Awkward Extravagance - Wk 2
March 10, 2024

Reclaimed: Resetting the Table

Week two - Awkward Extravagance
Luke 7:36-50 and John 13:6-17
Bottom line: Embracing the awkwardness of forgiveness makes way for the extravagance of love and the presence of peace.


If every Christian family in the world simply offered good conversational hospitality around a table once a week to neighbors, we would eat our way into the kingdom of God. —Alan Hirsch

Two (fun, non-spiritual) book recommendations:
“Love and Saffron” by Kim Fay
“History of the World in Six Glasses” by Tom Standage

Real life happens around tables. Eating and drinking is a shared human experience.
Jesus’ time at tables was a constant demonstration of a new way of life - a

way of life.


Reclaimed Table Series:
Jesus launched his public ministry, traveling from village to village announcing his message that the kingdom of God was near. And as he went, he also enacted this message in two specific ways: healing and table-fellowship; i.e. Jesus ate with people
And when he sent the disciples out, he told them to do the same things: announce the kingdom, heal people, stay in their homes and gather around their tables.
It was personal, relational, and conversational. It was transformative.


Today’s table encounter with Jesus “takes the cake” for the most awkward dinner party, maybe ever…
Context: at the home of a Pharisee named Simon. Jesus and the Pharisees had a bit of a contentious relationship. Luke doesn’t tell us whether this is a “gotcha” dinner party as part of the Pharisees scheming to trick Jesus, or if this is a “curiosity” dinner party as Simon is trying to figure out whether Jesus is a prophet, nice guy, renegade, or Messiah, or if this is just a hospitality scenario with a traveling rabbi.

36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. —Luke 7:36-37

The table is set - a Pharisee host, a “sinful woman,” and Jesus

  • The “sinful woman” came with a purpose - to anoint Jesus
  • Matthew, Mark, and John all tell the story of Mary anointing Jesus in Bethany a few days before Jesus’ crucifixion. In that encounter of anointing, Jesus connects the anointing with his impending death and the practice of preparing a body for burial. (John 12:1-11, Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:1-9)
  • But in this story, the woman has a very different purpose - hers is honor and gratitude


*worth noting: Jesus was invited, this woman wasn’t invited…awkward, but only about to get more awkward…

As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. —Luke 7:38

An uninvited woman with a reputation is standing behind a group of sitting guests ugly crying…AND THEN, she puts her hair down (this is a time/culture piece that makes this extra weird) and begins using it as a towel to dry Jesus’ FEET before she starts kissing them and pouring perfume on them…

39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” —Luke 7:43-45

Not sure why either one would “love” the moneylender - gratitude makes sense, but Jesus says love…


43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,”Jesus said.
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. —Luke 7:43-46

Jesus describes the difference between Simon and the woman, and it’s not about their social standings or levels of sin, it’s about their

.

Table-fellowship in Jesus’ day came with all sorts of hospitality rituals that really came down to honoring their guests.

47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.—Luke 7:47

Her

for Jesus is on full display in the love literally pouring out of her face and her hands.

48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” —Luke 7:48-50

We hold back honor and we try to prove, or feign, worthiness afraid that to do otherwise would cost us our honor. It’s really a question of pride.

This wasn’t about who had sinned more -
It was about the

of humility not getting in the way of the of love.
It was about the awkwardness of forgiveness not getting in the way of the presence of .


The next extravagant demonstration of love comes about a year later when Jesus is arrested, flogged, spat on, and hung up on a cross with a sign of mockery over his head - willing to be the visible recipient of forgiveness for all sin. It was humiliating and degrading.
But hours earlier, he tried to teach the disciples what He was about to do and why He was doing it when He got down on his hands and feet at their last dinner party and washed their feet with his hands, and dried them with his own garment.

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” (in other words - this is awkward)
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” —John 13:6-9

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. —John 13:12-17


We need to let go of our pride to grab hold of gratitude.

We don’t do it because it’s awkward. It’s messy.

Embracing the awkwardness of humility and forgiveness makes way for the extravagance of love and the presence of peace.


Meeting with a small group? Here is a Table Group guide so your group can make the most of this experience: https://ashleyridgechurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Table-Groups.pdf