๐๐จ๐, ๐๐ฎ๐ซ ๐
๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐ (Luke 7:36-43) | Dr. Herman Moldez, Sept 6, 2026 Religion teaches that sinners cannot be friends of God. Jesus opened a new door where God can be our friend through the way of forgiveness. We grow friendship with God by grace. God became human to offer us the home of friendship. God looks for friends who are honest and humble, at home in being human. Being human is created for relationships. It reveals the image of God revealed in the godhead, God the Father-Son-Spirit. Sin has alienated us from God and from one another. Shalom is invaded by conflict and war, discrimination and segregation, pride and prejudice. We live in a lonely world. Loneliness is a longing for love to be fulfilled in relationship with God, self, and others. The breakup of marriage, family, and friendship deepens the alienation. God, in Christ, reaches to His enemies. Jesus Christ reveals God making friends with sinners. Jesus became famous as a partygoer with those regarded sinners (Lk. 7:34). In the following story, Luke 7:36-50, Jesus showed who God is, a friend with a sinful woman who gate- crashed the party of a religious leader, Simon the Pharisee. Religion is meant to reconcile us with God. However, if religious legalism replaces love, it becomes another instrument of alienation. In the story we see God, who embraces human imperfection so that sinner can be long in His kingdom. The woman was outside the kingdom, yet Jesus welcomes her to kiss his feet and massage it with expensive perfume. What she uses to attract men she pours out to adore Jesus. Jesus is never scandalized being touched by sinful hands. Society is divided by status and sexuality, the poor and powerless. Religion excludes the bad ones by feeling the good ones. But God welcomes sinners to experience divine intimacy by grace. The story of cancelling the big debt shows how acknowledging our sins make us recipient of God's forgiveness and friendship (vv.41-43 cf. Rom 5:20b). Seeking the mercy of God deepens our friendship with God. Forgiven sinners exhibit community of friends, out of God's sheer grace. Being the church is to open the door to alienated people, becoming a community of the friends of God. The ministry of hospitality, to eat and drink together out of the grace of God is being a church. Not just to offer a home for strangers but to open our hearts to welcome with compassion and care. May our church be a place where human loneliness finds healing in loving relationships and those who are alienated from whatever reason are accepted by grace. How will your life be a means by which others can experience friendship with God?
