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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PT-2 “Intro to The Transformed Sinner” (Luke 7:36-50)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/01/2026 9:29 PM

My Worship Time                                               Focus:  PT-2 “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.”

            “This passage emphasizes several key themes: forgiveness, humility, and love. The woman’s actions demonstrate deep repentance and devotion, contrasting with Simon the Pharisee’s lack of hospitality and understanding. Jesus uses the parable of the two debtors to teach that those who recognize the magnitude of their forgiveness respond with greater love. Ultimately, Jesus affirms that faith and love are intertwined with forgiveness, and He pronounces peace upon the woman, highlighting the transformative power of grace and faith in Him.” (Gateway Bible)

            I stated in last nights SD that this introduction from the pen of John MacArthur would probably take two SD’s to finish, but because of the many verses that he used in this introduction I think it will take longer for me to get through this introduction.

            MacArthur writes “The main thrust of this passage appears on the surface to be the transformed life of the sinful woman.  But she was merely one element of the story which focuses primarily on the Lord evangelizing a Pharisee.  Jesus used her as a testimony to him and the others present of the truth and power of the gospel.  Ironically, Jesus demonstrated His power to forgive sins and transform lives by using the very type of person the Pharisees despised the most.  In reality, the self-righteous, hypocritical religious leaders were the worst possible sinners; people who believe they are not lost and think they do not need redemption cannot be saved.

            “The Lord Jesus Christ came to seek and save the penitent and believing lost (Luke 19:10)—the self-righteous members of the religious establishment as well as the outcast riff raff of society.  In keeping with the truth, Luke records two other occasions when Jesus had a meal at a Pharisee’s house (11:37-54; 14:1-24).”  Now because of the length of these verse references I will not put them on this SD, but please take the time to look them up and read them.  “In both instances, the Pharisees had no genuine interest of Jesus.  Having already rejected Him and His message, they were merely attempting to gather evidence they could use to condemn Him.  In 14:1 Luke notes that the Pharisees present were ‘watching [Jesus] closely,’ while after the meal recorded in chapter 11, ‘the scribes and the pharisees began to be very hostile and to question Him closely on many subjects, plotting against Him to catch Him in something He might say’ (vv. 53-54).

            “This incident is not to be confused with the later anointing of Jesus by Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus (Matt. 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8).”  I will just look at Mark 14:3-9 as the other gospels are very similar.

(Mark 14:3-9)

“3  And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 4  There were some who said to themselves indignantly, "Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5  For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor." And they scolded her. 6  But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7  For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8  She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9  And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.’”

“The story recorded in this passage took place in Galilee, not Bethany; the unnamed woman was a sinner (most likely a prostitute, as noted below) not Mary; this anointing happened much earlier in the Lord’s ministry, not during Passion Week, at the house of Simon the Pharisee, not Simon the leper.  The only superficial similarity is that the owners of both houses were named Simon.  However Simon was an extremely common name in Israel.  The New Testament lists several other men by that name, including two of the apostles, Simon Peter and Simon the Zealot, (Luke 6:14-15), one of Jesus’ brothers (Matthew 13:55), a man from Cyrene forced by the Romans to carry Jesus ‘cross (Mark 15:21), the father of Judas Iscariot (John 6:17), the false prophet Simon the magician (Acts 8:9-24), and Simon the tanner, at whose house in Joppa Peter stayed (Acts 9:43).”  Now in conclusion to this morning’s SD I will quote these verses in the order that they are above.

(Luke 6:14-15)

“14  Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15  and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot,”

(Matthew 13:55)

“55  Is this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?”

(Mark 15:21)

“21  And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.

(John 6:17)

“71  He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him.”

(Acts 8:9-24)

“9  But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. 10  They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” 11  And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. 12  But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13  Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed. 14 ¶  Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15  who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16  for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17  Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. 18  Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19  saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20  But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21  You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22  Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23  For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity." 24  And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.’”

(Acts 9:43)

“43  And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner.”

Spiritual Meaning for my Life Today:  This story that I am looking at is the story of the salvation of a prostitute who had much courage in doing what she did, but the Lord rewarded her courage as He says in the passage that she became a believer.

My Steps of Faith for Today: I am trusting the Lord to continue to see me through this very difficult time in my life, as I continue to grieve the death of my wife.

9/1/2026 10:09 AM

 

 

 

 

PT-1 “Intro to The Transformed Sinner” (Luke 7:36-50)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/31/2026 7:29 PM

My Worship Time                                               Focus:  PT-1 “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.”

            “This passage emphasizes several key themes: forgiveness, humility, and love. The woman’s actions demonstrate deep repentance and devotion, contrasting with Simon the Pharisee’s lack of hospitality and understanding. Jesus uses the parable of the two debtors to teach that those who recognize the magnitude of their forgiveness respond with greater love. Ultimately, Jesus affirms that faith and love are intertwined with forgiveness, and He pronounces peace upon the woman, highlighting the transformative power of grace and faith in Him.” (Gateway Bible)

            In this evening’s SD I want to quote the introduction to these verses from John MacArthur’s commentary, and it will probably take at least two SD’s in order to finish his introduction.

            “Much evidence for the truthfulness of the Christian faith can be amassed from such fields as science, history, philosophy; and fulfilled prophecy.  Yet the truth of the gospel is also evidenced by the testimony of the transformed lives of the redeemed.

            “The profound account of the transformation of Saul—zealous, Christian-persecuting Pharisee—to Paul—apostolic missionary—has led, directly or indirectly, to the conversion of millions of people through the centuries.  The transformed lives of the believers (1 Cor 6:9-11) provided a powerful witness in that debauched city.  In 1 Peter 4:3-4 Peter described the impact of believers’ lives on unbelievers.”  Now first I am going to quote (1 Cor 6:9-11), and then the verses from first Peter.

(1 Cor 6:9-11)

“9 ¶  Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10  nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11  And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

(1 Peter 4:3-4)

“For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.  In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excess of dissipation, and they malign you.”

            “The dramatic change in the life of the hated tax collector Levi (Matthew) was immediately evident to those who attended the reception he gave in Jesus’ honor (Luke 5:27-29).”

(Luke 5:27-29)

“27 ¶  After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” 28  And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. 29  And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them.”

“Even more astonishing was the turnaround in Zaccheus’s life.  As a chief tax collector (Luke 19:2), he oversaw several tax collectors like Matthew, and was thus even more despised.”

(Luke 19:2)

“2  And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich.”

“Yet his life was forever changed the day Jesus passed through Jericho (v. 1) and brought salvation to him (v. 9)—a change noted by the others present (v.7).” I am just going to quote Luke 19:1-10 as that should take care of all those verses mention above.

(Luke 19:1-10)

“1 ¶  He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2  And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3  And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4  So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5  And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6  So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7  And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8  And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9  And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’”

“The marked change in the life of the Samaritan woman of Sychar led many more people from her village to believe in Jesus (John 4:39-42).”

(John 4:39-42)

“39  Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40  So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41  And many more believed because of his word. 42  They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.’”

“An equally miraculous and uniquely stunning transformation was wrought in the demon-possessed Gerasene man, who went from being a deadly, naked maniac to a sane missionary (Luke 8:26-39).”  And with that quotation I will end this SD this evening.

(Luke 8:26-39)

“26  Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27  When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. 28  When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” 29  For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) 30  Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. 31  And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. 32  Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33  Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned. 34  When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35  Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 36  And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 37  Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38  The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39  “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.”

8/31/2026 8:11 PM

 

 

“The Conclusion” (Luke 7:35)

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/31/2026 10:21 AM

My Worship Time                                                                                   Focus: “The Conclusion”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                       Reference:  Luke 7:35

            Message of the verse:  “Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

            I have to say that this will be another of my shorter SD’s as I conclude this section that I have been working on for several days.

            Now not all who hear the gospel message will reject it, as Jesus says wisdom is vindicated, which means that it is (justified or proven true ) by all her children, or as the parallel account in Matthew phrases it, “deeds” seen in Matthew 11:19.  Now both terms refer to the product of true spiritual wisdom, which is salvation as seen in 2 Timothy 3:15.  “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.”  Despite the scoffing spiritual brats, the gospel will always produce results; there will always be some who accept it.  Their lives will demonstrate the power of salvation wisdom.

            John MacArthur concludes this short section which will conclude this 17^th chapter in his second commentary on the gospel of Luke by writing “The Lord’s masterful illustration reveals that there are two kinds of spiritual children in every generation: folly’s brats and wisdom’s children.  The brats are fools devoid of true wisdom and marked by a hatred of the truth and rejection of those who proclaim it.  On the other hand, wisdom’s children, the redeemed, are known by the righteous deeds their transformed lives produce (Eph. 2:10; cf. 2 Cor. 5:17).

(Eph. 2:10; cf. 2 Cor. 5:17)

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

“17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

“The preacher’s style is not the determining factor; ‘not the cleverness of the messenger, ‘is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes’ (Rom. 1:16).  The same ‘word of the cross’ that ‘is foolishness to those who are perishing’ is to those ‘who are being saved…the power of God’ (1 Cor. 1:18).”

Spiritual Meaning for my life today:  I can remember back after I was saved that I was explaining the gospel message to a friend of mine, the same message that the Lord through His Holy Spirit was given to me, and in my friend it had no meaning at all.  This friend of mine will look at the Spiritual Diaries I post on my FB page.  He went through the same thing that I went through a month ago, that is the loss of his wife.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I am trusting the Lord to help me get through me living alone, as that is a problem for me.  I try to keep busy by doing all of my Spiritual Diaries each day, by attending all the services at our church, and by walking at least four miles each day, but the time alone in the evening is the most difficult for me. 

8/31/2026 10:43 AM

PT-2 “The Application” (Luke 7:33-34)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/30/2026 9:45 PM

My Worship Time                                                                         Focus:  PT-2 “The Application”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 7:33-34

            Message of the verses:  ““For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’  The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’”

            “But the spiritual brats’ rejection of the gospel did not stop with John.  The term Son of Man, a messianic title taken from Daniel 7:13, was the Lord’s favorite designation of Himself, which He used more than eighty times.” 

(Daniel 7:13)

“13  "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.”

“Unlike John the Baptist, Jesus came eating and drinking; that is, He participated in the normal enjoyments and occasions of social life, including weddings (John 2:1-11) as well as funerals (Luke 7:11-16; John 11:1-44).” Needless to say I will not be quoting 44 verses from the 11^th chapter of John, as you are on your own to look that up.

(John 2:1-11)

“1 ¶  On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2  Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3  When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4  And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5  His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6  Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7  Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8  And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9  When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10  and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11  This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.”

(Luke 7:11-16)

“11 ¶  Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12  As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 13  And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14  Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15  And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16  Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!’”

“John’s ministry too place in the wilderness, but Jesus traveled extensively through the towns and villages of Israel (cf. Matt. 9:35; Mark 6:6, 56; 8:27; Luke 8:1; 13:22).”

(cf. Matt. 9:35; Mark 6:6, 56; 8:27; Luke 8:1; 13:22)

“35 ¶  And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.”

“6  And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.”

“56  And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.”

“27 ¶  And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?’”

“1 ¶  Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him,”

“22  He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.”

“If John’s ministry was reminiscent of a funeral, Jesus’ ministry more closely resembled a wedding.  In fact, the Lord likened His ministry to a wedding, picturing Himself as the bridegroom and the disciples as the bridegroom’s attendants. (Matt. 9:15; cf. John 3:29”

(Matt. 9:15; cf. John 3:29

“15  And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

“29  The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.”

            “Because John was aloof and did not associate with people, they denounced him as demon possessed.  But because Jesus interacted with people, even the outcasts of society, His enemies scornfully denounced Him as a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. That Jesus frequently associated with those whom they viewed as the dregs of society never ceased to infuriate the Jewish religious leaders.  When the Lord attended a banquet given by the former tax collector Matthew after his call to follow Him, the Pharisees confronted His disciples and demanded, ‘Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?’  (Matt. 9:11).  Luke records later in his gospel that ‘all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him’ (Luke 15:1).  Predictably shocked and outraged, ‘both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumbling, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them’’(v.2).  When Jesus did the unthinkable and invited Himself to the house of the hated tax collector Zaccheus, ‘they all began to grumble, saying, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner’ (Luke 19:7).

            “The Lord rebuked that evil generation for rejecting both divine messengers who proclaimed the truth, despite their different styles of ministry.  John was sober, severe, stark, a preacher of judgment, calling for repentance, weeping in light of God’s wrath, and keeping himself separate from sinners.  Jesus, in contrast, was tender, merciful, gracious, compassionate, a preacher of blessing who mingled with sinners. Whom He came to seek and save.

            “In the end, it is not the style of ministry that matters but its substance.  The people ultimately rejected the ministries of both John and Jesus.  Though their emphases may differed, both John and Jesus called for repentance, promised forgiveness, warned of judgment, and proclaimed the coming of the kingdom.  The outward form of ministry is never the issue, but rather the truth of the message.  In every generation there will be spiritual brats who reject the truth, like those who refused to mourn with John or laugh with Jesus.”

8/30/2026 10:35 PM

 

 

PT-1 “The Application” (Luke 7:33-34)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/29/2026 6:57 PM

My Worship Time                                                                          Focus: PT-1 “The Application”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 7:33-34

            Message of the verses:  “For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’  The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’”

            “Having given His hearers a simple illustration, Jesus applied it to Himself and John.  First, He likened John’s ministry to the funeral game.  Eating bread and drinking wine symbolized the normal pattern of social life.  In the Olivet Discourse Jesus told His hears that when He returns life will be continuing normally, just as in the day that Noah entered the ark’ (Matt. 24:38).  John’s radically ascetic lifestyle was a total disconnect from and condemnation of Jewish society.  Instead of eating bread, John’s ‘food was locusts and wild honey’; instead of stylish clothes, he wore ‘a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist’ (Matt. 3:4); instead of living in luxurious surroundings, he ‘lived in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel!’ (Luke 1:80).  Even after he began his ministry, John remained in the desolate wilderness near the Jordan (Matt. 3:1).  His Nazirite vow, forbidding the drinking of wine (Luke 1:15), and his diet, a kind of fasting, further isolated John from the normal course of life.  Cultural trends and fads of society had no influence of him.

            “John’s ministry was a somber, serious dirge sounding a warning of coming judgment and proclaiming to sinners the need for repentance and mourning over sin.  The tone of his preaching was fearful, frightening, and confrontational; John’s message was a severe one, with little emphasis of grace and mercy.  His focus was on God’s wrath and vengeance, and he challenged his hearers to repent or be consumed by the fiery judgment that was coming (Luke 3:8, 9, 17).”

(Luke 3:8, 9, 17)

“8  Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.”

“9  Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’”

“17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’”

“He had no use for shallow, superficial hypocrites, denouncing them as a ‘brood of vipers’ (v. 7), desperately trying to escape the flames of judgment.”

            “The reaction of the spiritual brats to John the Baptist’s austere self-denial and message of judgment was shocking.  At first they had hailed him as a  true prophet of God, the forerunner of the Messiah prophesied by Isaiah and Malachi.  But soon after they contemptuously dismissed him as having a demon.  The present tense of the verb translated you say indicates that some of those hearing Jesus speak were among the very ones who had denounced John as being demon-possessed.  The reason for that astounding conclusion was that bizarre behavior was frequently associated with demon possession.  The Gerasene demoniac, for instance, lived in a cemetery, wore no clothes, was extremely violent, screamed constantly, and mutilated himself (Matt. 8:28; Mark 5:1-5; Luke 8:26-27).”

(Matt. 8:28; Mark 5:1-5; Luke 8:26-27)

“28 ¶  And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way.”

“1 ¶  They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2  And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3  He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4  for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5  Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.”

“26  Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27  When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs.”

“John’s behavior was so different, unique, and anti-social that some concluded that it could only be explained as the madness associated with demon possession.  Many would come to the same blasphemous conclusion regarding Jesus (cf. Luke 11:19; John 7:20; 8:48; 10:20).”

(cf. Luke 11:19; John 7:20; 8:48; 10:20)

“19  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.”

“20  The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?””

“48  The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”

“20  Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?”

            “The people’s motive for so labeling John was their hatred of his message.  Their hearts were hard and impenetrable, causing them to reject the divine diagnosis of their condition that he proclaimed.  Being proud and self-righteous, they hated John’s condemnation of them as sinners, desperately in need of repentance and forgiveness.  They attacked John’s person in order to justify their rejection of his message.  They refused to join with him.

8/29/2026 7:29 PM

“The Illustration” (Luke 7:32)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/29/2026 9:42 AM

My Worship Time                                                                                   Focus:  “The Illustration”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                      Reference:  Luke 7:32

            Message of the verses:  “They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another, and they say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’”

            John MacArthur explains “Though a scene such as the Lord described, children at play, is a familiar one throughout human history, this is the only reference in the Bible to children playing a game.  Unlike modern cities, towns and villages in first-century Palestine had no designated parks or playgrounds.  Most of them, however, had an agora, a large open area near the middle of the town used as a market place.  It was also the place for public gatherings and became a convenient playground for children.  Jesus pictures a time when the agora was not being used as a market place and children were playing in it.

            “When they play, children frequently imitate adult behaviors.  Apparently children in Jesus’ day often played two games that reflected the most significant events in Jewish social life: weddings and funerals.  Historically, weddings and funerals have marked life’s happiest and saddest occasions.  Weddings in Israel were ornate, elaborate affairs, often lasting for a week and involving processions through the streets as well as feasting (cf. Matt. 25:1-12; John 2:1-10).”

(cf. Matt. 25:1-12; John 2:1-10)

“1 ¶  "the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2  Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3  For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4  but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5  As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6  But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7  Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8  And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9  But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10  And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12  But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’”

“1 ¶  On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2  Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3  When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4  And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5  His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6  Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7  Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8  And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9  When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10  and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”

“Funerals featured elements of public mourning and public procession to the burial, along with fasting (Luke 7:11-16), so children would have been familiar with both.”

(Luke 7:11-16)

“11 ¶  Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12  As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 13  And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14  Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15  And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16  Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!”

            “In Jesus’ story, some children had been trying to organize a game.  They sat in the market place and called to some of the other children who had refused to play, “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance.’  This suggests that these children had attempted to involve the others in a game of make-believe wedding, since music and dancing were integral parts of a wedding celebration.  But those invited would not join in the game; they were stubborn, indifferent, and surly.  Refusing to be happy and participate in the dancing and singing, they preferred instead to pout and sulk.

            “The first group of children then tried to involve the others in a mock funeral.  But they refused to play that game either. Prompting the children who invited them to complain, ‘We sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’  Their frustration is understandable, since no matter what game they designed, the others would not play.  The nature of the game was not the issue, since the peevish brats would not play either the happy or the sad game.  They serve as an apt illustration of the people of that generation—ill-tempered malcontents.”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am thinking about the fall of mankind seen in the third chapter of Genesis, and it was because of that fall that there are stories like this one that are not only found in the pages of Scripture but also in stories around the world.  Sin is the thing that has affected each and every one of us, and will continue until Christ calls His Church home to be with Him, for then those who go to be with the Lord will be sinless ready to serve Him throughout the Millennial Kingdom and beyond.

            My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust the Lord to show me exactly what He desires for me to do after the passing of my wife one month ago today.  I need His direction!

8/29/2026 10:13 AM