Jesus Anointed with Perfume
A woman came to Jesus looking for acceptance and hope.
Before You ListenLet's Get Started
Theme: Worshiping God - Jesus the Savior
Matthew 22:37 says that you should love God with every part of you - heart, soul, and mind. How have you shown your love for God this week?
Jesus came to the world to forgive our sins. In Luke 7:36-50, Jesus used a woman’s selfless act of anointing him with expensive perfume to teach about forgiving sin, acceptance, and worship. As you listen to this episode, think about Jesus’ love and forgiveness and how you can show your love to him.
After you listen
Memory Verse
“So I tell you that all her sins are forgiven, and that is why she has shown great love. But anyone who has been forgiven for only a little will show only a little love.”
Quiz
A: She is described as "sinful."
A: She washed his feet with her tears, dried his feet with her hair, and poured perfume on him.
4. Fill in the blank, “The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this and said to himself, “If this man really were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him! He would know that she _____ _____ _________.”
A: "is a sinner."
Reflect
When Simon the Pharisee invited Jesus to dinner, it did not go as he may have planned. A woman who is not named (she’s only identified as a sinner!) came to the party. She was not invited to the dinner but knew Jesus was there and came to where he was. When she arrived, she stood next to Jesus and began to cry. Maybe she was the only woman in the room. Then, she washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and used her hair to wipe and dry his feet. After that, she poured expensive perfume oil on him. She understood who Jesus was and was overwhelmed with emotion. The woman gave everything she had to honor and worship Jesus.
When Simon the Pharisee spoke severely about what she had done, Jesus taught him a lesson about forgiveness, gratefulness, and love. Jesus pointed out to Simon that the woman’s actions showed more appreciation for him than Simon did. Because of her faith, Jesus forgave her sins (Luke 7:48-50).
When God sent Jesus to the world to die and forgive us, he gave everything. He is asking for the same thing from us. In Matthew 22:37, Jesus says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.” He tells us to love God with everything. We may not have expensive perfume oil, but we have our time, talents, and treasure to give.
Read the other gospel stories about how Jesus was anointed with perfume in Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, and John 12:1-8. Want to dig deeper and learn more about other people who worshiped Jesus? Check out Matthew 2:9-11, Matthew 21:9, and John 12:12-15.
Challenge
On a piece of paper, write the words heart, soul, and mind on a piece of paper. Next to each one, write down all the ways you can show your love and appreciation for Jesus. In what ways can you love Jesus with your heart? How can you worship God with your soul? How can you use your mind each day to serve God? Each day this week, think about your actions and track if it was a heart, soul, or mind expression of your love.
