Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1922-11-17
LESSON FOR NOVEMBER 1s
JESUS THE FRIEND OF SINNERS
LESSON TExT-Luke 1918.


LESSON TExT-Luke 7:s7-4s
GOLDEN TExT-This is faithful say
Ing. and worthy of all acceptation, that
Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners.-I Tim. lis
REFERENCE MATERIAL-Luke 15:1-
e..
PRIMARY roPIc-Jesus Loves Every
body.
JUNIOR ToPIc-Jesus the Friend Of
Sinners.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
The Sympathy of Jesus.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Jesus Helps the Sinful and SorrowfuI
I. A Penitent Woman's Act Of Love
wv. 81, 48).
1. Place Of ". 81. It was In the
home Of Simon the Phsrisee while
Jesus was sitting at meat. The feast
must have been public, else she
could not have so readily gained ac-
cess.
2. The Act Of ". 3S). She washed
Jesus feet with her tears and wiped
them with her hair. Through some
means she had heard of Jesus pardon
ing grace, and God had opened her
heart to receive Him as her Saviour.
Out Of heart of gratitude she kissed
His feet and anointed them with pre-
cious ointment. -
8. Who She Was ". 37). Her name
Is not mentioned. She was of a
notoriously bad character. Though
known to the public as bad woman.
something had happened which trans
| formed her. She was now a saved
sinner, because she believed on Jesus
| Christ.
II. The Pharisee's DIspIsasure ".
s9).
Simon felt scandalized by such q
happening at his table. He was a re-
spectacle man. For Jesus to tolerate
such familiarity on the part Of q
woman Of such evil repute greatly
perplexed him. He reasoned that If
Jesus were prophet He would have
known the character of this woman
and would have either withdrawn
His feet from her or thrust her back
with them, or IL He knew her charac-
ter His tolerance of such familiarity
proved that He was not good man.
Simon's righteousness was of that
sort which gathers up Its skirts and
gives the sinner a backward push into
his filth.
III. Jesus Teaches the Pharlsee (vv.
4O-4
| He taught him by means Of q par.
able of creditor and two debtors
Observe that Jesus made 1t very clear
that He not only knew the woman,
but knew Simon also.
/. The Common Debt ". All. Tho
woman was a sinner, SO was Simon,
! though he was not the same kind of
sinner that she was. There were two
debtors, though the one owed ten
times as much as the other This Is
representative of all sinners still. The
/ Bible declares all to be sinners. yet
recognizes degrees of guilt. Full cred
1t ought to be given TO the man who
is honest virtuous, generous and
| kind. Yet such life will not secure
entrance into heaven. The Saviors
words are a severe rebuke to the re-
spectacle Pharisees who are sitting
In judgment against the sinners OF a
coarser type.
| 2. The Common Insolvency ". 42).
"And when they had nothing TO pay
Jesus freely granted the difference In
the degree Of the woman's sins and
those of the Pharisee, but drove home
to him the fact that they were both
debtors and had nothing with which
to pay (Rom. 8 :23). Therefore all
have need of a Saviour As sinners
we may quit our SHINING and hate our
deeds, but that does not make salts
faction for the sins Of the past. What
we have done Is irrevocable-it has
passed from our reach. Every trans
gression shall receive just recon-
pense Of reward (Heb. 2:2). We must
come to our Creditor. God Almighty.
and acknowledge our insolvency and
accept the kindness Of Jesus Christ
who bore our sins In His own body ON
the tree Il Pet. 2:24). We are all
paupers, and instead Of Judging each
other as to relative guilt, we should
come to God and sue for pardon
8. The Relation Of Forgiveness and
Love (vv. 44-4S. Simon's reluctant
answer to Jesus question shows that
he got the point Of Jesus teaching.
In order to make His teaching con-
crete He turned to rhe woman, CALI
ing Simon's attention to what she had
done in contrast to what he had done.
Simon had neglected to extend to
Jesus the common courtesies Of re-
spectacle guest. but this foyxiven
woman had Iavished upon Him her
affection and gifts. The measure Of
ones love Is determined by the meas
ure Of the apprehension Of sins for