Human Sexuality & the Teachings of Jesus - Part 2
Below you can find our teaching on Human Sexuality and the teachings of Jesus part 2 from our Senior Pastor, Tom Thompson. There is the talk audio and a talk summary article below.
Want to run a Connect Group on this teaching? The session notes are here.
Talk Summary : Compassion & Transformation: Jesus and the Woman with the Alabaster Jar
In our ongoing series on human sexuality and the teachings of Jesus, we've been exploring what it means to trust Him fully, pursue a life of consecration, and extend His radical compassion to others. This week, we delved into a powerful story from Luke 7, where Jesus models a response to human brokenness that challenges both religious judgmentalism and cultural permissiveness.
The Scene: A Disruptive Act of Devotion
A Pharisee named Simon hosts a dinner, inviting Jesus to join him and his guests in a setting of religious reflection. The evening is proceeding as planned until an uninvited woman enters the room—a woman described as 'immoral,' likely a prostitute. The weight of judgment falls upon her instantly. All conversation ceases. Eyes fix upon her in silent condemnation.
Yet, instead of recoiling, she kneels at Jesus’ feet, weeping. Her tears mix with the dust on His skin as she wipes them away with her hair. She kisses His feet and anoints them with expensive perfume, a symbol of extravagant devotion. The discomfort in the room is palpable. Simon’s internal voice echoes with indignation: If Jesus were truly a prophet, He would know who she is and reject her.
The Twofold Challenge: Rejecting both Judgmentalism and Moral Relativism
Simon’s reaction represents one common response among religious communities—instinctively excluding, judging, and protecting purity at the expense of grace. But Jesus also challenges the opposite error: the idea that true compassion means affirming all choices without question. He does not simply say, You are fine as you are, carry on. Instead, He names the woman’s past for what it is—sin—and then offers her the life-changing gift of forgiveness and peace.
The challenge for us is twofold: first, to resist the self-righteousness of Simon, who would push people away from Jesus in judgment. But second, to resist the impulse of the modern age, which claims that love is simply a blank check of affirmation. Jesus neither rejects nor passively accepts—He invites transformation.
A Call to True Compassion
True compassion, as modeled by Jesus, is not about lowering the moral standard but about leading people into redemption. He accepts the woman fully, allowing her to draw near, and yet He also leads her into a new identity, freed from her past. His words, Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you. Go in peace, are not just words of comfort, but an invitation into a different way of life.
As a church, our challenge is to follow Jesus’ model—creating a space where people are welcomed as they are but also invited into the transformation He offers. We must refuse to be a Simon, standing in judgment, but also refuse to be a voice that simply affirms without calling people into holiness.
This is the tension of life in the Kingdom: radical acceptance, proper forgiveness, and the invitation into a life of true peace. Our call is to be a community where anyone—regardless of their past or present—can kneel before Jesus, pour out their burdens, and hear Him say, Your faith has saved you. Go forward in true peace.