“The Scope of Jesus’ Ministry Was Limited Geographically” (Luke 8:1b)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/4/2026 8:10 PM

My Worship Time              Focus:  “The Scope of Jesus’ Ministry Was Limited Geographically”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                       Reference:  Luke 8:1b

            Message of the verse:  “from one city and village to another”

            John MacArthur writes “That Jesus would restrict the scope of His ministry by spending so much of it traveling from one city and village to another in Galilee is inexplicable from the perspective of modern philosophy of ministry.  Jerusalem, the cultural and intellectual center of Israel, should have been His target.  Galilee, on the other hand, was a largely rural area, whose plebian residents were scorned by the sophisticated Judeans.  When some said to Jesus, ‘This is the Christ’ others scoffed at them, saying ‘Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He?’  (John 7:41).  When Nicodemus protested the Pharisees’ judging of Christ without investigating Him they mocked him.  ‘You are not also from Galilee, are you?’  They said scornfully. ‘Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee’ (v. 53).  Later the Sanhedrin was astonished that simple Galileans like Peter and John could speak so confidently, boldly, and intelligently (Acts 4:13).

            “Everywhere Jesus went became His pulpit, the hillsides, valleys, and public squares of Galilee were filled with huge crowds that flocked to hear Him (cf. vv. 4, 19, 40, 45). 

(cf. vv. 4, 19, 40, 45)

“4 ¶  And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable,”

“19  Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd.”

“40 ¶  Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.”

“45  And Jesus said,

“Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!”

“Some argue that the rising animosity of the Jewish religious leaders had caused Jesus to be banned from preaching in the synagogues.  As evidence, they point to the lack of any reference to synagogues in this summary statement.  But a summary need not go into exhaustive detail, so the argument from silence is unconvincing.  Further, Matthew 9:35, 13:54, and John 6:59 record Jesus preaching in the synagogues after the events of this passage, while Luke 13:10 records His preaching in a Judean synagogue, which also came later chronologically.  After His arrest, Jesus told the high priest Annas, ‘I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret’ (John 18:20), implying that He continued preaching in the synagogues throughout His ministry.

            “Despite the limited geographic extent of His ministry, Jesus has influenced the entire world through the Spirit-inspired record of His life and ministry recorded in the Gospels and the power of His church.”  9/4/2026 8:37 PM

 

 

“The Scope of Jesus’ Ministry Was Limited Sovereignly” (Luke 8:1a)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/4/2026 10:51 AM

My Worship Time                   Focus:  “The Scope of Jesus’ Ministry Was Limited Sovereignly”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                       Reference:  Luke 8:1a

            Message of the verse:  “Soon afterwards, He began going around”

            First thing we need to look at the phrase soon afterwards, which refers back to the incident involving the sinful woman and the self-righteous Pharisee that was recorded in Luke 7:36-50.  It was shortly after that incident, in keeping with the Father’s design that Jesus began going around Galilee for what would be the final phase of His ministry there which is seen in Luke 8:4-9:50.  Though the statement is general, the divine design was specific.

            It is true that the Lord always acted in accord with the Father’s will.  We can see in John 5:30 that He says, “I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”  Now it was earlier that He had told His disciples, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work” (John 4:34).  His will was to do the Father’s will that He came into the world, as Jesus explained in John 6:38: “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

            Jesus did the tasks that the Father gave Him to do in the Father’s timing He made certain that the most important of those tasks, His sacrificial death, did not take place until it was the precise time determined by the Father.  Before that time, “no man laid his hands on Him, because His hour had not yet come” (John 7:30; cf. v. 1; 8:20; Luke 13:33).

(John 7:30; cf. v. 1; 8:20; Luke 13:33)

“1 ¶  After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him.”

“20  These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.”

“33  Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’”

            Finally, Jesus ministered to the people to whom the Father sent Him.  He told a Syro-Phoenician woman, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 15:24).  “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles,” Jesus commanded the Twelve when He sent them out to preach, “and do not enter any city of the Samaritans: but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 10:5-6).  Narrowing His focus even more, Jesus said that He did “not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32; cf. 4:18-19).

(Luke 4:18-19)

“18  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19  to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor."’

Jesus judicially abandoned the proud, self-righteous scribes and Pharisees, as He told His disciples, “Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind.  And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit” (Matt. 15:14).  Now when “some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, ‘Teacher, we want to see a sign from You’”(Matt 12:38) Jesus “answered and said to them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet’”(v. 39; cf. Luke 11:29).

(Luke 11:29)

“29 ¶  When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.”

The Lord’s example illustrates the principle that concentration is the key to multiplication.  That is the way to multiply a ministry is by intensely teaching people the life-changing truths of Scripture, not by manipulation and clever marketing gimmicks.

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am praying that what the Lord has called me to do by writing these Spiritual Diaries will be used by the Holy Spirit to multiply souls into the Kingdom of God.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Since my dear wife passed away late in July of this year, it has been at many times a struggle for me as the house is very empty, but I believe that the Lord will give me the strength to get through this difficult time in my life as He certainly has a plan for me after this difficult time, and I pray that He will show me what that is so I can get on with it, and that it will bring glory to my Lord Jesus Christ.

9/4/2026 11:23 AM

 

Intro to “The Scope of Jesus’ Ministry” (Luke 8:1-3)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/3/2026 8:10 PM

My Worship Time                                                Focus:  Intro to “The Scope of Jesus’ Ministry”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                     Reference:  Luke 8:1-3

            Message of the verses:  “Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God.  The twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many other who were contributing to their support out of their private means.”

            This evening we begin to look at the eight chapter of the book of Luke and I cannot say how long that we will be in this chapter, but as always I will not go fast through it, as you have to go slow through the study of God’s word so that you can get the most out of it.  I will as always quote the introduction from MacArthur’s commentary.

            “The plan of God that unfolded in the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ is counterintuitive to conventional human wisdom.  Modern so-called experts on ministry methodology would not have devised such a narrow strategy to bring salvation to the world by limiting the exposure of the Son of God to the small, weak, embattled, and oft-conquered nation of Israel.  Nor would their plan have called for Him to live the first thirty years of His life in obscurity in a tiny hamlet (Nazareth) in a backwater region (Galilee), and then spend the overwhelming majority of His three years of ministry within the borders of Israel.  They would have been puzzled by His rejection of all religiously trained and influential leaders, and their place His choice of twelve common, ordinary men to be His closest associates in ministry and preachers.  And scorning the influential and powerful, He spent His time with common people, especially the poor and outcasts of society.  Jesus’ welcoming of sinners and withering criticism of the religious elite could not only be viewed as counterproductive to the impact of His message.  Modern marketers would hardly have been surprised that Jesus wound up being rejected by the nation and being executed as a result of the hatred of the leaders.

            “But worldly experts would think like that would be dead wrong in their evaluation of God’s strategy.  With a breathtaking economy of effort, the Lord Jesus Christ perfectly and precisely carried out the ministry given Him by the Father (John 17:4).”  “4  I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.”  “Working within the limits set by the Father allowed Jesus’ brief three years of ministry to set in motion the most powerful force for truth the world has ever known.  Over the generations the gospel has spread to every corner of the globe and the church has continued to expand worldwide.

            “Jesus’ simple, fixed, and precisely focused ministry stands in sharp contrast to modern concepts of the ministry.  Mimicking worldly management theories, ministries today are often designed to have the widest possible impact, and with that goal in mind to be diverse, eclectic, synergistic, tolerant, and culturally connected.  Enormous amounts of time, money, and manpower are poured into strategies, plans, and activities designed to influence as many people as possible.  The goal is to create a matrix of perceptions, cultural expectations, and felt needs that can be met at the broadest level by the ministry. The divine model of ministry by the Lord Jesus Christ in the plan and power of heaven needed not of those devices.

            “The brief summary passages (cf. 4:14-15, 31-32, 40-41; 6:17-19) marks the transition into the final phase of the Lord’s Galilean ministry.  It provides a remarkable insight into the divinely-imposed limitations that made Jesus’ ministry so effective.  Six insights into the scope of His ministry may be discerned.  Jesus’ ministry was limited sovereignly, geographically, theologically, humanly, society, and materially.”

(cf. 4:14-15, 31-32, 40-41; 6:17-19)

“14 ¶  And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 15  And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.”

“31 ¶  And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, 32  and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.”

“40  Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41  And demons also came out of many, crying,, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

“17  And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, 18  who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19  And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.”

9/3/2026 8:49 PM

 

PT-2 “The Self-Righteous Man” (Luke 7:39-50)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/3/2026 9:22 PM

My Worship Time                                                           Focus:  PT-2 “The Self-Righteous Man”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 7:39-50

            Message of the verses:  “39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this Man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner!” 40 And Jesus responded and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A moneylender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they were unable to repay, he canceled the debts of both. So which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered and said, “I assume the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” 44 And turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave Me no kiss; but she has not stopped kissing My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. 47 For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but the one who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” 49 And then those who were reclining at the table with Him began saying to themselves, “Who is this Man who even forgives sins?” 50 And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

           MacArthur then writes “Continuing to address Simon, the one He sought to reach, Jesus said, ‘For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.’  The perfect tense verb (describing action completed in the past with continuing results in the present) translated have been forgiven indicates that the woman had already been forgiven before she came there that day.  This was her opportunity to show her gratitude and love to the one who had graciously forgiven her.  Then, addressing the woman, Jesus reaffirmed that she had already been forgiven (again the verb is in the perfect tense), saying to her, ‘Your sins have been forgiven.’  Her outpouring of love for the Savior was the mark of her transformed life.

            “The transformation was evident to those who were reclining at the table with Christ and they began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this man who even forgives sins?’  That Jesus took it upon Himself to forgive her sins, instead of saying God had forgiven her, was not lost on them.  Christ’s parting words to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace,’ made it clear that her love and the good deeds she had done to Him were the result of her salvation, not its cause (Eph. 2:10).”

(Eph. 2:10)

“10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

“Salvation is by faith alone (John 5:24; 6:40; Rom. 3:28; 5:1; Gal. 2:16; 3:24; Eph. 2:8-9; Phil. 3:9; 2 Tim. 3:15), and produces eternal peace (Acts 10:36; Rom. 15:13; Eph. 2:14; Col. 1:20)”

(John 5:24; 6:40; Rom. 3:28; 5:1; Gal. 2:16; 3:24; Eph. 2:8-9; Phil. 3:9; 2 Tim. 3:15)

“24  Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

“40  For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.’”

“28  For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”

“1 ¶  Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

“16  yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”

“24  So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.”

“8  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

“9 ¶  and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—”

“15  and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in to make thee wise unto salvation Christ Jesus.”

(Acts 10:36; Rom. 15:13; Eph. 2:14; Col. 1:20)

36  As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all),”

“13 ¶  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

“14 ¶  For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.”

“20  and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

            “It is their love for the Lord Jesus Christ that is the believers’ most powerful witness to the lost world.  An ungrateful, loveless Christian undercuts the testimony of the gospel and such attitudes are incompatible with God’s gracious forgiveness.”

Spiritual Meaning for my wife today:  I think that this last highlighted paragraph says it all for me today.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Living a life that follows the first sentence of the highlighted section has to be the goal for me.

9/3/2026 9:10 AM

 

PT-1 “The Self-Righteous Man” (Luke 7:39-50)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/2/2026 9:22 PM

My Worship Time                                                           Focus:  PT-1 “The Self-Righteous Man”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 7:39-50

            Message of the verses:  “39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this Man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner!” 40 And Jesus responded and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A moneylender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they were unable to repay, he canceled the debts of both. So which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered and said, “I assume the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” 44 And turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave Me no kiss; but she has not stopped kissing My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. 47 For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but the one who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” 49 And then those who were reclining at the table with Him began saying to themselves, “Who is this Man who even forgives sins?” 50 And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

            I will begin looking at these verses in this evening’s SD and then hopefully be able to finish this section in tomorrow morning’s SD.

            John MacArthur writes “The woman’s actions could have put Jesus in a very bad light.  After all, she was a notorious sinner.  Letting down her hair, washing, kissing, embracing, and anointing His feet was a serious breach of propriety.  That may have led some to wonder why she felt the freedom to be so familiar with Him and reach an obvious, but wrong, conclusion.  The Lord’s sinless, unblemished character (John 8:46) precluded any thoughts of impropriety on His part, even on the part of His enemies.”

(John 8:46)

“46 ¶  Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?”

            “The Pharisee drew an equally false conclusion:  he chalked up the Lord’s reaction not to evil, but to ignorance.  That, however, was proof to him that Jesus could not be who He claimed to be because, the Pharisee reasoned, ‘If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.’ How could Jesus tell them things they did not know if He did not even know what they themselves knew about this woman?  After all no sensible religious teacher, let along one claiming to be the Messiah, would ever allow such a woman to touch Him.  The pharisee was both disgusted by the scene he was witnessing, and at the same time satisfied, because it confirmed his belief that Jesus’ ignorance of this woman’s wickedness was proof that He was not a true prophet.

            “Our Lord’s words to the Pharisee, now introduced as Simon, inject a touch of irony into the story.  Simon had assumed that Jesus did not know the woman’s true character and hence was not a true prophet.  But although Simon had not verbalized his question, He answered him.  His knowledge of Simon’s thoughts proved that Jesus was in fact a true prophet (cf. Luke 5:22).”

(cf. Luke 5:22)

“22  When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, "Why do you question in your hearts?”

“Interrupting any conversation that may have been taking place, Jesus said to him, Simon, I have something to say to you.’  Respectfully polite but cold, Simon replied, ‘Say it, Teacher.’  The Lord communicated the point He intended to make by means of a simple parable or analogy: A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  Their debts differed dramatically (five hundred denarii was about a year and half’s wages for a common laborer; fifty about two month’s wages), but neither could repay their debt. Fortunately for both the moneylender had mercy on them, and when they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both.  In addition to its use here in a business sense, (graciously forgave) charizomai, is used in a theological sense to describe the forgiveness that God grants believers in Christ (Rom. 8:32; Eph. 4:32; Col. 2:13; 3:13).” 

(Rom. 8:32; Eph. 4:32; Col. 2:13; 3:13)

“32  He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

“32  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

“13 ¶  And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,”

“13  bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

            “What made the moneylender’s act so generous is that by forgiveness the debts of the two individuals, he incurred those debts in full.  Paul understood that principle when he magnanimously offered to take on the debt Philemon would otherwise have incurred when he forgave his runaway slave Onesimus: “But if he was wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account; I Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it’ (Philem. 18-19).  Similarly, when God forgives believers’ sin He incurs their debt, and Jesus Christ died to pay it.

            “Then the Lord got to the point of His illustration by asking Simon, ‘So which of them will love him more?’  Hesitating to give a straightforward reply Simon answered and said, ‘I suppose the one whom he forgave more.’  He may have been being sarcastic, since the answer to the Lord’s question was obvious, or cautious, suspecting that somehow Jesus intended to embarrass him if he gave the wrong answer.  But he got it right, and Jesus said to him, ‘You have judged correctly.’  The principle was simple and obvious:  whoever is forgiven the most will love the forgiver the most; great love comes from great forgiveness.

            “Turning toward the woman, Jesus then applied the principle illustrated in the parable to her and Simon.  Addressing Simon, the Lord contrasted her obvious love for Him with his cold indifference.  ‘Do you see this woman?  I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume.’  Her demonstration of love for Jesus gave clear evidence of her transformed life; she love much because she had been forgiven much.  In contrast, Simon had insulted Jesus by failing to offer the normal courtesy of providing water for His feet (cf. Gen. 18:4; 19:2; 24:32; 43:24; Judg. 19:21; John 13:4-5) or greeting Him with the customary kiss (cf. Gen. 29:13; 45:15; Ex. 4:27; 18:7; Rom. 16:16).  And while he had failed to anoint the Lord’s  head with inexpensive olive oil she had anointed His feet with costly perfume.”

(cf. Gen. 18:4; 19:2; 24:32; 43:24; Judg. 19:21; John 13:4-5)

“4  Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree,”

“2  and said, "My lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way." They said, "No; we will spend the night in the town square.’’

“32  So the man came to the house and unharnessed the camels, and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and there was water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.”

“24  And when the man had brought the men into Joseph’s house and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder,”

21  So he brought him into his house and gave the donkeys feed. And they washed their feet, and ate and drank.”

“4  rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5  Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”

(cf. Gen. 29:13; 45:15; Ex. 4:27; 18:7; Rom. 16:16)

“13  As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things,”

“15  And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.”

“27  The LORD said to Aaron, "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses." So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.”

“7 ¶  Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent.”

“16  Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.”

9/2/2026 10:11 PM

 

“The Sinful Woman” (Luke 7:37-38)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/2/2026 8:51 AM

My Worship Time                                                                             Focus:  “The Sinful Woman”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 7:37-38

            Message of the verses:  “And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with perfume.”

            MacArthur begins his commentary on this section by writing “The Greek text of verse 37 literally reads, ‘and behold’ (kai idou), emphasizing that a startling, shocking thing was about to happen.  What was shocking was that this woman was well-known in the city as a sinner, a term for the most despised people of society (cf. Prov. 11:31; Matt. 9:10-13; Luke 19:7).”

(cf. Prov. 11:31; Matt. 9:10-13; Luke 19:7)

“31 ¶  If the righteous is repaid on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner!”

“10  And as Jesus reclined at table in the house,, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11  And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12  But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13  Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.’’

“7  And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.’”

“In all likelihood, she was a prostitute, a professional adulteress; immoral, impure, and living a flagrantly sinful life at a public level.  There is no reason to identify her, as some do, with Mary Magdalene.  Mary is introduced just a few verses away (8:2) as if for the first time; if she were this sinful woman, Luke would have named her here, not later.”

(8:2) (Luke)

“2  and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,”

            “Having learned that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, and knowing that the doors could be left open, the woman went there with a specific plan in mind.  She brought with her an alabaster vial of perfume.  Not only was perfume part of the trade of being a prostitute, it was also widely used by women in general.  That the vial in which the perfume was stored was made from alabaster, an expensive kind of marble quarried in Egypt, indicates that the perfume was valuable.  The woman intended to anoint Jesus’ head with the perfume, instead of the more common and less expensive olive oil normally used for such purposes (cf. v. 46; Pss. 23:5; 133:2; 141:5; Ecc. 9:8)

(cf. v. 46; Pss. 23:5; 133:2; 141:5; Ecc. 9:8)

“46  You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.”

“5  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

“2  It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!”

“5 ¶  Let a righteous man strike me— it is a kindness; let him rebuke me— it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.”

“8  Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.”

“Waiting for her opportunity, she took up a position standing behind Jesus at His feet.  She evidently was not immediately recognized by the other people there; certainly the Pharisee would have been outraged that she defiled the purity of his house and would have ordered her to leave.  It may be that the banquet took place in the evening, and the dim light from the candles and lamps masked her identity.

            “Now as she stood silently wondering how she was going to get to where she could anoint Jesus’ head, the woman was suddenly overcome with emotion and began weeping.  Because of where she was standing, she began to wet His feet with her tears.  Brecjp (wet) literally means, ‘to rain’ (Matt. 5:45; Luke 17:29; James 5:17; Rev. 11:6).

(Matt. 5:45; Luke 17:29; James 5:17; Rev. 11:6)

“45  so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

“29  but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—”

“17  Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.’

“6  They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.”

“The emotional dam had burst, and her tears flooded down on the feet of Jesus in a gentle rain.

            “Bent over as she wept, the woman noticed that the host had neglected to provide for Jesus’ feet to be washed (v. 44), so she kept wiping them with the hair of her head. In that culture, washing the feet of another person was considered degrading, something done by only the lowliest slaves (cf. John 1:27.”

(cf. John 1:27)

27  even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.’”

“But what would have shocked the onlookers even more than the woman’s washing of Jesus’ feet was her letting down her hair.  For a Jewish woman to do so in public was considered indecent, even immoral.  But overwhelmed with emotion, she was not concerned with the shame she might face.

            “After finishing washing them, the woman began kissing Jesus’ feet. Katophileo (kissing) is an intense word.  In Luke 5:20 it describes the father’s kissing of the prodigal son on his return home.  Luke used it in Acts 20:37 to describe how the elders of the church at Ephesus kissed Paul when he took his leave of them.  The woman’s kissing of Jesus’ feet was a striking expression of affection.  Then, unwilling or unable to wait any longer, she did what she had come to do and anointed the Lord’s feet with the perfume.  This was a staggering display of honor rendered to Jesus in the midst of those who sought only to dishonor Him.”

Spiritual Meaning for my life today:  What this woman did took a lot of courage, and this shows that it does take courage to live the Christian life, as doing things like she did proved her love for the Lord Jesus Christ.

My Steps of Faith for  Today:  To have the courage to live for the Lord even when it is most difficult to do so.

9/2/2026 9:43 AM

 

PT-3 “Intro to The Transformed Sinner” (Luke 7:36-50)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/01/2026 8:15 PM

My Worship Time                                               Focus:  PT-3 “Intro to The Transformed Sinner”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 7:36-50

            Message of the verses:  “36 Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to eat with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, 38 and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, and began kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this Man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner!” 40 And Jesus responded and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A moneylender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they were unable to repay, he canceled the debts of both. So which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered and said, “I assume the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” 44 And turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave Me no kiss; but she has not stopped kissing My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. 47 For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but the one who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” 49 And then those who were reclining at the table with Him began saying to themselves, “Who is this Man who even forgives sins?” 50 And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

            “As the story opens, one of the Pharisees was requesting the Lord to dine with him.  Where this incident took place is not known, except that it was in Galilee during Jesus’ Galilean ministry, which Luke describes in 4:14-9:50.  Like the other Pharisees who invited Jesus to a meal, this Pharisee had no personal interest in Him.  He was not an open-minded inquirer, but had like the majority of the Pharisees, already decided that Jesus was a blasphemer, arrogating to Himself the right to forgive sins that belongs to God alone (Luke 5:21).”

(Luke 5:21)

“21  And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’”

“These self-appointed guardians of legalistic, external, ritualistic religion hated Jesus’ message of grace, repentance, and forgiveness, and His call for sincere love of God from the heart.  They also hated Him for pointedly rebuking their hypocritical self-righteousness (Matt. 23), and for associating with the outcasts of society (Luke 7:34).”

(Luke 7:34)

“34  The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’”

“Having already reached a conclusion regarding Jesus, they were busy accumulating evidence against Him.  This Pharisee’s invitation to Jesus was part of that evidence-gathering process.  No self-respecting Pharisee would invite any association with a blasphemer, except to do him harm.

            “Jesus, of course, was well aware of this man’s motive for inviting Him.  Despite the fact that inviting someone to a banquet was normally a sign of friendship and honor, He understood that the Pharisee was a hypocrite and that his intentions toward Him were evil.  Yet Jesus graciously reached out to the sinner, exposing him to the power that He has to transform lives.  The Lord entered the Pharisee’s house and, was muddy, it was prudent to keep the guests’ feet as far away from the table as possible.  Lying down leaning on one’s elbow was both a sanitary and a comfortable position for the prolonged conversation that accompanied such a meal.

            “It was not uncommon to invite a visiting rabbi to a Sabbath meal or a special banquet, giving those present the opportunity to discuss the theological, cultural, and social issues with him.  There is some evidence that on such occasions the doors were often left open so that those not invited to the meal could stand around the perimeter of the room and listen in on the dialogue.  That is undoubtedly what happened on this occasion.

            “The story revolves around two main characters:  the sinful woman, and the self-righteous man.”

9/1/2026 9:06 PM