CHAPTER 4 SINNERS, OUTCASTS, AND THE POOR

Transcription

1 CHAPTER 4 SINNERS, OUTCASTS, AND THE POOR

2 Read Luke 7: Here Jesus dines with a Pharisee. The term Pharisee means separated from or set apart which means they belonged to a religious sect that separated themselves from the am- ha- artez, the less- thans as part of an effort to remain pure before God. What is your opinion of the Pharisees or anyone else who considers other below them?

3 During dinner, there was a knock at the door and a woman known to be a prosbtute came in looking for Jesus. She fell at His feet and began to weep. This took a lot of courage for her to come into this house. How do you think this woman felt when Jesus treated her as a person with value, He cared for her. He tells her that she marers to God?

4 Jesus asks Simon Do you see this woman? Two different men see the same woman through different eyes. How do we see the am- ha- artez today? Do you see them as children of God or do you see them as society sees them as sinners, outcasts, unclean, and abominaton?

5 Religious people somebmes say things like God loves the sinner, but hates their sin. Do you think that phrase sounds different to the sinner than it does to the righteous person who said it? What gives a person, who is a sinner, the right to say that about someone else?

6 Sin means straying from God s path, from the way that leads to a life of joy and peace. In the Gospels, the only Bme we see Jesus angry at sin is when religious people act in self- righteous ways or when they fail to respond to those in need. Why do you think Jesus gets angry with self righteous, judgmental people and not the people they consider as sinners and unclean like the prosttutes?

7 The author says that the longer we are ChrisBans, the greater temptabon to become like the Pharisees. How do you feel about this statement?

8 What Jesus is seeing in some of the religious leaders who separated themselves from the sinners and so freely judged them, is that they look pious on the outside, but on the inside are eaten up by the worst kind of sin. Jesus grieves over the sin that separates us from God, but he doesn t stop loving us. He doesn t tell us how much he hates us or how much He hates what we do. He just keeps reminding us of His love. Based on this what would you say to those you consider sinners?

9 Many of us find that the longer we are ChrisBans, the more likely it is that all of our friends are ChrisBan. Do you find this is true in your life?

10 We are called to intenbonally build relabonships with people outside the church. We are to show them the love of Christ whether or not they ever come to faith in Him. Are you or will you be willing to build relatonships with these people? Do people see God s love shining through you?

11 At a Bme when most people saw God in terms of wrath and judgment, Jesus painted a picture of God as A shepherd searching for his lost sheep A father yearning for his lost children Jesus went to the outsiders, befriended them, and sought to draw them to God, not by judgment but by love. How easy will it be to replace judgment with love in the way you treat others?

12 The second group am- ha- artez was made up of outcasts. One type of outcast were the physically unclean such as lepers. In Biblical Bmes leprosy wasn t the same as Hansens s disease which is modern day leprosy. In those days, leprosy referred to a variety of skin disorders such as eczema, psoriasis, ringworm or other condibons with open sores.

13 According to the Law of Moses, anyone having one of these condibons had to leave home and move outside of town. If someone approached a leper, they would have to put their cloak over their mouth and holler Unclean! Unclean! Don t come any closer! How do you think these people felt when no one could touch the or hold them?

14 Jesus welcome lepers. Read Luke 5:12-13 Jesus not only welcomed lepers but he reached out and touched them, something that simply was not done. Who are modern day untouchables, the lepers in our society and what would it mean for use to touch them? Is there anyone you would be uncomfortable touching?

15 A second type of outcast were people who were considered unclean for other reasons. They may have been from the wrong religion or have had an emobonal sickness. Do some people today consider non- ChrisTans as unclean? Why are some people uncomfortable around people with mental illnesses?