Attitude Of Gratitude

Attitude of Gratitude

Luke 7:36–50

A recent report by Salary.com stated: If the typical stay-at-home mother in the United States were paid for her work as a housekeeper, cook and psychologist among other roles, she would earn $138,095 a year.

The additional jobs comprising a mother’s work were day care center teacher, laundry machine operator, van driver, facilities manager, janitor, computer operator, and ceo.

She typically puts in a 92-hour work week, working 40 hours at base pay and 52 hours overtime.

Hearing this made me think I don’t tell Kristen thank you enough for the wonderful job she does. I realized how often she does things and receives little or no acknowledgement for her hard work.

• "If gratitude is due from children to their earthly parents, how much more is the gratitude of the great family of man due to our Father in heaven!"

o Hosea Ballou

This morning I would like for us to consider what it is to have an Attitude of Gratitude. Luke gives us an opportunity to hear Christ teach on gratitude. Some questions are designed to build knowledge; others are not. Over the past few days I have heard one question over and over, “Are we there yet?” These are not the same as the question posed to Christ.

Read Luke 7:36–39

36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”

Jesus was invited to the home of Simon, a Pharisee. It isn’t clear if Simon has ulterior motives or not, but Jesus accepted the offer. Jesus was willing to eat with the teachers of the Law as well as the outcast. If you check a harmony of the Gospels, you will discover that just before this event, Jesus had given the gracious invitation, “Come unto Me... and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28–30) to the crowds in Capernaum.

Perhaps this was where the woman had first heard Christ. Maybe another message had convicted her heart, but regardless when she found out that Jesus was at the home of Simon she decided to crash the party.

It was customary in that day for outsiders to hover around during banquets so they could watch the “important people” and hear their conversation. Since everything was open, they could even enter the banquet hall and speak to a guest. This explains how this woman had access to Jesus. He was not behind locked doors.

Jewish rabbis did not speak to women in public, nor did they eat with them in public. A woman of this type would not be welcomed in the house of Simon the Pharisee. Her sins are not named, but we get the impression she was once a woman of the streets with a bad reputation.

And here is Simon, shocked that Jesus was allowing her to touch him. Silently, he doubts Christ is who he has claimed to be. “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”

Simon was embarrassed, both for himself and for his guests. People had been saying that Jesus was a great Prophet, but He certainly was not exhibiting much prophetic discernment if He allowed a sinful woman to anoint His feet! He must be a fraud.

Point #1 An Attitude of Gratitude requires Acceptance of Need.

Simon’s real problem was blindness: he could not see himself, the woman, or the Lord Jesus. It was easy for him to say, “She is a sinner!” but impossible for him to say, “I am also a sinner!” Jesus proved that He was indeed a prophet by reading Simon’s thoughts and revealing his needs.

Continue Reading Luke 7:40-47

40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”