Having a Mary Spirit by Joanna Weaver
Week 11: Chapter 10 — Restoring the Fallen
Read Chapter 10 of Having a Mary Spirit. Key passages: Luke 7:36–50; John 8:1–11; Psalm 103:10–12.
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Weaver turns to Mary Magdalene and the unnamed sinful woman of Luke 7 to explore what radical grace looks like for those who feel too far gone for transformation—and discovers that shame is one of the greatest obstacles to change.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Weaver pairs Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:2) with the sinful woman who anointed Jesus in Luke 7. Both are women with significant pasts who encounter Jesus and are transformed. What do their stories have in common, and what is most striking to you about how Jesus responds to each of them?
2.The author argues that shame—unlike guilt—does not drive us toward God but away from Him. What is the difference between guilt ("I did something wrong") and shame ("I am something wrong")? Which one more often shapes your relationship with God?
3.In Luke 7, Jesus tells the parable of the two debtors to explain why the woman who wept at His feet loved so much: "whoever has been forgiven little loves little." What does this parable suggest about the relationship between a deep sense of personal sin and a deep experience of grace?
a.Do you tend to minimize your sin or magnify it? How does each error affect your experience of grace?
b.Is it possible to be too "good" to receive grace fully? What does that look like?
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