Welcome
everyone to your Table Talk small group. Watch the video and
share the story below, then open up the discussion with the questions
provided.
Table Talk
Video: Table Manners – The Unexpected Guest
The
washing and anointing of Jesus’ feet by an unlikely character has
captured the imagination of Christians for centuries. It has been
the subject of great works of fine art, the centerpiece of many
sermons, and a symbol of humility and forgiveness.
One of the
attractive things about this story is its spontaneity. We don’t
know this woman or where she came from. We don’t know for sure
what happened to her after this. We don’t know where her
extravagant gift came from. We don’t know how she made it inside
the house, just that she made sure she was there.
So much of
this story is left up to the imagination that is hard not to
picture it. It is hard not to fill in the extra details. It is
hard not place yourself at the table in the middle of this story.
But which seat around the table are you sitting in?
Lord, this
world is full of interruptions and distractions. Help us to know
the difference between interruptions and divine appointments,
distractions and holy redirection. May your Spirit guide our
discussion as we study your word and may we encounter you in it.
We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Starting the Discussion (4 minutes)
1.
What was the most unexpected thing that happened to
you this week?
2.
Did God surprise you with anything this week?
Unfolding the Biblical Story (31 minutes)
1.
Does it surprise you to see Jesus eat dinner at a
Pharisee’s house?
2.
Fun Fact: It was common in that time to eat dinner
propped up on low couches by the table. Table manners dictated
that you recline on your left side and eat with your right hand.
Jesus’ body would have been angled away from the table so that
the other guests could recline at the table next to him. How many
of you would stay awake if you ate dinner lying down on the
couch?
1.
This woman is introduced as having “lived a sinful
life in that town.” How might her reputation have kept people
from actually knowing her story and her heart?
2.
What do you imagine her entrance was like? The Bible
doesn’t tell us, just that she had to be near Jesus.
3.
Remember how they reclined at the table? This gave
her clear access to Jesus’ feet. She washed his feet with her
tears and hair and then anointed them with perfume. This was a
radically expensive gift. In our dollars this could have easily
been worth $50,000 or more. Can you imagine giving something so
costly and so precious away to God?
1.
What are some reasons the Pharisee might not have
wanted “this woman” unexpectedly in their home?
2.
What are all the ways the Pharisee casts judgment
and accusation on Jesus and this woman?
3.
If you look carefully, this verse clearly reveals
the Pharisees motive for inviting Jesus to dinner. What do you
think it was? How does he view himself compared to Jesus?
1.
It is interesting that neither the woman nor the
Pharisee are named until Jesus speaks to the Pharisee directly. The
woman’s name is left out because the town just new her as
“sinner.” It is as if Luke is cluing us in that that sin imparts
the same nameless shame on this Pharisee. Besides being given a
name, what begins to change for Simon when Jesus speaks?
2.
To lead someone from judging to listening is no
simple task but Jesus does it with such grace. How often might
people be willing to hear the truth if we would give an
invitation to meaningful conversation instead of a strong rebuke
– even if they deserve it? Likewise, how might we be right in our
judgment but wrong in how we care for the souls around us?
3.
Seldom are people downright evil. They more often
are just too weak to hold to their convictions under pressure.
What does Jesus do to take the momentary pressure off Simon and
allow him to evaluate truth?
1.
It is interesting that Jesus looks at the woman but
is speaking to Simon whom he turned his back toward, as if he was
directing Simon’s attention to the woman as well. What does he
point out to Simon while looking at this humbly broken woman?
2.
God is rewriting her story before she is even told
about it directly. She is pronounced as one who loves God more
than the righteous teachers of her city, displayed through
humility, not self-honor. What are we doing to graciously rewrite
the stories of the “sinners” in our lives?
1.
What are all the things that Jesus says about this
woman? How did he change her name and her story? Why is this
bigger news than a “sinner” bursting into a Pharisee’s home
unexpectedly?
Making Scripture Personal (6 minutes)
1.
Do we approach Jesus wondering what we can get out
of this, or what is the minimum we can do and be accepted by God?
Or do we humble ourselves and serve Jesus with extravagance and
flare?
2.
Jesus blesses this woman with things she assumed she
had long ago forfeited, defining her by her faith rather than her
sin and pronouncing peace over her. How are you speaking life
into the hearts and minds of the people God has placed around
you? What are you speaking that offers true hope to people
desperately searching for Jesus like this woman was?
Precious
Jesus, help us to see past the headlines and into the hearts of
those around us. May unexpected and inconvenient encounters
become open doors for salvation and healing. May brokenness that
comes with humility challenge our own hearts rightly to weep over
our sin and drive us share the hope of salvation in you with any
who are willing to listen. Thank you for the people we mislabel
distractions and the opportunities we mislabel as inconveniences.
Help us to make the most of every situation for the good of your
people and for your glory. Amen.
See if
anyone has lingering questions or insights to share from your
time of study and prayer. Summarize the group discussion as a
reminder of what you learned together.
Scripture Challenge (3 minutes)
For your
scripture challenge this week, work with your group to try and
memorize Luke 7:27. Practice it out loud together, write it out
several times and recite it throughout the week. May you love
much and embrace the unexpected as opportunities to speak hope
and forgiveness.
