Luke 7:36-50 "Jesus and the Establishment"

Calvary Fellowship Of Ottawa

Martin Luther King Jr said that Sunday morning was the most segregated hour of the week in America... it still is for the most part.
But another type of segregation has existed in the church for a long time—it even plagued Jesus and led to His arrest and death. When self-righteous religiosity shuts out those who are considered to be in the margins of society.
The Jesus Movement of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s was noted for hippies who responded to the gospel and started coming to the church. This was true at the beginning of Calvary Chapel. We were not part of the established churches. It was a time of revival and change.
But the Jesus Movement was greater than the hippies. It saw religious people learn to embrace the irreligious and unchurched with the love and grace of God. This needs to happen again, especially since we, the Calvary Chapel Movement of churches, have become the establishment!
In Luke 7:36-50, we read the story of a sinful woman who invades the inner circle of religious elites, the Pharisees, who were gathered at Simon the Pharisee’s house. Why? Because Jesus was there! The woman came to honor Jesus. She trusted Him. She saw God’s grace and love in Him. So she came to honor Him and show her respect and love for Him.
Some questions we need to ask ourselves as believers are—
Are we more like Simon the Pharisee or Jesus towards those considered marginalized by society?
Do we trust in our own self-righteousness or God’s grace? Do we realize we all have self-righteous blind spots?
This parable reminds us of the heart of God and mission of Jesus to rescue and redeem humanity. And the power of God’s mercy and love is always greater than judgment and self-righteousness.