reflect Jesus’ compassion instead?
  • How can we emulate the woman’s public display of gratitude for God’s forgiveness?

Songs, Readings & Prayer

Songs:

“King Forevermore“ by Aaron Keyes & Pete James
“I Stand Amazed (How Marvelous)“ by Charles Hutchinson Gabriel
“His Mercy Is More“ by Matt Boswell, Matt Papa
“Come Unto Jesus“ by Jordan Kauflin, Keith & Kristyn Getty, and Laura Story
“Doxology” by Thomas Ken and Louis Bourgeois

All songs are used by Permission. CCLI License #200369

Call To Worship: Your Testimonies Forever

Leader: Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.
People: Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations;

Leader: You established the earth, and it stands.
People: They stand this day according to Your ordinances, For all things are Your servants.

Leader: How sweet are Your words to my taste!
People: Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Leader: Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
People: I have inherited Your testimonies forever, For they are the joy of my heart. Amen! Amen! Amen!

Source: Psalm 119:89-91, 103, 105, 112 (NASB)

Confession: Repentance and Faith

Leader: What does it mean to repent?
People: To repent means that I have a change of heart, turning from sin- fully serving myself- to serving God as I follow Jesus Christ. I need God’s help to make this change.

Leader: What does it mean to have faith?
People: To have faith means that I believe the Gospel is the truth: that Jesus died for my sins, rose from the dead, and rules over my life. Therefore, I entrust myself to him as my Savior, and I obey him as my Lord.

Leader: What does God grant in your new life in Christ?
People: God grants me reconciliation with him, forgiveness of my sins, union with him in Christ, adoption into his family, citizenship in his kingdom, new life in the Holy Spirit, and the promise of eternal life.

Source: ACNA Salvation, Questions 11,12,15

Classic Prayer: Augustine, 354-430

O Thou, from whom to be turned is to fall, to whom to be turned is to rise, and in whom to stand is to abide. Grant me, in all my duties, Thy help, in all my perplexities, Thy guidance…and in all my sorrows, Thy peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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