2.

) Background
A.) Author, date, and audience: the author of Luke Is Luke. He was a Christian of pagan origin.
He is the only author among those who were called to write the Scriptures who was not of Jewish
origin.1 He possessed a certain amount of scientific knowledge and belonged to the class of
educated men. He was the “fellow laborer” of Paul in his mission to the heathen. He also wrote
Acts and was a close friend of Paul. Luke was written approximately A.D. 60. Luke wrote from
Rome or possibly Caesarea. Luke wrote Luke to Theophilus, Gentiles and people everywhere.2
Luke wrote his Gospel to reassure Theophilus of the truth of the things in which he has been
instructed (1:1-4)3He was a close friend and a companion of Paul. Luke also wrote Acts and died
when he was 84 years old.

B.) Purpose: The authors purpose in writing Luke is may have been to serve as a evangelism or
presentation of the theme of salvation but that theme can be expressed so broadly that it can
serve as the purpose for a number of New Testament books. When one considers Luke alone, it
is the person of Jesus and the nature of God’s work through him to deliver humanity that takes
center stage. Luke’s work also was intended to benefit any Jewish Christian that might have
lingering questions about Gentile involvement and the path this was taking. Luke explains that
community Jesus formed must be prepared to walk a similar path.4

3.) Literary Context

A.) Genre: Luke is a gospel genre. Gospels may be divided roughly into saying and narratives,
that is, teachings of Jesus and stories about Jesus. They are books about Jesus which at the same
time contain a large collection of his teaching. Gospels requires one to think both in terms of the
historical setting of Jesus and the historical setting of the authors. There are four books in the
gospels which are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Gospels are woven as an integral into a
historical narrative of Jesus’ life and ministry. There are four gospels because different Christian
communities each had need for a book about Jesus. Gospels were written in that that Jesus was
and this is what he said and did ad this is the Jesus.5

B.)Luke is part of the gospel genre because one can be certain that Luke 15 belongs in a
parabolic genre because it has passages about the word of Jesus but was not written by him. The
parables are the teachings and stories of Jesus which are a major factor for the Gospels in the
Bible. In Luke, one sees the historical setting in of Jesus preteen years (1:1-2:52) then towards
Jesus qualifications to be the Promised One (3:1-4:13) then to his ministry.

C.) Unique literary features: this is a beautiful narrative, preserved by Luke alone, contains the
two essential elements of what is called Paulinism-the freeness and universality of salvation. It
simply proves that it was Luke’s intention, as he said at the beginning, to show by his Gospel,
that the doctrine so clearly expressed and so earnestly preached by Paul was already contained in
germ in all the acts and teachings of Jesus’ that the gospel of Paul Is nothing but the application

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of the principles previously laid down by the Lord Himself. 6 Paulinism is shown in this passage.
this makes it very unique because

4.) Grammatical Context:

A.) Grammatical Features: Important grammatical structures that Luke 7 contains is that in verse
36, it says that one of the Pharisees were re questioning Jesus to dine with him, and He entered
the Pharisees house and reclined at the table. ” One wonders the motive of this request: (1)
curiosity; (2) spiritual hunger; (3) being seen with Jesus; or (4) trying to find out something he
could use against Him (cf. vv. 44-45). These dinners were social events for the entire
community. Although only invited guests ate, anyone was welcome to come and listen to the
table conversation. 7:39 “‘If this man were a prophet” This is a SECOND CLASS
CONDITIONAL SENTENCE. The form of this sentence shows that he did not believe Jesus
was a prophet. This is a unique Greek construction which would be understood as “if this man
were a prophet, which he is not, he would know who and what sort of person this woman is who
is touching him, but he does not.” This Pharisee totally misunderstood Jesus and His motives,
purposes, and actions. 7:42 “‘so which of them will love him more’” This account obviously
deals with two kinds of people: (1) the self-righteous who thought they needed little or no
forgiveness and (2) the humble and repentant who knew they needed God’s forgiveness. This
parable has much in common with the parable of the Pharisee and the sinner (cf. Luke 18:9-14).

5.) Historical Cultural Context

A.) verse 37: reclining chair at a table: “reclining at the table” Luke is the only NT author to use
this term kataklinÇ (cf. 7:36; 9:14,15; 14:8; 24:30). Other NT writers use anakeimai. The Jews
of the first century did not use tables and chair as the Persians did (cf. Esther 1:6; 7:8) and some
Egyptians. Typically they would recline on their left elbow on pillows spread around horseshoe-
shaped tables, usually three on a side. “alabaster vial of perfume” Alabaster was a whitish yellow
stone which was named for the town in Egypt (Alabastron) in which it was developed. The
perfume was very expensive. Women often carried this as a dowry around their necks on a
chain.
This may have been her “hope chest. 7:38 “and standing behind Him at His feet” At these social
events others from the town who were not invited were welcome to come and sit along the walls,
look in the windows and doors, and listen to the conversations. Remember that Jesus was
reclining on his left elbow with His feet behind Him. “and kept wiping them with the hair of her
head” For a Jewish woman, to have her hair undone in public was a sign of social impropriety.
}“kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume” This was a highly unusual act that
seems to symbolize this woman’s joy over forgiveness and the deep sense of gratitude for Jesus’
attitude concerning people like herself (cf. v. 35). verse 41“500 denarii” A denarius was a
common coin of the period. It represented a day’s wage for a soldier or day-laborer (cf. Matt.
20:2). See Special Topic: Coins in Use in Palestine in Jesus’ Day at 15:8. was requesting Him
to dine with him” One wonders the motive of this request: (1) curiosity; (2) spiritual hunger; (3)
beingseen with Jesus; or (4) trying to find out something he could use against Him (cf. vv. 44-
45).These dinners were social events for the entire community. Although only invited guests ate,
anyone was welcome to comeand listen to the table conversation7 Verse 37. In Israel, kings,
priests and prophets were ritually anointed, whereas anointing of the body was part of both the

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customs of hospitalitly and everyday care of the body. One could even make this more precise by
saying that this woman could find nothing better to express her love than a gesture of erotic love.
In this one should not of course see an erotic scene, for the woman is crying, but rather
inappropriate behavior by the standards of that time. The woman comes into the midst of a
dinner reserved for men, carries a bottle of perfume, unlooses her hair (a particularly erotic
action of Jewish perceptions), repeatedly kisses Jesus feet, and finally in the presence of all the
guests does something that belongs in the realm of intimate behavior or even perverse practices:
she anoints his feet.8

6.) Theological Context

A.) Theological issues: The theological principles at work here extend into our era. God’s
fundamental way of transforming people is through his offer of grace and forgiveness. Without
the opportunity to restore a broken relationship, the way back to God is blocked. 9 Luke
ironically contrasts in verse 40 how Jesus’ prophetic knowledge to the mistaken judgment of the
Pharisee as seen in verse 39.10 God’s fundamental way of transforming people is through his
offer of grace and forgiveness. God promises that by his grace he will establish the relationship
that cleans up a person’s life. In pursuing moral values in our communities, we must never lose
the ability to communicate the most important value of all-the love of God expressed in the offer
of forgiveness. Our gratitude to God should translate into offering the same compassion to others
he has given to us. The greater our sense that God has dealt with us in mercy, the greater love we
will have for him in return. God is that spiritual banker, who has paid our debt of sin through
Jesus. 11

7.) Original Application

A.) Jesus approach to sinners makes a striking contrast to that of the Pharisees. This passage is
also the first of two that commend the faith response of women to Jesus. Thus, the issue of faith
continues to take center stage in Luke’s account. The central themes of this account are linked to
the main characters. The woman illustrates the gratitude, boldness, and humility of faith. He
reveals how forgiveness possesses transforming power. Jesus challenges such a way of looking
at sin. Your love may not be great because you have not appreciated the depth of forgiveness
God has made available to you. Instead you judge this woman in order to gain a good feeling
about yourself. Jesus prefers to see the potential that love and forgiveness posses for changing a
person heart.12

8.) Modern Application

A.) Formational Idea

9.) Personal Application

A.) In this text, God has opened the way that I viewed the world.

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