WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.400 Good morning, Walter Mark. The scripture reading today comes from Luke chapter 7, verses 36 to 50. 00:00:06.400 --> 00:00:11.200 ! If you are using the church Bible, please turn to page 8111. 00:00:11.199 --> 00:00:17.660 Starting from verse 36, we read, 00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:58.340 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, 00:00:58.340 --> 00:01:07.680 If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner. 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:13.980 And Jesus answering said to him, Simon, I have something to say to you. 00:01:14.180 --> 00:01:16.760 And he answered, Say it, teacher. 00:01:17.820 --> 00:01:24.120 A certain moneylender had two debtors, one owed 500 denarii and the other 50. 00:01:24.680 --> 00:01:27.820 When they could not pay, he canceled the debt of both. 00:01:28.400 --> 00:01:30.480 Now which one of them would love him more? 00:01:31.300 --> 00:01:36.219 Simon answered, The one, I suppose, for whom he canceled the larger debt. 00:01:36.219 --> 00:01:40.219 And he said to him, You have judged rightly. 00:01:41.120 --> 00:01:45.280 Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, Do you see this woman? 00:01:45.900 --> 00:01:47.459 I entered your house. 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:50.079 You gave me no water for my feet. 00:01:50.680 --> 00:01:54.980 But she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 00:01:55.659 --> 00:01:56.939 You gave me no kiss. 00:01:57.439 --> 00:02:01.340 But from the time I came in, he has not ceased to kiss my feet. 00:02:01.340 --> 00:02:04.380 You did not annoy my head with oil. 00:02:04.680 --> 00:02:07.400 But she has anointed my feet with oimen. 00:02:08.420 --> 00:02:12.340 Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven. 00:02:12.939 --> 00:02:14.379 For she loved much. 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:17.800 But he who is forgiven little loves little. 00:02:18.340 --> 00:02:21.659 And he said to her, Your sins are forgiven. 00:02:21.659 --> 00:02:29.460 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, Who is this who even forgives sins? 00:02:30.199 --> 00:02:33.319 And he said to the woman, Your faith has saved you. 00:02:33.780 --> 00:02:34.659 Go in peace. 00:02:35.079 --> 00:02:36.460 This is the word of God. 00:02:36.460 --> 00:02:40.659 Thanks very much, Iris. 00:02:40.780 --> 00:02:42.260 Please keep your Bibles open. 00:02:42.939 --> 00:02:47.540 All jokes aside, yeah, Kevin and I just did have a bit of a mutual admiration society here going. 00:02:48.040 --> 00:02:49.040 And it's delightful. 00:02:49.420 --> 00:02:51.659 And I value his friendship and Neil's friendship. 00:02:52.020 --> 00:02:59.080 Kevin was preaching, I think, two weekends ago at Resurrection Church at their weekend away. 00:02:59.200 --> 00:03:01.860 Resurrection Church is one of the daughter churches from St. Andrews. 00:03:02.280 --> 00:03:05.080 And then their pastor is preaching at St. Andrews today. 00:03:05.080 --> 00:03:09.120 Hey, one of our pastors is preaching over there and I'm preaching over here. 00:03:09.540 --> 00:03:16.260 And it's wonderful just to have this, yeah, you could call it collegiality, but it's more fellowship in the Lord, fellowship in ministry. 00:03:16.660 --> 00:03:20.439 And wonderful to see what the Lord is doing in churches across Hong Kong. 00:03:20.980 --> 00:03:22.720 We're delighted to be here. 00:03:23.340 --> 00:03:25.180 Please keep that Bible passage open. 00:03:25.240 --> 00:03:27.060 Let me pray for us as we dig in. 00:03:27.760 --> 00:03:34.939 Lord God, we do thank you that you've created your word and that you speak to us in the words of Scripture. 00:03:35.760 --> 00:03:44.100 And you've caused the Bible to be written for our understanding, that we might know you and your way of salvation in Jesus and how we can live lives which honor him. 00:03:44.160 --> 00:03:49.720 But we confess, Lord, that we need your help because we are distractible, forgetful. 00:03:50.260 --> 00:03:54.300 We chase after the good things that you give us rather than chasing after you. 00:03:54.300 --> 00:04:04.439 So, as we come before you and your word, what we know not teach us, what we are not make us, and what we have not give us. 00:04:04.939 --> 00:04:06.020 We ask it in Jesus' name. 00:04:06.420 --> 00:04:06.680 Amen. 00:04:07.320 --> 00:04:13.360 Many of you have probably traveled to Britain before and you'd know that in the United Kingdom there are names for different kinds of roads. 00:04:13.360 --> 00:04:19.460 So, for instance, the big multi-laned highways are called M roads. 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:24.080 The slightly smaller roads, still large roads, are called A roads. 00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:33.680 And then you have these things called B roads, which are roads that sort of small roads that are often only wide enough for one car that sort of tail around in the countryside. 00:04:33.680 --> 00:04:43.060 Now, there's this story of a tourist who was traveling on the M25 and he was only going 25 miles an hour. 00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:47.939 And the police pulled him over and they said to him, you are traveling too slow. 00:04:48.040 --> 00:04:48.759 This is a hazard. 00:04:49.340 --> 00:04:55.160 And he said to them, well, I'm only going 25 miles an hour because that's what the road sign says. 00:04:55.360 --> 00:04:56.500 And they said, no, no, no, no. 00:04:56.579 --> 00:04:58.579 That's the name, not the speed limit. 00:04:58.579 --> 00:05:05.620 And then they looked in the car and next to him was his wife and his wife looked particularly traumatized. 00:05:05.779 --> 00:05:09.060 And they said to him, is your wife okay? 00:05:09.180 --> 00:05:09.919 She looks unwell. 00:05:10.099 --> 00:05:14.699 And he said, well, she's actually been looking like that ever since we're on the B140. 00:05:18.099 --> 00:05:23.099 Now, sometimes it's important to be clear about where you're traveling. 00:05:23.219 --> 00:05:24.979 Otherwise, you're going to be confused, right? 00:05:24.980 --> 00:05:37.900 Now, we have all sorts of goals, aspirations in life, aspirations for family and work, things that we want to achieve and do in this brief time that the Lord has given us. 00:05:38.700 --> 00:05:50.400 But amongst all the great things that we have opportunities to do, it's important to be reminded every now and again about where we're traveling, about where we're going so that we're not confused. 00:05:50.399 --> 00:05:59.039 One of the claims of Christianity is that what you think about Jesus is the most important thing about you. 00:05:59.519 --> 00:06:04.439 One of the things about the things that you think about Jesus are the most important thing about you. 00:06:04.679 --> 00:06:08.560 And that affects your life not only now, but also into eternity. 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:15.339 And in the Bible reading that we just read from Luke, we meet two people, two people who meet Jesus. 00:06:16.220 --> 00:06:18.639 They both want to listen to him. 00:06:19.459 --> 00:06:33.519 And we're supposed to compare and contrast them because it's possible to be interested in Jesus, to turn up, so to speak, to want to learn about him, but to be confused about who he is and what he has done. 00:06:33.519 --> 00:06:36.719 And therefore, to be confused actually about where you're going in life. 00:06:37.379 --> 00:06:48.060 So as we look at this incredible passage, we're going to see two things, two responses to Jesus and the reasons for those responses. 00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:50.779 The first person that we meet is Simon. 00:06:51.199 --> 00:06:54.120 And we're told at the outset, Simon is a Pharisee. 00:06:54.379 --> 00:06:59.659 And if you're familiar at all with the Gospels, you'll know that the Pharisees are the religious experts. 00:06:59.660 --> 00:07:02.760 They know all about the law. 00:07:02.880 --> 00:07:05.260 They're incredibly moral, respected in the community. 00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:09.120 But also, they're the ones who most opposed Jesus. 00:07:09.380 --> 00:07:13.120 And they're the ones that Jesus came in conflict with. 00:07:13.660 --> 00:07:15.879 But Simon is different. 00:07:16.360 --> 00:07:17.840 He was interested in Jesus. 00:07:17.980 --> 00:07:20.460 Maybe he'd heard Jesus preaching before. 00:07:20.820 --> 00:07:22.980 Maybe he'd even witnessed some of his miracles. 00:07:23.640 --> 00:07:27.480 And he's prepared to think that Jesus is actually a prophet. 00:07:27.480 --> 00:07:30.600 Now, Simon clearly respects Jesus. 00:07:30.819 --> 00:07:36.439 Maybe he even admires him to the extent that he invites Jesus over to his home. 00:07:37.300 --> 00:07:42.319 And this is Simon's way of saying, Jesus, I want to find out more about you. 00:07:42.640 --> 00:07:45.300 I've heard so much, but I'm doing my due diligence. 00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:46.520 I want to find out a little bit more. 00:07:46.740 --> 00:07:48.660 I'm even thinking about following you. 00:07:49.740 --> 00:07:51.540 Then next, we meet a woman. 00:07:52.480 --> 00:07:53.420 Simon is given a name. 00:07:53.420 --> 00:07:57.939 We're not told this woman's name, but we are told lots of information about her. 00:07:58.120 --> 00:08:02.160 Four times in the whole passage, we're told that she is a sinner. 00:08:02.920 --> 00:08:11.759 Now, we don't know specifically about what her sin is, but a lot of commentators say, given that label, she's probably a prostitute. 00:08:11.759 --> 00:08:16.740 She is a woman in that town who has a reputation and everybody knows it. 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:24.079 If Simon was down one end of the moral and religious and social spectrum, the good end, she's down the other end. 00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:26.379 She's a social outcast. 00:08:26.379 --> 00:08:35.559 Now, a common way in those times for people to eat at someone's home was to recline on a couch. 00:08:36.100 --> 00:08:42.500 And these couches would wheel out in a room, so to speak, like spokes. 00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:44.320 Your head would be at the center. 00:08:44.419 --> 00:08:45.419 That's where the food was. 00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:49.600 Your feet would be radiating towards the outside part of the room. 00:08:49.600 --> 00:09:01.279 And maybe this woman's plan was to come into this room unnoticed and quietly on the periphery anoint Jesus' feet with perfume. 00:09:01.720 --> 00:09:03.920 But she does two extraordinary things. 00:09:04.040 --> 00:09:07.620 First, she brings with her an alabaster jar of perfume. 00:09:08.220 --> 00:09:15.240 And the scent of this perfume would emit from some small holes at the top of the jar. 00:09:15.240 --> 00:09:21.759 And often women, if they could afford it, would tie these alabaster jars of perfume around their necks. 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:24.360 Because remember, this is the ancient Middle East. 00:09:24.899 --> 00:09:25.700 It's hot. 00:09:25.840 --> 00:09:27.100 This is before air conditioning. 00:09:27.480 --> 00:09:28.840 Not many people have soap. 00:09:28.960 --> 00:09:30.120 No one has deodorant. 00:09:30.220 --> 00:09:32.000 And so people stink. 00:09:32.919 --> 00:09:41.860 And if a woman could afford to have such a jar around her neck, it meant that she would be able to walk around in this cloud of wonderful fragrance. 00:09:41.860 --> 00:09:47.139 She would become someone of beauty and incredible attraction. 00:09:47.820 --> 00:09:50.060 But just think about who she is for a moment. 00:09:51.180 --> 00:09:52.300 She's a prostitute. 00:09:53.120 --> 00:10:01.700 That means this jar would be something necessary for her work, something necessary for her to attract business, so to speak. 00:10:02.659 --> 00:10:03.680 And look at what she's doing. 00:10:03.800 --> 00:10:06.360 She's pouring out the perfume on Jesus' feet. 00:10:06.360 --> 00:10:12.180 And the only way she can do that is to break the top of the jar and pour out the perfume. 00:10:12.259 --> 00:10:14.519 And once she's done that, it's all gone. 00:10:15.620 --> 00:10:16.759 I mean, do you see what she's doing? 00:10:17.879 --> 00:10:23.680 This perfume was her financial security, her way of making business, so to speak. 00:10:23.919 --> 00:10:27.039 It was her beauty, attractiveness, her desirability. 00:10:27.039 --> 00:10:31.059 And she's pouring it all on Jesus' feet. 00:10:31.719 --> 00:10:37.699 But then the second extraordinary thing that she does is that she wipes Jesus' feet with her hair. 00:10:38.179 --> 00:10:45.879 And in that culture, for a woman to uncover her hair in public was an incredible social taboo. 00:10:46.639 --> 00:10:49.259 It was to break all sorts of social rules. 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:51.159 This was an act of intimacy. 00:10:51.159 --> 00:10:56.539 The rabbis had ruled that if a married woman uncovered her hair in public, that was grounds for divorce. 00:10:57.620 --> 00:11:00.299 Now, this lady isn't just taking a financial risk. 00:11:00.819 --> 00:11:03.299 She's taking an incredible social risk. 00:11:03.819 --> 00:11:10.519 She's taking this social risk by turning up uninvited, unwelcome to that place. 00:11:10.579 --> 00:11:14.360 As soon as she heads in that door, people would be going, there's that woman. 00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:16.079 There is that sinner. 00:11:16.080 --> 00:11:25.020 And again, maybe her plan was simply to gently perfume Jesus' feet unnoticed by others and then leave. 00:11:25.300 --> 00:11:27.920 But her plan probably wasn't to weep. 00:11:28.680 --> 00:11:33.220 And her plan wasn't to dry Jesus' feet with her hair. 00:11:34.259 --> 00:11:38.720 And now, people back then are no different to us today. 00:11:38.860 --> 00:11:45.060 You know, there are social conventions for how you're supposed to conduct yourself in social situations in public. 00:11:45.059 --> 00:11:47.299 Things that you should do and not do. 00:11:47.479 --> 00:11:50.139 And she's doing all sorts of things that you should not do. 00:11:50.719 --> 00:11:52.619 Letting down her hair, weeping. 00:11:52.739 --> 00:11:54.399 She shouldn't even be in that room. 00:11:54.979 --> 00:11:58.179 We know what we should do in public settings. 00:11:58.559 --> 00:12:00.099 How we're supposed to conduct ourselves. 00:12:00.179 --> 00:12:02.239 Not a hair out of place, so to speak. 00:12:03.339 --> 00:12:08.619 But here is this notorious woman who looks like she's falling apart. 00:12:09.199 --> 00:12:10.079 She's weeping. 00:12:10.219 --> 00:12:11.759 She's drying Jesus' feet with her hair. 00:12:11.759 --> 00:12:15.879 And people would have looked at her and thought, what is this woman doing? 00:12:15.980 --> 00:12:17.360 This is scandalous. 00:12:17.500 --> 00:12:19.500 This is utterly disrespectful. 00:12:19.740 --> 00:12:20.639 She shouldn't be here. 00:12:20.700 --> 00:12:22.639 She shouldn't be doing anything like this. 00:12:24.220 --> 00:12:26.759 But we're told what Simon thinks. 00:12:27.720 --> 00:12:30.519 But his verdict doesn't have to do so much with the woman. 00:12:30.659 --> 00:12:32.480 It has to do with Jesus. 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:42.740 In verse 39, Simon says to himself, if this man were a prophet, he would know who it is who is touching him and what kind of woman that she is, that she is a sinner. 00:12:43.580 --> 00:12:47.539 It's like he's saying, this is completely inappropriate. 00:12:48.279 --> 00:12:53.259 There's no way that Jesus should be allowing this woman to do this to him. 00:12:53.259 --> 00:12:57.899 If Jesus really is who people are saying he is, he would know. 00:12:58.159 --> 00:12:59.659 He wouldn't have anything to do with it. 00:12:59.879 --> 00:13:04.059 In other words, Simon's not just saying the claims about Jesus are wrong. 00:13:04.460 --> 00:13:05.460 He can't be a prophet. 00:13:05.539 --> 00:13:06.720 Otherwise, he would have stopped this. 00:13:07.120 --> 00:13:12.799 He's also saying this response to Jesus that this woman showed is wrong. 00:13:14.740 --> 00:13:20.720 And now Luke, the gospel writer, wants us to compare and contrast these two responses to Jesus. 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:26.519 Here's a lady who's consumed by devotion to Jesus. 00:13:26.759 --> 00:13:28.000 She's captivated by him. 00:13:28.060 --> 00:13:32.300 She's prepared to take incredible social and financial risks. 00:13:33.000 --> 00:13:34.139 And then there is Simon. 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:36.580 Yes, he's interested in Jesus. 00:13:37.639 --> 00:13:38.980 He's wanting to meet with him. 00:13:39.060 --> 00:13:41.960 He's invited him over to his home. 00:13:42.160 --> 00:13:44.139 But that's where it stops. 00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:47.820 Simon is interested, but he's not engaged. 00:13:47.820 --> 00:13:50.620 His intellect is there, but not his heart. 00:13:51.660 --> 00:13:54.899 And I think, actually, that's one of the points of the story. 00:13:56.740 --> 00:14:03.100 Whether or not you have intellectual interest, we're told just having intellectual interest, 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:05.840 just showing up to meet Jesus is not enough. 00:14:06.620 --> 00:14:08.879 Because Simon has all these things. 00:14:09.040 --> 00:14:11.340 Simon has morality and virtue and respect. 00:14:11.660 --> 00:14:13.120 He knows how to follow all the laws. 00:14:13.399 --> 00:14:14.320 He's a religious guy. 00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:15.240 He turns up. 00:14:15.240 --> 00:14:17.060 And yet that is not enough. 00:14:19.379 --> 00:14:28.419 I think some of the most frightening words in the Bible are words that Jesus speaks to the church in Laodicea in Revelations 3. 00:14:28.419 --> 00:14:33.459 Jesus gives a message to the Laodicean church, saying to them, 00:14:33.939 --> 00:14:37.059 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. 00:14:37.579 --> 00:14:39.219 And I wish you were one or the other. 00:14:39.699 --> 00:14:45.279 So because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I'm about to spit you out of my mouth. 00:14:45.279 --> 00:14:55.339 Now, Jesus is calling these Christians in Laodicea spiritually lukewarm, neither hot nor cold. 00:14:55.340 --> 00:15:00.120 Now, we're always going to love something intensely, right? 00:15:00.440 --> 00:15:05.759 And we're always going to act in response to whatever it is we love the most. 00:15:05.980 --> 00:15:11.399 What we love the most will shape our priorities and our decisions, our habits and our character. 00:15:11.780 --> 00:15:14.639 What we love the most is what we tend to think about the most. 00:15:15.780 --> 00:15:19.600 And we're not going to be lukewarm towards what we think about the most. 00:15:19.740 --> 00:15:22.080 We're going to be hot towards it. 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:24.720 We're going to be hot towards what we love the most. 00:15:25.340 --> 00:15:30.160 And Jesus is saying that the Laodiceans were spiritually lukewarm towards him. 00:15:30.780 --> 00:15:32.660 They were spiritually lukewarm. 00:15:32.780 --> 00:15:37.600 That means they weren't electrified by Jesus's love for them. 00:15:38.180 --> 00:15:39.840 They were not changed by it. 00:15:40.800 --> 00:15:44.320 And so like Simon, maybe they were very good and moral people. 00:15:45.200 --> 00:15:47.420 They could have been interested in Jesus. 00:15:47.879 --> 00:15:50.460 They could have believed in him as an intellectual reality. 00:15:50.460 --> 00:15:51.820 But that's where it stops. 00:15:51.920 --> 00:15:54.139 They weren't captivated by Jesus. 00:15:55.340 --> 00:16:07.000 And the problem with spiritually lukewarm people is that they're actually further away from God than people who don't know God, than cold people. 00:16:07.259 --> 00:16:13.340 Because spiritually lukewarm people actually think that they're okay with God when in reality they're not. 00:16:13.340 --> 00:16:17.899 And so what Jesus says is really frightening because he says, 00:16:18.160 --> 00:16:22.420 Because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I'm going to spit you out of my mouth. 00:16:23.540 --> 00:16:24.519 Now it's a warning. 00:16:24.860 --> 00:16:25.940 It's a word of judgment. 00:16:26.060 --> 00:16:26.660 He's angry. 00:16:27.320 --> 00:16:29.740 It's like he's nauseated by these people. 00:16:29.800 --> 00:16:31.019 He wants to spit them out. 00:16:31.019 --> 00:16:36.259 And Jesus gives the later scenes further down this remedy. 00:16:36.980 --> 00:16:43.980 He says the remedy to being spiritually lukewarm is to be earnest and repent. 00:16:44.860 --> 00:16:48.980 Now that word for earnest is the opposite of lukewarm. 00:16:49.259 --> 00:16:53.059 In Greek, it's often the word that's used for the word jealousy. 00:16:53.799 --> 00:16:56.259 It's the same word that's used for jealousy. 00:16:56.259 --> 00:16:59.500 And we often think about jealousy as being a bad thing. 00:16:59.659 --> 00:17:00.519 It's a bad thing. 00:17:00.519 --> 00:17:01.259 And often it is. 00:17:01.639 --> 00:17:03.879 It's often a bad thing for us to be jealous. 00:17:04.039 --> 00:17:10.019 It's wrong for us to be jealous of other people, their achievements, their family, their job, their looks. 00:17:10.579 --> 00:17:15.319 It's wrong to desire something so much from somebody else that you want to take it from them. 00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:18.339 To be that self-absorbed and self-centered. 00:17:18.920 --> 00:17:21.740 But sometimes it is appropriate for us to be jealous. 00:17:21.740 --> 00:17:30.440 So, for example, it's appropriate for someone to have a jealous love for their spouse. 00:17:30.980 --> 00:17:35.480 When this happens, you're not setting your love on a commodity that you want to take from another person. 00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:40.019 No, you're setting your love on a person that you want to be with that person. 00:17:40.140 --> 00:17:47.160 And this kind of jealousy gets you not to think about your own needs, but the needs of your spouse. 00:17:47.160 --> 00:17:49.000 You're passionate. 00:17:49.140 --> 00:17:49.680 You're involved. 00:17:49.880 --> 00:17:54.500 You're concerned about that person because they're the ones whom you love. 00:17:55.100 --> 00:17:58.880 And Jesus is saying, I want you to love me with a jealous love. 00:17:59.779 --> 00:18:01.480 Don't be lukewarm towards me. 00:18:01.980 --> 00:18:05.180 Love me with everything that you got. 00:18:05.340 --> 00:18:07.160 Love me more than anything else. 00:18:07.700 --> 00:18:11.860 Love me so that your priorities and your hopes and your habits are utterly changed. 00:18:13.400 --> 00:18:14.880 And so do you see what Luke is doing? 00:18:14.880 --> 00:18:20.320 This story is an invitation for us to test ourselves. 00:18:20.860 --> 00:18:22.600 How have I responded to Jesus? 00:18:23.460 --> 00:18:24.900 Am I just interested in him? 00:18:25.300 --> 00:18:28.800 You know, I show up, but I'm spiritually lukewarm. 00:18:29.160 --> 00:18:30.740 I'm neither hot nor cold. 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:32.440 I'm dispassionate. 00:18:33.080 --> 00:18:34.960 I'm not emotionally invested. 00:18:35.500 --> 00:18:36.900 Or am I like this woman? 00:18:36.940 --> 00:18:38.320 I'm just absolutely besotted. 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:39.960 I'm captivated by Jesus. 00:18:39.960 --> 00:18:43.039 So there are two responses. 00:18:43.240 --> 00:18:48.960 But then next we want to see why do these people, why do Simon and this lady respond in this way? 00:18:50.340 --> 00:18:53.340 Jesus knows what Simon is thinking. 00:18:53.559 --> 00:18:57.440 It's like Jesus has got this MRI for the soul. 00:18:58.240 --> 00:18:59.740 He can see what's inside. 00:18:59.940 --> 00:19:01.400 Nothing is hidden from him. 00:19:02.180 --> 00:19:06.200 And Simon has been wondering if Jesus knows what this woman is doing. 00:19:06.980 --> 00:19:10.780 But Jesus doesn't just know what this woman is doing, has been doing. 00:19:10.880 --> 00:19:12.340 He knows what Simon is thinking. 00:19:12.440 --> 00:19:13.960 He knows what's going on in his heart. 00:19:14.060 --> 00:19:18.019 Which is a pretty sobering reality because we cannot play games with Jesus. 00:19:18.759 --> 00:19:20.660 He always knows what's in our heart. 00:19:20.740 --> 00:19:21.940 He knows everything about us. 00:19:21.940 --> 00:19:25.080 And so Jesus tells Simon this short parable. 00:19:25.860 --> 00:19:34.100 He tells Simon and he tells us this parable about what it means to be shaped by love for Jesus. 00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:36.340 Two people owe money to a money lender. 00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:37.539 One owes 500. 00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:39.240 One owes 50. 00:19:39.539 --> 00:19:41.500 Neither of them can pay it back. 00:19:42.180 --> 00:19:44.019 And so the money lender forgives. 00:19:44.120 --> 00:19:49.220 Literally in Greek, he graces the debt of both. 00:19:49.220 --> 00:19:53.660 One translation puts it, he makes a present of what they owe. 00:19:55.039 --> 00:20:00.720 And the question that Jesus asks Simon at the end of the parable is, who's the one who loves the most? 00:20:00.860 --> 00:20:08.100 And Simon, kind of almost grudgingly, says the correct answer, I suppose the one who has the bigger debt forgiven. 00:20:09.319 --> 00:20:17.000 Now, this parable is important for us not just to understand why Simon and this lady have responded this way. 00:20:17.000 --> 00:20:22.140 But it actually helps us to understand the whole message of salvation. 00:20:22.740 --> 00:20:25.319 It provides us the message of salvation in a nutshell. 00:20:25.700 --> 00:20:30.099 And so you might be here today and you're investigating Christianity. 00:20:30.420 --> 00:20:31.200 You're exploring it. 00:20:31.240 --> 00:20:33.059 You're trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. 00:20:33.160 --> 00:20:35.720 And it is so good that you are here. 00:20:35.720 --> 00:20:44.960 If you can grasp the truth of this parable, then you can actually grasp all of God's plan for human history. 00:20:45.360 --> 00:20:51.620 This parable communicates to us just some simple steps in salvation. 00:20:51.740 --> 00:20:53.880 In other words, how you can be in a relationship with God. 00:20:54.059 --> 00:20:56.299 Step one, there is an owner. 00:20:56.660 --> 00:20:57.940 Recognize that there is an owner. 00:20:57.940 --> 00:21:02.940 Someone who created all things, who owns all things. 00:21:02.940 --> 00:21:04.559 And we cannot fool this owner. 00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:08.220 Second, the parable tells us that we all owe a debt. 00:21:08.680 --> 00:21:10.259 We all owe something to God. 00:21:10.460 --> 00:21:12.620 Third, no one can pay that debt. 00:21:13.480 --> 00:21:15.660 That's true of the people in this parable. 00:21:16.039 --> 00:21:18.019 It's true of every person in human history. 00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:23.660 Fourth, the owner forgives that debt at great cost to himself. 00:21:23.660 --> 00:21:31.100 And fifth, the only way you can respond is to just accept the free offer of your debt being forgiven. 00:21:31.440 --> 00:21:34.340 That parable is Christianity in a nutshell. 00:21:35.060 --> 00:21:41.380 And it helps us then to go further and piece together what else is happening in this scene. 00:21:42.420 --> 00:21:46.560 Now, some people might hear Jesus' words here and think, 00:21:46.980 --> 00:21:51.960 well, of course, this woman will love Jesus more because she has more forgiven. 00:21:51.960 --> 00:21:54.319 She's the 500, not the 50. 00:21:54.700 --> 00:21:57.259 She's the woman with the reputation in that town. 00:21:57.400 --> 00:22:00.620 She's broken more commandments, committed more bad things. 00:22:00.940 --> 00:22:02.420 She has the bigger debt. 00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:04.620 Of course, she's going to love more. 00:22:05.200 --> 00:22:06.740 But that's not what Jesus is saying. 00:22:07.680 --> 00:22:10.539 Jesus says to the Simon, there are two debtors. 00:22:11.340 --> 00:22:14.400 The word two here is aimed at Simon. 00:22:14.519 --> 00:22:18.500 It's like Jesus is saying to Simon, you are also a debtor. 00:22:18.500 --> 00:22:25.579 You see, the reason why Simon has this kind of lukewarm response towards Jesus, 00:22:25.960 --> 00:22:31.839 the reason why he isn't captivated by him is because of his understanding of how religion works. 00:22:32.039 --> 00:22:34.500 And it's a pretty common understanding of religion. 00:22:34.839 --> 00:22:39.559 If there is a God, if there is a heaven, if I have to pass the test, 00:22:40.180 --> 00:22:43.039 then I've got to do the right things. 00:22:43.140 --> 00:22:44.359 I've got to follow the commandments. 00:22:44.539 --> 00:22:45.880 I've got to follow the religious rules. 00:22:45.880 --> 00:22:46.780 I've got to turn up. 00:22:46.860 --> 00:22:47.940 I've got to be generous. 00:22:48.060 --> 00:22:49.580 I've got to do all these kinds of things. 00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:51.020 And Simon was doing that. 00:22:51.100 --> 00:22:52.240 And he was very good at doing that. 00:22:52.300 --> 00:22:53.180 He was a Pharisee. 00:22:53.280 --> 00:22:55.540 He knew all about doing these kinds of things. 00:22:56.520 --> 00:23:00.840 And so pleasing God, according to Simon, was a lot like an accounting exercise. 00:23:01.540 --> 00:23:05.200 You just have to make sure your good things offset your bad things. 00:23:05.300 --> 00:23:09.900 You know, you keep the ledger in the plus, in the black, not in the red. 00:23:09.900 --> 00:23:14.700 But Jesus' point isn't about the different sizes of the debt. 00:23:15.320 --> 00:23:17.660 His point is that they both have a debt. 00:23:18.360 --> 00:23:24.640 One might be much, much, much more of a sinner than the other, but they're still both sinners. 00:23:24.759 --> 00:23:27.500 They're actually both in the same boat. 00:23:28.640 --> 00:23:32.300 Now, let me give an illustration, putting it a different way. 00:23:32.299 --> 00:23:39.919 Imagine that there are two people who want to race each other in a swim, and they're swimming from Central to Macau. 00:23:40.700 --> 00:23:44.940 Now, the first person makes it a kilometer before he drowns. 00:23:45.779 --> 00:23:48.279 And then the second person makes it a lot further. 00:23:48.359 --> 00:23:52.279 He actually makes it to Lantau before he drowns as well. 00:23:53.099 --> 00:23:58.119 Now, does that make any difference, that this person has made it much, much further than the first swimmer? 00:23:58.819 --> 00:24:01.519 Well, no, okay, because he still hasn't made it. 00:24:02.099 --> 00:24:02.879 He's drowned. 00:24:03.219 --> 00:24:04.519 He's in the same situation. 00:24:04.639 --> 00:24:05.539 He's at the bottom of the ocean. 00:24:05.799 --> 00:24:06.779 Same thing with that. 00:24:06.899 --> 00:24:08.019 The outcome is the same. 00:24:09.159 --> 00:24:14.319 Jesus is saying to Simon, look, you don't realize that you're actually in the same position as this woman. 00:24:15.379 --> 00:24:22.500 He's saying to this very moral, very respectable, probably very generous and upright, respectable guy in that community, 00:24:23.539 --> 00:24:26.159 you might have a particular position with people. 00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:31.500 You might think you have a particular position with God, but really you don't. 00:24:32.220 --> 00:24:35.740 Your debt will bring you to the bottom. 00:24:36.759 --> 00:24:40.759 You have a debt that you need to pay and you can't pay it yourself. 00:24:40.759 --> 00:24:48.220 Do you remember at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives the Beatitudes? 00:24:48.740 --> 00:24:54.859 And the first of the Beatitudes, Jesus says, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 00:24:55.660 --> 00:25:03.799 Now, to be poor in spirit means that you recognize that you have an incalculable debt to pay to God, 00:25:03.799 --> 00:25:08.299 that you're spiritually destitute, you're a beggar, you cannot pay this debt. 00:25:08.960 --> 00:25:15.039 But our difficulty is that often we're not poor in spirit, we're middle class in spirit. 00:25:16.079 --> 00:25:21.019 We feel like we have earned our way a little bit, we're doing okay. 00:25:21.019 --> 00:25:25.220 We say to ourselves, I'm not perfect, but I work hard. 00:25:26.039 --> 00:25:27.019 You know, I'm a good person. 00:25:27.099 --> 00:25:28.940 I try to treat people okay. 00:25:29.660 --> 00:25:33.299 And as you guys well know, we live in a meritocracy. 00:25:34.099 --> 00:25:41.759 Hong Kong is a meritocracy, which means life is based on effort and reward. 00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:48.480 You study hard at school and university, you get the good grades, you go to the good colleges and universities so that you can get a good job. 00:25:49.140 --> 00:25:50.859 And then it starts all over again. 00:25:51.000 --> 00:25:59.539 Effort, reward, you work hard at your job so that you can get the projects, the raises, the promotions and so on. 00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:04.779 And to be middle class means that you're working hard and that's okay. 00:26:04.779 --> 00:26:13.619 But without realizing it, we can also slip into this sort of spiritual meritocracy, this spiritual middle classness. 00:26:14.139 --> 00:26:20.519 You quietly believe that God owes you something because you're working hard at it. 00:26:20.579 --> 00:26:22.859 That God ought to answer my prayers. 00:26:23.299 --> 00:26:28.539 God ought to give me the life I want because I'm working hard at it. 00:26:28.539 --> 00:26:41.759 But we can easily forget that Jesus knows us intimately, like he knew Simon intimately, that Jesus has this MRI for our soul. 00:26:42.559 --> 00:26:45.700 He knows that none of us love God the way we ought. 00:26:46.299 --> 00:26:48.420 None of us love others the way we ought. 00:26:48.500 --> 00:26:53.359 And to compound our problem, we often don't recognize our own spiritual poverty. 00:26:53.759 --> 00:26:55.940 We tell ourselves, I can do something. 00:26:55.940 --> 00:26:57.720 I know somehow I can earn it. 00:26:58.539 --> 00:27:05.039 And Jesus says, whoever has been forgiven little will love little. 00:27:07.259 --> 00:27:08.940 Now think of that woman again. 00:27:10.220 --> 00:27:16.559 Maybe the people watching this scene at Simon's house would have wondered, why is she weeping? 00:27:17.379 --> 00:27:22.319 Are they tears of guilt or grief or are they tears of joy? 00:27:23.819 --> 00:27:26.359 Jesus knows why she's weeping. 00:27:26.359 --> 00:27:31.659 Jesus knows why she washes his feet and Simon doesn't. 00:27:32.819 --> 00:27:37.539 Jesus knows why she warmly welcomes him into that place and Simon doesn't. 00:27:38.379 --> 00:27:43.359 It's because she knows her spiritual debt and Simon doesn't. 00:27:43.359 --> 00:27:46.979 And she knows what Jesus offers. 00:27:46.979 --> 00:27:49.279 And Simon doesn't. 00:27:49.819 --> 00:27:52.000 Her tears are tears of joy. 00:27:52.079 --> 00:27:56.459 Something about Jesus has overwhelmed her and she can't help it. 00:27:57.459 --> 00:28:04.139 Somewhere in the past, she brought the dreadful debt and burden of her sin to Jesus. 00:28:04.140 --> 00:28:12.860 Notice what Jesus says in verse 47. 00:28:12.860 --> 00:28:16.420 I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven. 00:28:17.960 --> 00:28:24.300 Somewhere in the past, she recognized that Jesus is the one who is able to forgive sins. 00:28:24.299 --> 00:28:30.299 Now think about what Jesus is claiming when he says that he can forgive her sins. 00:28:30.759 --> 00:28:36.200 If the only one who can forgive sins is the one who has been offended against. 00:28:36.200 --> 00:28:41.980 And if all sins, all debts are ultimately an offense against God himself, 00:28:42.660 --> 00:28:46.799 then in claiming to be able to forgive her sins, Jesus is actually claiming to be God himself. 00:28:48.400 --> 00:28:51.620 That's the most extraordinary claim that Jesus makes. 00:28:52.200 --> 00:28:57.559 Most people prefer it if Jesus is just a wise teacher, a moral example for us to follow. 00:28:57.559 --> 00:29:00.519 But Jesus isn't claiming to be those things. 00:29:00.700 --> 00:29:02.879 He claims to be able to forgive sins. 00:29:03.039 --> 00:29:05.259 Therefore, he's claiming to be God himself. 00:29:06.359 --> 00:29:11.339 And the other guests recognize the magnitude of that claim because they say in verse 49, 00:29:11.700 --> 00:29:13.819 who is this that even forgives sins? 00:29:15.419 --> 00:29:23.419 This woman can't see it yet what it would cost Jesus to pay her debt and forgive her sins, 00:29:23.420 --> 00:29:28.080 to bring her this peace and relief and joy. 00:29:29.180 --> 00:29:36.980 This euphoria even, which this perfume that she offers up is only a token in response of. 00:29:37.380 --> 00:29:38.580 She can't see it yet. 00:29:39.140 --> 00:29:45.820 That Jesus will go to the cross and take her sin and take my sin and take your sin. 00:29:46.460 --> 00:29:52.320 That he'll be betrayed and abandoned and suffer this most humiliating and shameful of deaths 00:29:52.319 --> 00:29:54.500 so that we can all receive grace. 00:29:56.559 --> 00:30:03.899 We see the magnitude of our debt to God by the magnitude of what it took to pay it. 00:30:04.720 --> 00:30:09.779 But we also see the magnitude of God's love for us, Jesus' love for us, 00:30:09.799 --> 00:30:11.139 because he was willing to pay it. 00:30:12.619 --> 00:30:16.359 And this story, therefore, holds up a bit of a mirror to ourselves 00:30:16.359 --> 00:30:21.259 so that we ask ourselves, how actually have I responded to Jesus? 00:30:22.319 --> 00:30:30.339 Do I come to God with this same sort of sense of spiritual self-sufficiency that Simon does? 00:30:30.819 --> 00:30:34.980 You know, I'm okay 90%, I just need a bit of help for the rest of the 10%. 00:30:34.980 --> 00:30:41.279 Or do I come to Jesus like the woman, recognizing my terrible debt, 00:30:41.960 --> 00:30:45.500 but overwhelmed with gratitude, accepting this offer of forgiveness? 00:30:45.500 --> 00:30:50.619 Two brief thoughts by way of application. 00:30:51.119 --> 00:30:56.480 First of all, your love for Jesus should lead you to love his people. 00:30:57.420 --> 00:31:01.440 Now, Simon showed little grace to this woman because he didn't understand grace. 00:31:01.619 --> 00:31:02.759 Jesus had said to him, 00:31:03.319 --> 00:31:06.220 if you have been forgiven little, you will love little, 00:31:06.660 --> 00:31:09.619 but if you have been forgiven much, you will love much. 00:31:09.619 --> 00:31:14.019 And so the question, uncomfortable question that I have for you is, 00:31:14.639 --> 00:31:18.619 are there people in your life that you struggle to love? 00:31:18.719 --> 00:31:21.439 Are there people here that you struggle to love? 00:31:22.519 --> 00:31:24.899 Are there people that you cannot forgive? 00:31:25.839 --> 00:31:29.479 Are there people that you really find it hard to be patient with? 00:31:29.480 --> 00:31:35.880 Imagine for a moment that you've been invited around to a friend's house. 00:31:36.579 --> 00:31:40.120 And this friend, these two, this couple you've been friends with for many years, 00:31:40.180 --> 00:31:42.140 and they've just had a baby child. 00:31:42.759 --> 00:31:48.400 And they've welcomed you to their place so that you can be introduced to their child. 00:31:48.440 --> 00:31:51.220 And you hold this child in your arms, 00:31:51.220 --> 00:31:53.980 and you look at this child, and they're talking to you about the birth, 00:31:54.039 --> 00:31:57.120 and all sorts of little baby things, and it's a wonderful time. 00:31:57.119 --> 00:32:02.979 And when it's time for you to go, imagine that as you give this newborn back to your friends, 00:32:03.079 --> 00:32:06.339 you say to them, wow, it's wonderful being here with you today. 00:32:06.619 --> 00:32:08.379 I love you guys so much. 00:32:08.659 --> 00:32:10.879 It's so great to be here today. 00:32:11.539 --> 00:32:15.859 Let's catch up again sometime soon, but don't take your child. 00:32:16.739 --> 00:32:20.039 I love you guys, but I don't really like your baby. 00:32:20.259 --> 00:32:23.859 Is it all right next time we meet, don't take your baby? 00:32:23.859 --> 00:32:27.240 Now, that'd be pretty brutal. 00:32:27.459 --> 00:32:33.279 Now, irrespective of how much you love your friends as a couple, 00:32:33.679 --> 00:32:39.199 your lack of love for their newborn child would obviously reflect a lack of love for them. 00:32:40.019 --> 00:32:44.439 They'd be right to question the sincerity of your love for them. 00:32:45.179 --> 00:32:47.319 And the same goes for our relationship with Jesus. 00:32:47.319 --> 00:32:53.279 If we claim to love him, but we're cold to the people that he loves, 00:32:53.839 --> 00:32:58.319 then he's right to question the genuineness of our love. 00:32:59.039 --> 00:33:04.119 Love for Jesus will be seen in the extent to which we love his people, 00:33:04.539 --> 00:33:07.159 that we are patient, we show grace and forgiveness, 00:33:07.960 --> 00:33:10.799 even when they've hurt us a lot. 00:33:10.799 --> 00:33:17.980 Second, your love for Jesus should lead you to deep assurance. 00:33:19.019 --> 00:33:24.220 Now, it's easy to go about our Christian lives actually fearful, 00:33:24.839 --> 00:33:28.259 with a bit of anxiety, fearful of making mistakes, 00:33:28.480 --> 00:33:32.139 fearful of being disappointed, fearful of what people think about us, 00:33:32.279 --> 00:33:34.799 fearful of things getting out of control. 00:33:34.799 --> 00:33:40.559 And I think that's often why we're so sort of defensive, sensitive to criticism. 00:33:40.839 --> 00:33:46.019 When somebody at work or in your home points out something uncomfortable about you, 00:33:46.619 --> 00:33:48.480 you get really sensitive. 00:33:48.579 --> 00:33:50.000 You can easily snap back. 00:33:50.720 --> 00:33:53.099 But the reality is they can only see the surface. 00:33:53.539 --> 00:33:56.659 Remember, Jesus has an MRI for the soul. 00:33:57.220 --> 00:33:58.799 They can't see the worst of you. 00:33:58.899 --> 00:33:59.639 Jesus does. 00:34:01.159 --> 00:34:03.440 And yet, we're still on performance mode all the time. 00:34:03.440 --> 00:34:06.420 We still feel like we have to prove ourselves. 00:34:07.080 --> 00:34:08.760 But think about what this woman does. 00:34:08.860 --> 00:34:13.159 She comes into this room and all the barriers, all the walls come down. 00:34:13.300 --> 00:34:13.880 She weeps. 00:34:14.240 --> 00:34:15.460 She washes Jesus' feet. 00:34:15.840 --> 00:34:18.139 She dries his feet with her hair. 00:34:19.220 --> 00:34:21.380 She's overwhelmed by Jesus. 00:34:22.139 --> 00:34:27.920 She knew that everyone would be examining her when she comes into that room. 00:34:28.700 --> 00:34:30.079 Everybody would be thinking, 00:34:30.079 --> 00:34:31.800 here is that terrible woman. 00:34:31.940 --> 00:34:33.079 What is she doing here? 00:34:33.440 --> 00:34:37.740 But again, they could only see on the surface. 00:34:38.619 --> 00:34:40.820 Jesus sees way inside. 00:34:41.500 --> 00:34:48.260 As we sung earlier, she realized her sins were many, but his mercies are more. 00:34:48.260 --> 00:34:57.700 And because his mercies are more, she could walk into that room because his mercies are more, 00:34:58.040 --> 00:35:00.240 and she could give everything. 00:35:00.880 --> 00:35:09.180 She could give her security, financial, social, relational, emotional, because she knew he loved her, 00:35:09.640 --> 00:35:11.620 and therefore she could love him. 00:35:11.619 --> 00:35:14.359 Therefore, she gave her everything. 00:35:14.920 --> 00:35:17.199 She bought her security, her alabaster jar. 00:35:17.299 --> 00:35:20.179 She bought her fears, her pride, her everything. 00:35:20.679 --> 00:35:29.599 And if you know Jesus loves you and has given you his everything, then it frees you up to give your everything to him. 00:35:29.599 --> 00:35:31.199 What's your alabaster jar? 00:35:32.319 --> 00:35:33.480 You know, what's your security? 00:35:33.599 --> 00:35:37.819 What is that thing that you're holding onto in life that you're jealously guarding? 00:35:38.319 --> 00:35:39.259 This is mine. 00:35:39.980 --> 00:35:43.679 Chances are, that's what you love the most. 00:35:44.480 --> 00:35:45.759 What's your security? 00:35:45.760 --> 00:35:49.720 Is it more important to you than Jesus? 00:35:50.720 --> 00:35:51.840 Do the cost benefit. 00:35:52.980 --> 00:35:54.520 Can it forgive you your sins? 00:35:55.360 --> 00:35:57.260 Can it give you eternal life? 00:35:58.480 --> 00:36:02.040 You know, we are creatures who have been made in the image of God. 00:36:03.260 --> 00:36:08.400 And we cannot, we haven't been built to worship things that aren't God. 00:36:08.400 --> 00:36:18.019 Those little alabaster jars in our lives cannot carry the burden of all your hopes and expectations and joy in life. 00:36:18.660 --> 00:36:24.519 You will just crush whatever it is that you are worshipping, and you will be left disappointed when they let you down. 00:36:24.940 --> 00:36:29.260 Only Jesus is big enough for us to worship him and give him our everything. 00:36:30.240 --> 00:36:32.980 The woman made the only sensible choice. 00:36:33.780 --> 00:36:37.519 She's a woman whose name we were not given, but her example we remember. 00:36:39.360 --> 00:36:46.860 And so we walk in her ways, besotted with Jesus, dependent upon him because he has done everything for us. 00:36:47.660 --> 00:36:48.880 Would you pray with me, please? 00:36:50.920 --> 00:36:57.579 Lord God, we do thank you for this time where we've been able to look at the story of this nameless lady. 00:36:58.400 --> 00:37:03.320 This lady with a baggage full of sin, with all sorts of shame. 00:37:04.139 --> 00:37:06.500 She's on the outside of society. 00:37:06.500 --> 00:37:07.800 She's disrespected. 00:37:08.179 --> 00:37:09.920 She's made lots of mistakes. 00:37:10.619 --> 00:37:12.079 And yet she met Jesus. 00:37:13.159 --> 00:37:16.659 And she learnt about his grace and the free offer of forgiveness. 00:37:17.699 --> 00:37:21.239 And Lord, in many respects, we find ourselves in different situations from this woman. 00:37:21.340 --> 00:37:25.760 If we're honest with ourselves, we're more on the Simon side than we are on this woman's side. 00:37:25.760 --> 00:37:27.340 Lord, we're here. 00:37:27.340 --> 00:37:28.680 And we're respectable. 00:37:28.680 --> 00:37:30.600 And we're middle class. 00:37:30.720 --> 00:37:31.920 And we work hard. 00:37:32.160 --> 00:37:33.560 And we're good people. 00:37:34.100 --> 00:37:43.600 But Lord, often we confess that we can take that spiritual pride in all of these things rather than having a deep dependence on you. 00:37:43.599 --> 00:37:54.719 Lord, we know that the Bible tells us the human heart is hardwired to self-sufficiency and spiritual pride and self-dependence. 00:37:54.719 --> 00:38:04.259 And so, Lord, would you rid our hearts of this sort of self-sufficiency and help us to see Jesus and come to his throne of grace and see the cross. 00:38:04.819 --> 00:38:10.139 And see there at the cross the magnitude of our sin that it took Jesus to pay for it. 00:38:10.139 --> 00:38:14.480 But also the magnitude of your love that you were willing to give your son. 00:38:15.519 --> 00:38:18.019 That Jesus willingly went to the cross on our behalf. 00:38:18.839 --> 00:38:27.519 And so, Lord, we pray that we would see Jesus more clearly and love him more dearly and walk with him more faithfully. 00:38:28.339 --> 00:38:35.079 That until we are called home and we see him face to face, we give our everything to him. 00:38:35.159 --> 00:38:36.799 We need your help, Lord. 00:38:36.800 --> 00:38:38.960 Lord, we cannot do this on our own. 00:38:39.060 --> 00:38:40.340 So, guide us by your spirit. 00:38:40.600 --> 00:38:41.960 Help us always to see Jesus. 00:38:42.100 --> 00:38:45.120 And guide us, this wonderful community at Watermark. 00:38:46.420 --> 00:38:51.960 May this community be a community where we continually point one another to the sufficiency of Jesus. 00:38:52.700 --> 00:38:54.700 To his love for us in all things. 00:38:55.360 --> 00:39:00.380 And that the best thing that we can do in our lives is to love him with an everlasting love. 00:39:00.900 --> 00:39:02.420 Help us in all these things, Lord, we pray. 00:39:03.080 --> 00:39:04.460 We ask these things in Jesus' name. 00:39:04.740 --> 00:39:05.000 Amen.