Galatians 2:15-21, Luke 7:36-8:3
Background for the Gospel:
Luke’s Gospel has more stories about women than any of book in the Bible. Beginning with Mary and Elizabeth, Luke takes great care to record stories of women actively living and proclaiming the faith. According to Luke, Jesus and the Twelve actually depend on the financial resources of several women. These women are apparently managing their own money—hardly a passive role, and unusual for the time and culture.
Questions to ponder:
The woman who washes Jesus’ feet is a sinner who apparently has had an experience of forgiveness. (An aside—don’t assume that she is a prostitute, while many commentaries make that connection, the Gospel story does not.) This experience of forgiveness frees her to express gratitude to Jesus. We Christians understand ourselves to be forgiven, although it may not always be as dramatic as this story. What difference does it make to you to believe that God has forgiven you? Can you think of a particular burden of guilt or shame that has been lifted?
Jesus explains to Simon that this one who is forgiven much is also able to love much, while those lacking this experience love little. Simon’s response to the woman seems to prove Jesus’ point. Sadly, Christians nowadays are widely perceived, rightly or not, to be judgmental, just like Simon appears to be in this story. Where do you see Christians living up to our identity as forgiven, and therefore loving, people? Are there ways Christians could do a better job of demonstrating this part of our faith?
Background for the Epistle:
It is hard for us Gentile Christians to imagine how important this issue of Law was for the Biblical Church. For those of a Jewish background, the Law, with its exclusive requirements, had formed their sense of identity, unique, and, yes, even superior, to those around. It defined their culture, going back centuries. But for those of a Gentile background, the Law would be a barrier they could not cross. Only if this barrier could be erased would this new faith in Jesus mean anything. Our passage has jumped past Paul’s story of arguing with Peter over this barrier (a story worth reading) and into his theological reasoning, which makes it harder to see the practicalities.
Questions to consider:
Paul claims that Christ lives in him; the old Paul is dead. We make a similar claim in baptism, dying to the old life that we might live in Christ. As you have grown in the Christian faith, you may have found that particular worries, interests or temptations no longer have the same power over you that they once did. If you can think of such experiences, is there wisdom you can share with others who are struggling with similar issues?
Justification by grace—these may be familiar theological terms for Christians, but they are hard to translate out of their biblical context. Paul believes that we are saved by God’s faithfulness in Christ, not by our own faithfulness (to the Law). How would you explain to an outsider that the Gospel means we are saved by God’s actions, not our own? Do you think this gets us off the hook as far as good behavior goes?