​     As promised, here is the third and final online March Learning Together lesson. Turn to the story, “Washed with Tears,” on pages 280-285 of The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones.
     Children: The Important Leader and the Important People at the dinner party were angry when Jesus gently scolded them for thinking they were better people than the woman. Jesus said sinning on the inside, like them, was just as bad as sinning on the outside, like the woman. The Important People were guilty of being outwardly unkind to her and inwardly hateful to Jesus, whom they did not like. Jesus could see their nasty thoughts in their hearts.
     All the Important People did NOT believe that Jesus was the Son of God, so they did NOT believe Jesus could forgive the woman’s, or anybody else’s, sins. And they HATED Jesus for saying that he could.
     Have you thought about the question I asked in last week’s lesson, which is “Do you think you could ever do something to make Jesus not like you anymore?” The answer is … NO! He will always love you because you are His child. Forever. And Ever.
     Adults: The Biblical references for this story are Mark 14, Luke 7, and John 12.
     The Pharisees’ invitation was offered to Jesus because they were trying to gather information they could use against him. That they had actually heard Jesus say he could forgive sins was just the evidence they were looking for. How dare Jesus make the false claim that he is God!
     Simon the Pharisee and the rest drew another equally false conclusion: they chalked up the Lord’s reaction not to evil, but to ignorance. That, however, was proof to them that Jesus could not be who He claimed to be because, the Pharisees reasoned, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.” How could Jesus tell them things they did not know if He did not even know what they themselves knew about this woman? After all no sensible religious teacher, let alone one claiming to be the Messiah, would ever allow such a woman to touch Him. The Pharisees was both disgusted by the scene they was witnessing, and at the same time satisfied, because it confirmed their belief that Jesus’ ignorance of this woman’s wickedness was proof that He was not a true prophet.
       The sinful woman poured out her precious alabaster jar of expensive perfume as an extravagant act of love and worship. She recognized the Lord’s true value. How do you express your love, devotion, and thankfulness to Christ for His costly sacrifice?
~This week’s prayer: As a child of God, I pray to be kind outwardly and inwardly to all others. Amen
    On Sunday, March 26, there will be Sunday School right after church services, about 11 a.m. “Washed with Tears” will be discussed and a related craft will be done. You are cordially invited to attend!
Stay safe,
Margo

​     Welcome once again to Learning Together! Today we are continuing the story of the month, “Washed in Tears,” found on pages 280-285 in The Jesus Storybook Bible written by Sally Lloyd-Jones.
     Children: Please begin by listening again to the story being orally read to you. You could follow along in your own book as you listen. As usual, check out the cool pictures on each page. The pictures make the story come alive! Feel free to draw your own pictures, if you like.
     What does it mean to anoint someone's feet? To anoint means to put oil or ointment on a person's head or body. In ancient times this was done for various reasons. Sometimes it was a sign of hospitality (See pages 286-287) or of routine foot care. Those who were sick or injured were anointed with oil or ointment as medicine. Anointing was also done for sacred reasons.
     The woman’s actions at the dinner party were more and more astonishing as the story goes on. She cried, and she washed Jesus’ feet with her tears! She dried His feet with her hair!! Then she kept kissing His feet, and worst of all, she anointed Jesus by pouring her expensive perfume all over His feet!!!
     You see, she was so very sorry for her bad choices in life. She loved Jesus, wanted to change for the better, and was asking for His forgiveness. Jesus replied that her sins, which were many, were forgiven.  
     Do you think you could ever do something to make Jesus not like you anymore?
     Adults: The Biblical references for this story are Mark 14, Luke 7, and John 12.
     After washing them, the woman began kissing Jesus’ feet. Kissing is an intense word. In Luke 15:20 it describes the father’s kissing of the prodigal son on his return home. Luke used it in Acts 20:37 to describe how the elders of the church at Ephesus kissed Paul when he took his leave of them. The woman’s kissing of Jesus’ feet was a striking expression of affection.     
     Then, unwilling or unable to wait any longer, she did what she had come to do and anointed the Lord’s feet with the perfume. This was a staggering display of honor rendered to Jesus in the midst of Pharisees, people who sought only to dishonor Him.
     Ancient Middle Eastern hospitality demanded that a guest be welcomed with a friendly kiss, foot washing, and fragrant oil. Simon skipped those tokens of respect. Jesus pointed out that the woman was both conscious of her sins and grateful for forgiveness. Simon, on the other hand, was spiritually arrogant, believing he had no sins to be forgiven.  
     The sinful woman in this story answered the Lord’s call for faith while the self-righteous Simon the Pharisee failed to see his need of it.  Faith in Jesus Christ and forgiveness are available to anyone in need of God’s divine grace, even the most rejected, outcast, scandalous people of this world. 
~This week’s prayer: God loves me and will forgive my many sins if I ask him. Amen
     Next week there will be one more online lesson about this story, “Washed with Tears,” and on Sunday, March 26, Sunday School will be held in person after service at 11:00. We will discuss the highlights of the story and do a fun craft. Hope to see you then!
So long for now,
Margo 

March Week 1, 2023 Learning Together
     Hello! I welcome you to the month of March and the first of three lessons based on the story, “Washed in Tears,” located on pages 280-285 in The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. As always, you and your whole family are invited to listen and read and create and pray around our highlighted story.
     Children: As always, we begin by listening to the story being orally read to you. Sit back, close your eyes, and imagine that you are at the dinner at The Important Leader’s house with all the Other Important People and Jesus.
     As the story unfolds, you find out that this very bad, unpopular woman just walks right into The Important Leader’s home in order to see Jesus! Without being invited! All the Important People are shocked. Eyes widen. Mouths drop open. The Important People grumble and try to stop her, but she was determined to give Jesus a present – no matter what anyone said to her or about her.
     Is Jesus surprised by the woman? No, not at all! He already knew that this was going to happen! Was Jesus mad at the woman? No, he was happy and told everyone to stop being mean to her! Is Jesus upset for any reason? No, not at all! He wanted to tell everyone at the dinner that God loves “bad people,” and the people who think they are “good people” need to remember that only God is perfect.
     Adults: The Biblical references for this story are Mark 14, Luke 7, and John 12.
     As the story opens, Simon the Pharisee was requesting Jesus to dine with him along with other Pharisees. Simon was not an open-minded inquirer, but had, like the majority of the Pharisees, already decided that Jesus was a blasphemer, arrogating to Himself the right to forgive sins that belonged to God alone (Luke 5:21).These self-appointed guardians of legalistic, external, ritualistic religion hated Jesus’ message of grace, repentance, and forgiveness, and His call for sincere love of God from the heart. They also hated Him for pointedly rebuking their hypocritical self-righteousness (Matt.23), and for associating with the outcasts of society (Luke 7:34). Having already reached a conclusion regarding Jesus, they were busy accumulating evidence against Him. Simon’s invitation to Jesus was part of that evidence-gathering process. No self-respecting Pharisee would invite any association with a blasphemer, except to do him harm.
~This week’s prayer: God loves me and wants me to love all others! Amen
     There will be two more online lessons this March about the “Washed with Tears” story. Sunday School this month will met on fourth Sunday March 26 after church services. All are welcome to attend to join the discussion and enjoy a craft.
Until next week,
Margo