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TTB Sec 1s Small Group Lesson Plan – 6 June 2010

Lesson Title: “Loving Jesus”

Scripture: Luke 7: 36-50

Dear Leaders,

How has your journey in leading the Sec 1s been? J As you spend another Sunday discipling the next generation of youth, I want to encourage you to press on in teaching and mentoring them, that your service always be born out of your love for Christ! For this sunday, we are going to focus on why we have been encouraging them to share the gospel – it is the love for Christ that compels us. We will delve deeper into what it means to love Jesus and why we love Him. Ultimately we will have to ask ourselves this question – “Do I love Jesus? How much do I love Him?”. I pray that today’s lesson will cause us to reflect and think about what it means to love Jesus, beginning with ourselves.

Love,

Hannah

Short Note to Leaders:

Aim of lesson:

- For Luke 7: 47 to be internalized into our hearts – “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

- We can only love Jesus when we realise how much a sinner we are and how much we have been forgiven!

Warming up:

1. Think of a person who has “fallen in love” or is “in love”. How does he/she behave?

(No specific answer. Key is to get the youth to share what they feel/think)

One suggested answer could be that a person who is in love usually spends a lot of time devoting himself to the other person he is in love with. The person is also willing to sacrifice other things in love for the person he loves.

Exploring Deeper:

2. Read Luke 7: 36-50. Ask the youth to imagine the scene of Jesus at the dinner table, along with all the sights, sound and touch. Describe what they imagine.

Again there is no specific answer. The key is to summarise what is happening in the passage and to make the scene come alive in your heads. J

3. What did the woman do for Jesus? (vs 37, 38)

Suggested Answer:

The woman brought an alabaster jar of perfume, wet Jesus’ feet with her tears, wiped and cleaned Jesus’ feet with her hair and the perfume and kisses. Also highlight the fact that this woman did not do this privately. She did it publicly and in front of the Pharisees.

4. What do you think it might have cost this woman to publicly do what she did? (Ie what did the woman have to sacrifice in showing her love for Jesus?) (vs 39)

Suggested Answer:

It would have cost her three things. Firstly, her public image and reputation as a woman would be affected. A woman should not be touching men in those times. Moreover, she had lived a sinful life, and her actions may cause greater disdain. Secondly, it would have cost her whatever little wealth she had. The alabaster jar of perfume is valuable money, but she chose to use it on cleaning Jesus’ feet instead – the lowest and most insignificant thing to the Pharisee. Thirdly, it would have cost her whatever pride she had. Having to wash another person’s feet with tears, cleaning it with her hair and anointing it with perfume, is truly an act of humility.

5. What did Simon the Pharisee do for Jesus?

Suggested Answer:

Simon did not do anything for Jesus. (vs 44-46)

6. What parable did Jesus tell Simon the Pharisee? (vs 40-43)

Suggested Answer:

Basically just summarise the parable of the two debtors.

7. What was Jesus’ main point through the parable of the two debtors? (42-47)

Suggested Answer:

Which of the debtors will love him more? We can only love much when we are forgiven much. The key is for our blind eyes to be open to how much we have been forgiven.

8. Why did the woman respond so differently from Simon?

Suggested Answer:

The woman did so because she understood who Jesus was to her. She understood that she was a great sinner. She understood how much Jesus loves her and can forgive her of all her sins. She was not shy in displaying her love for Jesus publicly. Her love for Jesus was NOT a private affair.

Recall last week’s lesson on being on fire for Christ. The woman recklessly abandoned everything to love Jesus. Do we?

On the other hand, Simon the Pharisee saw himself as a religious person, as someone who only needs a little forgiveness. According to Jesus’ parable, one who is forgiven little loves little.

Internalising/Application:

9. Are we like the woman or are we like Simon the Pharisee?

Suggested Answer:

Get the youth to seriously reflect on this question. It is crucial. Most of them may be like Simon without even knowing it. Do we first recognise that we are sinners and we have been forgiven much? This passage actually warns us against being like Simon, thinking that as long as we are Christians who behave “Christianly we are fine when in actual fact we are not! We have not understood what kind of sinner we are and how much Jesus loves us and forgives us.

When Jesus entered into Simon’s house (Simon entered into Jesus’ presence), he did not feel anything, nor did he feel compelled to express his love for Jesus. Are we the same? Do we come to church as a routine? Do we feel different in Jesus’s presence? Do we express our love for Him publicly?

Rounding-Up:

Spend time praying for one another, that we will love Jesus more and more each day, and not be ashamed in doing so.

Matthew 22: 37-39

Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.’ “

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