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Thursday Devo

Scripture Reading:

Luke 7:41-47
41 Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. 42 But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”
43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”
“That’s right,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.
47 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”

Commentary from the ESV Study Bible:

7:41 five hundred denarii. Equivalent to about 20 months’ wages. Fifty denarii is about two months’ wages.
7:42 cancelled the debt. For the analogy of sin with debt, cf. 11:4; Matt. 6:12; 18:21–35.
7:43–46 Simon’s answer (The one [who owed] the larger debt) leads to the comparison of Simon’s lack of hospitality (no water for my feet … no kiss … did not anoint my head with oil; cf. Ps. 23:5; 141:5) with the greater love of the woman (washing his feet with her tears, continually kissing his feet, and anointing them with expensive ointment).
7:47 For she loved much refers not to the cause of the woman’s forgiveness but the result of it.

Study Questions:

  • The big idea on Sunday was, "What we DISPENSE is a reflection of what we have RECEIVED." The woman in this story realized how much she had been forgiven for. And that made her overcome with emotion and gratitude and love for her Savior. Sometimes it's easy to forget what Jesus has done for us. When we remind ourselves of the truth of God's grace, and when it dawns on us all that he gave up for us, it is an emotional experience. When was the last time you were moved to tears over your gratitude for what God has done for you? How long has it been since his love for you made you emotional? 

  • God has dispensed shovel-fulls of grace, mercy, love and forgiveness. So how could we dispense to others with a spoon? We need to learn to dispense as we have received. Shovel receivers are shovel dispensers. What are some ways we can start to dish out shovel-fulls of grace, mercy, love and forgiveness to others? Who in our lives need this from us? Is there someone that has only been getting spoonfuls and we need to make it right? Your spouse? Your kids? A coworker or family member? Make a plan to shovel out some grace!

Pray:

  • That you would live a life of love and gratitude in light of the Gospel. 
  • That you would be a love, grace, mercy and forgiveness shoveler.

This Week's City 7:

Try to commit to memory! 

1. Who is Jesus? I believe Jesus is God because Jesus said He is God and proved it by rising from the dead and appearing to His disciples, His brother James, 500 others at one time and Paul.
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)

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