“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.’”
Sweet Jesus, meek and mild?!?!
Not really. No holds barred…no quarter given…in your face spiritual direction. But what is his point?
Big sinners who love big get forgiven? Pious types who go to the Temple all the time, don’t? That’s certainly the way I’ve heard this one preached. In fact, a lot of preachers go one better. They argue that the woman was a prostitute and the next thing you know we are talking about prostitutes with a heart of gold. Great material for a seedy detective story, not such great theology and not such great exegesis.
There is no direct evidence in the text that the woman is a prostitute. She isn’t forgiven because she loves, she loves because she has been forgiven. And while Jesus is really tough on Simon, there is no indication that he believes Simon isn’t forgiven or even loving. It’s just clear that Jesus believes there is a difference between the extent to which the woman and Simon are in touch with how much they both need to be forgiven.
So, what we have here is not the lionizing of big sinners and the big time smack-down of the apparently religious. What we have here is a story about the spiritual life that in the final analysis describes the spectrum of growth that is possible.
And the growth possible is directly related to the ability we have to grasp our need for forgiveness. So, the take away, the bottom line here is this question: On the spectrum Jesus describes — how in touch are you with your need for God’s forgiveness? The more in touch you are with your need, the more you will live with love and freedom.
I became a Christian at thirty years of age. Before the cross of Jesus was more fully revealed to me I had an experience which I will try to relate. I believe it is pertinent to the topic for today.
I loved Jesus with all my heart, with all my being. I wanted to please the Lord in every way possible. Before Jesus my life had been lived in gross darkness. I was an outcast. It begin to dawn on me how sinful I was and I became sickened at myself. I no longer was living as a sinner yet as I studied the ten commandments it seemed impossible to live up to God’s expectations. As I read the New Testament I felt convicted even more. I was falling short of the glory of God. The more I prayed to be “good” the less I was.
One Sunday afternoon I lay face down on the floor before God and with bitter tears over past and present life I poured out my heart to Him. I was desperate and felt I had no hope because I was looking at myself and knew I could not live up to the holy standards. My tears came until my face was swollen, my head was pounding, and my body exhausted.
I arose from the floor still in my fraility and almost without strength. I could not let go of Jesus regardless. I was deeply distressed because I knew I could not live up to God’s commandments. I was at wit’s end corner!
Speechless I fell across my bed with no place to go and wanting to go no place except to the Lord yet believing I would not be accepted. I stayed in this state of mind for days. I was a great burden to myself and surely to others.
Within a few weeks I was riding in a car with some friends who were fellow Christians. We were traveling to a church to give our testimonies. I was glad I was not one of the speakers because I did not want anyone to know my terrible condition.
On the way to the church I was in the back seat and looking out the window at the beautiful sunset and thinking how glorious God must be to have created such colors in the sky. Suddenly I heard angels singing. It was 1970 and I have yet again to hear any music to compare with the voices of these angels. I thought to myself I would like to sing with them so I opened my mouth and just as I did I was baptized with the Holy Spirit and began to sing in angelic words. I felt a divine burning fire set me aglow. The other people in the car did not hear the angels but they did hear me.
When we arrived at the church I was literally aglow with the Holy Spirit and got to the stage at the front of the church as quickly as possible. I felt compeled to tell all the people about Jesus. After the meeting many people gathered around and wanted to know what had happened to me. My answer: “It’s Jesus! It’s Jesus! It’s Jesus!”
Not long afterwrd the cross of Jesus was revealed more fully to me and my love and devotion to Jesus has never wavered. Yes, I take my place with this sinful woman and gladly wash His feet with my tears. Except for Jesus where would I be? He took my broken life and made something beautiful. He has never failed me and has walked with me through all my storms. He loves me – even me. He is my hope, my strength, my comfort, my savior, my friend and Lord.
Shallowmadeio!!! (my first angelic’ words – I don’t know how to spell it – I wrote it like it sounds). I prayed for many years to understand the interpretation and God did reveal it to me. It means “to shout the mighty praises of our wonderful Lord.”
Carol Lawson