Daughters of Grace week 5

The sinful woman

§    Humility

§    Repents

§    Submissive

§    Brave

§    Bold

§    Worship Jesus

 

Weakness

§    Sinner

§    Broken

§    Fearful

§    Harlot?

§    Adulteress?

§     Sorrow “She had offended God so grievously

Lessons from her life

1.      She went to Jesus

2.      She brought an alabaster box of ointment (the best she had)

3.      She stood at his feet, behind him weeping (humble and submissive)

a)      She washed His feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair, she kissed His feet and anointed them with the ointment she brought with her. Simon neglected three common courtesies like offering a drink, wash Jesus' feet anoint his head with oil, and offer him the kiss of greeting

b)      Simon perhaps feel that he was too good for Jesus

4.      She served Jesus by humbling herself to wash His feet with her tears of love for Him and then wiped them clean with her own hair, submitting to Him and placing Him above everything in her life, including herself. She humbled herself more by kissing His feet and then, giving her very best, she anointed His feet with the ointment she brought with her. She showed great honor and glory to the Lord and put Him first in her life.

5.      She knew she needed the Lord, so she went to Him, prepared, bringing her very best, repenting of her sins, being humble and submissive, putting Jesus above herself, and giving Him honor and glory. She showed her love for the Lord by cleansing and anointing his feet.

6.      She did not defend her sins instead, she admitted her sin and made a spectacle of herself in a passionate display of love and gratitude

7.      Jesus pointed out that the woman was both conscious of her sins and grateful for forgiveness. On the other hand, the Pharisee was spiritually arrogant, believing he had no sins to be forgiven. 

8.      While we can’t literally wash our Lord’s feet, we can come to Him submissive and humble, repenting of our sins, bringing Him our very best, our love for Him, putting Him above ourselves and everything in our life, every time.

9.      She entered as though she had been there before confidence? Or something else. perhaps those men knew her and were hypocritical.

10.  Jesus forgave her sins and commended her great faith and love

11.  When Simon saw what the woman was doing, his mind went straight to the negative. He thought to himself, “If Jesus is a prophet, he would know that the woman touching him is a sinner”. (Luke 7:39)

12.  She realized just how lost she had been. Forgiven much, she loved much. She found heaven at Jesus's feet.

13. This reminds us that there will be people who question our commitment to God, criticize our actions, intentionally place obstacles in our way, slander our name and more. Remember that God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent.  Trust completely in Him, stand firmly on His promises and “in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths”. (Prov.3:6)

14.  This story is written so we can know that no matter how sinful, broken, or entrenched in error we might be, forgiveness is available if only we seek it in faith. He promised.

15.  A person’s new life may be temporarily overshadowed by their past moral failures.

16.  A life troubled by the ravages of a sinful life can become a life of peace devoted to godly service to God.

 

The woman with the issue of blood

§  She had heard of Jesus and when she saw He was near she joined in the throng of people following Him as He made His way to Jarius’ house.

§     Determine

§     Fighter (didn’t give up)

§    Focus

§    Faith

§  Courageous

§    Earnest

§     Risk-taker   

§     Endurance

Weakness

§     Her illness had been going on for 12 years

§     She had suffered many things from many physicians

§     She had spent all that she had (financially draining)

§    She continued to get worse

§     Social outcast

§     Unclean

§      Alone

§    Anemia

§     Exhausted (physically and emotionally)

§     Desperate

§    debilitated

§     Afraid

§    Hopeless

§     Afflicted

§     Forbidden

§    Could not touch relatives, spouse, or enjoy life

§     Fatigue

§    Constant pain

 

Lessons from her life

1.      The holy spirit leads one to healing 

2.      Illness and challenges can draw people to Christ  

3.      In today society her hemorrhage (menorrhagia) would have common causes like

a)      Uterine fibroids, non-cancerous growths of the uterus wall

b)      Endometrial hyperplasia, a thickened endometrium

c)      A bleeding disorder, like von Willebrand disease

d)      Problems with clotting

e)      Thyroid functioning

f)       Glandular issues

g)      Infection

h)      Ovarian cysts

i)       Uterine polyps

j)       Cancer

4.      She was instantly healed. She felt and knew that she was healed.

5.      She publicly confessed her healing and faith in Jesus Christ.

6.      Jesus knows us; he knows our personal struggles, weaknesses, and sicknesses. We can hide them from others, but He notices them and seeks them out for us.

7.      We need to respond to him; we must be willing to acknowledge Him in the presence of others. We must be willing to share with others.

8.      The extraordinary faith is a simple, unwavering, childlike faith in Him. Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

9.      Are you willing to put your trust in Him? You may be going through any physical, emotional, or spiritual pain or sickness; He can heal you if you just believe in Him.

10.  She believed that Jesus could heal her: she said over and over

11.  she was willing to break social taboos.

12.  She was willing to hope in Jesus

13.  Jesus honors our faith, however small.

14.  Jesus is approachable in every circumstance.

15.   Jesus has compassion on the needy who come to Him in faith.

16.  Jesus sometimes allows circumstances to enter our lives that reduce us to desperation so that we will reach out for Him.

17.  Jesus restored her

18.  Jesus cared for her feelings (relived her fears)

19.  Jesus addressed her as a daughter (an expression of love and concern)

20.  Jesus blessed her

21.  Her faith was very imperfect, but the main fact is that she had it.

a)      There was no real connection between the touch of her finger and her healing, but she thought that there was, and Christ stoops to her childish thought and lets her make the path for His gift.

22.  It is written in the Gospel that 'her spirit returned to her'. Here is also proof of the existence of the soul. We see that without our souls, our spirits, we are dead.

23.  Rachel Held Evans says beautifully: “When God became human, he wrapped himself in our blood, skin, and bones.  His first order of business was to touch the ones we would not touch, to fellowship in our sufferings and to declare once and for all that purity is not found in the body, but in the heart.”

24.  This story clearly covers many themes. As previously alluded to, these include Grace and mercy, Faith and the need to act on it, Persistence and perseverance and the power in sharing our testimonies

25.  The woman in our story must have known “true faith.” She rested in the assurance that “God is who He is!” Does that mean she wasn’t afraid? Does it mean she didn’t have reservations? Remember, she was not just dealing with an illness, but she was also living with the consequences of the diagnosis. She was not only sick, but she was “unclean.” Her presence in “the midst of the crowd” was a huge risk. Had anyone recognized her she could have been immediately stoned to death. Yet she felt the risk was worth it, and she believed she would receive healing if she could touch the hem of His garment. She was a woman of courage. “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the presence of faith.” In fact, the only antidote to fear is faith. Courage is not something we find within ourselves. It is the result of faith, and even that is a gift from God.

 

Martha

§    Known as a hospitable homemaker

§      Believed in Jesus with growing faith

§    Had a strong desire to do everything exactly right

§    Practical

§    Logical  

§    Martha loved to do things (doer)

§     Giving

§     Courageous

§     Caring and loving

§     Sister of Mary

§      Head of her household

§     Faith

Weaknesses

§     Expected others to agree with her priorities

§     Was overly concerned with details

§     Tended to feel sorry for herself when her efforts were not recognized

§    Limited Jesus power to this life

§    Anxious

§     Stressed

§     People pleaser

§      Succeeding to meet everyone expectations

§  I   Impatient

§     Frustrated

 

Lesson from her life

1.      Getting caught up in details can make us forget the main reasons for our actions

2.      There is a proper time to listen to Jesus and a proper time to work for him

3.      God used the story of two well-known women in the Bible to demonstrate to us the type of relationship He wants with each of us.

4. Sometimes, we just forget how big our God is, and we run around with what I call the "Martha Syndrome," trying to make everything just right when all we need to do is Trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV)

5.      Martha took off to go find Jesus. Martha was running around -- the same as in Luke 10. Martha was Impatient and Anxious

6.      Martha had not spent the time in God's presence. Martha, just as in Luke 10 was overcome by her feelings. Her faith was not at a high level.

7.      Our unbelief can block God's miracles in our lives. Even when Jesus was ready to raise Lazarus from the dead, Martha was filled with unbelief. She saw death. She said to Jesus, " ... Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days." This was the equivalent of Martha asking Jesus, "Why would you bother to open his grave. He's dead. He stinks. Why go there, Lord?" Martha was not ready to see the glory of God. She was not ready for God's miracle in her life.

8.      It is about discipleship, and the fact that it is about women makes it that much more extraordinary.

9.      This story attests to the fact that in Jesus’ ministry, women were not second-class citizens; they were recognized as being fully entitled to instruction from a teacher.

10.  Martha assumed he was talking about the end times when the dead would be raised.  This would have been one of the tenets of her faith.

11.  Martha has been compared to the Apostle Peter: practical, impulsive, and short-tempered to the point of rebuking the Lord himself. Mary is more like the Apostle John: reflective, loving, and calm.

12.  Martha was a remarkable woman and deserves considerable credit. It was quite rare in Jesus' day for a woman to manage her own affairs as the head of the household and especially to invite a man into her home. Welcoming Jesus and his entourage into her house implied the fullest form of hospitality and involved substantial generosity.

13.  Good works should flow from a Christ-centered life; they do not produce a Christ-centered life. When we give Jesus the attention he deserves, he empowers us to serve others.

14.  We may be inclined at times to let our busy lives of service distract us from spending time with Jesus and listening to his word.

15.  It's significant to note that Jesus gently admonished Martha for being "worried and upset," not for serving. Service is a good thing but sitting at Jesus' feet is best. We must remember what is most important.

16. Practical lessons from Martha: slow down, resentment, stay focused, be humble, be still, worry, and you can do it.

17.  A desire for perfection in less important things is a weakness of personality, not a strength, as some would like to call it

18.  Our careers and ministries require attention but not so much we neglect to spend time with God

19.   In life the most excellent thing we can do is to push back unimportant things to make room for God’s presence because without God life is nothing.

20.  Be the kind of person Jesus has a close relationship with. Be that woman who is highly regarded in her community. Be that rock on whom people can depend. Be that woman who ministers to the needs of others. Be that busy woman who works for the glory of God’s Kingdom. Be that woman who serves her family. Be that woman whom Jesus would want to visit. Be that woman who has unflinching faith in His Majesty. Be that woman for whom Jesus will perform miraculous healing. Be that woman who boldly approaches Christ’s throne of grace. Be that woman who knows that Jesus is God. Just don’t forget to lay at His feet and understand that He is your first priority. He is the One you are doing all of this for. Love Jesus with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And love your neighbors as yourself.

 

 

Mary of Bethany

§    Devotional

§    Courageous

§    Thinker

§    Prophet

§   Attentive

§     Perhaps the only person who understood and accepted Jesus' coming death, taking time to anoint his body while he was still living.

§   Leaned when to listen and when to act

§  faith

Weaknesses

§     Sorrow; he wept at the tomb of her brother, Lazarus, and must have experienced great sorrow at the death of Jesus

§    Rebellious?

§   Misunderstood

§   Denigrated

§    Never justified, defended, or explained herself

 

Lessons from her life

1.      There is nothing more important in your diary today than for you to spend time with Jesus – reading His Word, the Bible, and in prayer – both talking and listening. Please don’t rush into your day without taking time to give Him the first and best part.

2.      Do what we can for Jesus

3.      The importance of Jesus words

4.      That life comes from Jesus

5.      Mary of Bethany teaches us to have a scandalous love for Jesus that the rest of world might think is totally inappropriate! From the moment we enter a church, we’re taught how to respond to God, and that’s not necessarily bad. Mary was taught how to behave properly and knew the customs of her people, but when it came to Jesus, she just didn’t care what anyone else thought of her behavior. Mary loved Jesus with a scandalous love, and Jesus defended her for it twice.

6.      When Mary anointed Jesus, she may have been anointing him as a king, the Messiah

7.      Putting our faith into action

8.      Mary is more like the Apostle John: reflective, loving, and calm.

9.      God loves to use women to spread the gospel.

10.  Jesus gives you ultimate peace of mind.

11.  Be persistent in your walk with Jesus.

12.  Serving God is never in vain.

13.  Don't fear what others think; simply follow Jesus.

14.  May we be women who are not distracted by all the things that must be done but are consumed with only one thing- Jesus.

15.  The busyness of serving god can become a barrier to knowing him personally

16.  Small acts of obedience and service have widespread effects

17.   

The widow with two coins

1.      The widow’s mite is an example of sacrificial giving, not stinginess. Stingy brethren who use this passage to justify themselves abuse the text of Scripture. Stingy men are not even like those givers who give from their abundance. Some men give generously of their abundance while others give a pittance of what they should from it. Which am I?

2.      Our most humble offerings are a symphony of praise to our savior

3.      Being good is not just about giving money but from the heart. The woman sacrificed her money to do good. Goodness is a fruit of the spirit because it takes an effort to cultivate. Matthew 7:12 is often called "The Golden Rule" because it defines how we should treat one another. Sometimes, we need to put effort into speaking and acting toward one another. We need to ask ourselves how we would feel if treated the way we treated others.

4.      Being good is not necessarily about making easy choices. There are so many messages out there telling us it is okay to "sin." Today, we are taught that "if it feels good, it must be good." Yet the Bible tells us many different things about those "feel good" acts, like sex and drinking. While some are good things, they are usually good in the right context.

5.      Yet goodness comes from a place in our hearts. It comes from focusing on God and not what the world tells us is good. While both versions of goodness can overlap, a Christian teen's focus should be on God's idea of good.