Table Talk: The Table of Forgiveness

Table Talk: The Table of Forgiveness

Pastor Aaron Sutherland

Often we can feel like we don't belong or deserve to be at the table of forgiveness, but Jesus tells us otherwise; we simply need to be honest and vulnerable.

Good things happen around tables

I. THE TABLE OF FORGIVENESS REQUIRES A COURAGEOUS VULNERABILITY

LUKE 7:36-38

When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 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. 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.

Jesus never works around sin, Jesus removes it

II. THE TABLE OF FORGIVENESS REQUIRES AN HONEST EVALUATION

LUKE 7: 39-43

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.” Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said.  “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  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?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. 

The enemy attempts to harm us in two ways. Telling us we’re too bad to BE forgiven, or telling us we’re too good to NEED forgiveness.

III. THE TABLE OF FORGIVENESS REQUIRES AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE

LUKE 7:44-50

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. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

We often underestimate how much we owe God, and overestimate how much God owes us.

Psalm 139: 23-24

Discussion Questions:

1. How have you seen shame affect people’s ability to come to the table of forgiveness?

2. Have you ever seen great forgiveness be transformed into great love? How did that affect you?

3. How do you desire to respond to Jesus’ invitation of forgiveness at His table?