Reflection Guide
take the time to journal about the story you just heard. process it. let it sink in.
1. Has a peer ever invited you to something you ended up really enjoying?
2. How has someone's words gotten you through tough times?
3. What do you struggle with today?
2. How has someone's words gotten you through tough times?
3. What do you struggle with today?
Bible Study
Read 2 Corinthians 5:7
Emily’s story of faith discusses how she lived a life with Christ and she’s lived a life without Him. She emphasized that while we may not know what God’s doing in our lives (with how He is orchastrating things) that we should “walk by faith.” but what is the significance of walking by faith.
The direct translation of the Greek in this passage has “by faith” as the start of the sentence. In ancient Greek, sentences are structured by the ideas’ importance.
Why is “by faith” the most important idea in this verse?
The Greek word for sight in this verse is “eidous,” but in other parts of the bible this word is translated as appearance, form, or shape. In this verse, I believe this fits. If we walked by sight, things would appear to be different than they actually are. Appearances are deceiving, after all.
How is walking by faith different than by sight? What does it look like?
In the bible we see plenty of stories on people who walked by faith.
Read Luke 7: 36-50
When I think about showing faith in the bible, I normally think about big actions that God responds to in elaborate ways such as Esther, the Battle of Jericho, or David vs. Goliath. I don’t necessarily think of the unnamed people who come to Jesus’ side during his ministry on earth. I’ll even think about people after Jesus’ resurrection before I look directly in the Gospels (the first four books of the New Testament that recount Jesus’ time on Earth.)
But with this woman, something about this woman and her actions speak to me.
In this passage, Jesus goes to dinner. At this dinner a woman who was a known for her sinful lifestyle breaks open a bottle of perfume and washes his feet with perfume and her tears.
Why might the woman have been crying? How was the woman’s situation desperate?
Thinking about what this woman is doing in that moment, it can be hard to understand why and how this shows a woman walking by faith. But this woman serves Jesus in a way that was at great cost to herself. She was an uninvited guest in the home of Simon, a Pharisee. Pharisee’s were religious leaders who interpreted the Law down to how far someone could walk on the Sabbath day. Simon was someone who would have condemned her for her sinful lifestyle and especially for touching a teacher/prophet unprompted. Additionally, the perfume that she opens was worth a year of wages. Using it on Jesus must have been important to her.
Why might the Pharisees be confused as to why Jesus allows the woman to do this?
My grandfather says that “converts are more devout.” I don’t think that’s necessarily true, but it seems like people are drawn to stories of those who have had a big change from faithless to faithful. Jesus understood that this woman was aware of how holy He is. He also knew that Simon and the other Pharisees were upset over her actions and His response.
How does Jesus react to Simon’s thoughts on the woman’s actions?
Jesus also responds to the woman’s actions. His response is forgiveness. And he declares this for everyone to hear. That He welcomes this sinner to His side and He grants forgiveness. That He shows mercy to all who come to His side. That those who draw near to Him are given grace.
Is this miraculous to you? Why or why not?
Jesus told the woman that her faith was what saved her. Her actions seem so strange to us, especially because there is so much cultural context that goes into why this act is so important. But I have to imagine that this woman was when faced with Jesus, the Son of God, she knew that He was the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6)
How do you respond to Jesus?
Emily’s story of faith discusses how she lived a life with Christ and she’s lived a life without Him. She emphasized that while we may not know what God’s doing in our lives (with how He is orchastrating things) that we should “walk by faith.” but what is the significance of walking by faith.
The direct translation of the Greek in this passage has “by faith” as the start of the sentence. In ancient Greek, sentences are structured by the ideas’ importance.
Why is “by faith” the most important idea in this verse?
The Greek word for sight in this verse is “eidous,” but in other parts of the bible this word is translated as appearance, form, or shape. In this verse, I believe this fits. If we walked by sight, things would appear to be different than they actually are. Appearances are deceiving, after all.
How is walking by faith different than by sight? What does it look like?
In the bible we see plenty of stories on people who walked by faith.
Read Luke 7: 36-50
When I think about showing faith in the bible, I normally think about big actions that God responds to in elaborate ways such as Esther, the Battle of Jericho, or David vs. Goliath. I don’t necessarily think of the unnamed people who come to Jesus’ side during his ministry on earth. I’ll even think about people after Jesus’ resurrection before I look directly in the Gospels (the first four books of the New Testament that recount Jesus’ time on Earth.)
But with this woman, something about this woman and her actions speak to me.
In this passage, Jesus goes to dinner. At this dinner a woman who was a known for her sinful lifestyle breaks open a bottle of perfume and washes his feet with perfume and her tears.
Why might the woman have been crying? How was the woman’s situation desperate?
Thinking about what this woman is doing in that moment, it can be hard to understand why and how this shows a woman walking by faith. But this woman serves Jesus in a way that was at great cost to herself. She was an uninvited guest in the home of Simon, a Pharisee. Pharisee’s were religious leaders who interpreted the Law down to how far someone could walk on the Sabbath day. Simon was someone who would have condemned her for her sinful lifestyle and especially for touching a teacher/prophet unprompted. Additionally, the perfume that she opens was worth a year of wages. Using it on Jesus must have been important to her.
Why might the Pharisees be confused as to why Jesus allows the woman to do this?
My grandfather says that “converts are more devout.” I don’t think that’s necessarily true, but it seems like people are drawn to stories of those who have had a big change from faithless to faithful. Jesus understood that this woman was aware of how holy He is. He also knew that Simon and the other Pharisees were upset over her actions and His response.
How does Jesus react to Simon’s thoughts on the woman’s actions?
Jesus also responds to the woman’s actions. His response is forgiveness. And he declares this for everyone to hear. That He welcomes this sinner to His side and He grants forgiveness. That He shows mercy to all who come to His side. That those who draw near to Him are given grace.
Is this miraculous to you? Why or why not?
Jesus told the woman that her faith was what saved her. Her actions seem so strange to us, especially because there is so much cultural context that goes into why this act is so important. But I have to imagine that this woman was when faced with Jesus, the Son of God, she knew that He was the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6)
How do you respond to Jesus?