Luke 7:36-50
One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.” Jesus spoke up and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Teacher,” he replied, “speak.” “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the greater debt.” And Jesus said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning towards the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
There’s a lot going on in this passage, and that includes some seriously important theological concepts.
But before jumping into the deep, let’s tarry a moment with the details. One, in particular, grabs my attention this day: the boldness of this woman.
Let’s set the scene. We are at a dinner thrown by a Pharisee, whose guests are likely as prominent in the community as he is. And at the center of this meal is Jesus, the young prophet about whom everyone is talking. Expectations, no doubt, are high. For this is more than simply a dinner; it is, in a sense, a salon, a gathering of the respected and respectable to discuss important matters.
And into this gathering comes this woman. Except she doesn’t just come into the gathering. She interrupts it. First by her mere presence. She is, as the narrative discloses, a sinner. We don’t know the precise nature of her sin. Given that “sinner” is used variously in Luke’s gospel – including when Peter says to Jesus after the miraculous catch of fish, “I am a sinner” (5:8) – let’s not assume she’s a prostitute, as if that’s the only sin of which a first-century woman is capable. Instead, let us assume that whatever she has done, others – including this Pharisee – know about it.
But the disturbance she causes soon escalates from her mere presence to her behavior. For she lavishes attention upon Jesus, the guest of honor. She stands behind him weeping, and proceeds to clean his feet, washing them with her tears, drying them with her hair, finally applying ointment she has brought.
Boldness? More like outrageous audacity. The question isn’t whether people will say something, but what they will say. How does she think she can get away with this? What prompts such audacity? What causes her to offer such a public display of devotion?
As the story moves on, we’ll learn answers to just these questions…and more.
Prayer: Dear God, there are times for restraint and sober judgment, and there are others meant for exuberance and extravagance. Give us the wisdom to take true measure of such moments that we may seize them when they come. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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