From today’s reading of Matthew 8:1-13 and Luke 7
One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he 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 wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss 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 are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at 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.” – Luke 7:36-50
This episode in the early part of Jesus’ ministry has both hard and soft edges.
There is the softness of heart of the desperate, sinful woman who pours out worship and love on Jesus. It’s a remarkable scene, isn’t it? A woman of the town comes in, obviously uninvited, to the dinner. So burdened with her own sin is she that she places herself as low as can be, at the level of the feet of the Savior. She has eyes only for him, because there is salvation in no other. There is also compassion in no other; she is certainly not to expect it from the other guests or the host.
The Pharisee’s heart is engaged in hard calculation; does Jesus know who this woman is? If he’s a prophet, why is he letting her touch him? Doesn’t he know how scandalous this is? Doesn’t he understand how bad this looks?
Jesus replies to the hard thoughts of this hard heart with a soft answer: a simple parable and a question about forgiveness. “Now which of them will love him more?” The question is rhetorical, of course. The Pharisee answers correctly, if a bit reluctantly. Jesus’ demeanor then hardens, as he compares the woman’s treatment and care for him favorably to the lack of same from the pharisee: You gave me no water, no oil, no kiss. Learn from her.
That was the second-hardest blow delivered by Jesus to his ungracious host and the other guests (the hardest is coming). Tables have turned. It’s as if Jesus is saying “Don’t you understand how bad this looks? You neglected the Treasure that has come to be with you, to sit at your table, to eat with you. She has come here to fill up what was missing in your service and love to me. She has honored me; you have neglected to do so.”
Here is the hardest blow. Making the pronouncement that, every time he made it, always astonished those around him and always raised opposition to him, Jesus declares to her “Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Who is this who can forgive sins? He is God. This pronouncement of Jesus is as hard and sharp as the edge of a knife, leaving everyone who hears it on one side or the other. On one side, those who had always been “inside”, now finding themselves outside looking in, with hard hearts and – if they would only listen – the hard echoes of what has not been said ringing in their ears. Jesus didn’t declare their sins forgiven.
On the other side, the woman, in need of so much forgiveness and love who stands now loved and forgiven, healed by the soft edges of our Lord’s kindness, gentleness and mercy, raised to walk in newness of life; Honored and loved in the presence of her enemies by the Lord who didn’t care how bad it looked to be honored and loved by her.