Thursday, August 18, 2016

Today’s Reading  |  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 canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.” And Jesus said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward 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.” (NRSV)

Reflection
I’ve tried to imagine who I would be in this story. Would I be the Pharisee, with an eye toward rules and societal norms and a rank order list of sinfulness in my head? Or would I be the woman with the alabaster jar, lavishing Jesus with hospitality and love, regardless of what anyone around me thought? Would I be Jesus, welcoming of the woman’s show of affection? Would I be able to frame her lavish actions in a way that gave her dignity?

I am pretty sure I’d be right in there with the Pharisee. The abundance of the woman’s show of affection might embarrass me. Or I might find myself suspicious of her motives. Is she just putting him on? And of course, I would want Jesus to like me best. As I write this admission, my stomach is telling me how uneasy I am with the truth of it. There’s a dark place in my heart called Selfish and Scared. You might not see it, but I know it’s there.

The woman was a known sinner. That’s true. The Pharisee might have recognized sin in his own heart, but he also thought his sin was less important, less weighty, less deserving of judgment than her sin. And he also certainly thought she was less valuable as a person. The Pharisee probably had a blessed life in comparison to the life of this woman.

Jesus reminded him and reminds me that the way Jesus loves and judges isn’t anything like our way of loving and judging. “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.”

Prayer
God, show me the depth of my sin, so that I can know the depth of your forgiveness. Show me the stinginess of my loving, receive my confession, and help me to love you with abandon. Amen.

Written by Judith L. Watt, Associate Pastor for Pastoral Care

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

Devotion index by date | I’d like to receive daily devotions by email