In
a scene pungent with irony, Jesus was once anointed by a so‑called
“sinful” woman in the home of a respected religious leader
named Simon.
Although
he had been invited to Simon’s home for dinner, Jesus was
treated with clear contempt from the moment he arrived. Common
Jewish courtesies had been omitted: no foot washing, no oil
of refreshing, no welcome kiss.
Had
you and I had lived in that day, the social snub would have
been obvious. It would have been like forgetting to take the
coat from a guest on a blustery winter evening in Buffalo.
Or not offering a drink to a dinner guest on a hot Arizona
afternoon.
In
any case, Jesus and the other guests were already enjoying
their meal when a woman with a reputation entered uninvited.
Ignoring everyone else, and trying to be as discreet as possible,
she walked directly to Jesus.
As
she moved closer to him, she was overcome with love and gratitude.
In moments his feet were washed by her tears, kissed by her
lips, anointed with her oil.
The
air was thick with expectation. What would Simon say? What
would Jesus do? What should be done with this woman?
The
host, predictably, was offended by this untoward display of
affection. “If this man were a prophet, he would know what
kind of woman she is,” he thinks to himself.
Jesus
senses his disdain and decides to tell Simon a story. “Two
men owed money to a banker. One owed five hundred, the other
fifty. He forgave the debts of both. Which of the two men
will love him more?”
“The
one who had the bigger debt cancelled,” Simon said.
Jesus
continued. “I came here as your guest. You did not wash my
feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and dried them
with her hair. You gave me no welcome kiss, but she hasn’t
stopped kissing my feet since she arrived. You poured no oil
on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.”
To
his host, Jesus says, “He who has been forgiven little, loves
little.” To his admirer he says, “Your sins are forgiven.
Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
This
fascinating story, found in Luke 7, has always intrigued me.
In some ways, it leaves me with more questions than answers.
Why,
for example, does Jesus side with the “sinner” and reprimand
the “righteous?”
Is
it any wonder that nonreligious people were so attracted to
Jesus?
Is
it any surprise why the religious establishment was so threatened
by him?
And
finally, I can’t help but ask: do today’s followers of Christ
act more like Simon the Pharisee, or like Jesus the Nazarene?
