A Daily Gospel Reflection
by Deacon Kurt Heinrich
Thursday, September 17, 2020
A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.
Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee.
Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,
she stood behind him at his feet weeping
and began to bathe his feet with her tears.
Then she wiped them with her hair,
kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself,
“If this man were a prophet,
he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him,
that she is a sinner.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
“Two people were in debt to a certain creditor;
one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty.
Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both.
Which of them will love him more?”
Simon said in reply,
“The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.”
He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon,
“Do you see this woman?
When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet,
but she has bathed them with her tears
and wiped them with her hair.
You did not give me a kiss,
but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.
You did not anoint my head with oil,
but she anointed my feet with ointment.
So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven;
hence, she has shown great love.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The others at table said to themselves,
“Who is this who even forgives sins?”
But he said to the woman,
“Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Dear Friends and Family,
Attendance at the dinner is driven by two very diverse reasons. The Pharisee does not treat Jesus as one would an honored guest. The Pharisee did not greet him with a kiss or offer him water to wash his feet. Why is the Pharisee inviting Jesus to this dinner? One can only speculate. Is it for entertainment value, a storyteller who is captivating the crowds? We hear the Pharisees’ excitement as Jesus poses a question to get the evening started. We can almost see Simon’s smile as Jesus tells him he has answered correctly. The moment is short-lived, however, as Jesus applies the lesson to the evening. Jesus asks the Pharisee “Do you see this woman?”
Simon is painfully aware of her presence. She is an unwelcome guest who threatens the reputation and righteousness of all the Jewish men who have gathered for the dinner. She is a woman in a gathering of men. She is a sinner in the midst of righteous men. She is weeping and causing a scene when most wanted to be entertained by Jesus. The fragrance of the aromatic nard she opens fills the space and it clings to their garments, drawing even more attention her way. She is shunned by all the invited guests except Jesus. Simon refuses to see her regret or her sorrow. He has judged her and condemned her. As a result, he has no desire to recognize her humanity. Simon’s motivation is to be entertained by Jesus and this woman is ruining the show.
The woman humbles herself. She boldly faces the hostility of the guests. She publicly expresses her sorrow for her sinfulness through her weeping. She visually demonstrates the depth of her grief with her tears. She sacrifices her resources by anointing the feet of Jesus. She demonstrates her love by kissing his feet. Her motivation is her heartfelt contrition and sorrow. She turns to Jesus out of love and her heartfelt belief that Jesus will show her mercy. Both shared the same evening with Jesus, but only one goes home redeemed and at peace.
The encounter with Jesus is the same for both Simon and the sinful woman. Their motivations and their actions, however, transform their relationship with Jesus. The pride and arrogance of Simon keeps Jesus at a distance and does not allow him to enter into a relationship. The sinful woman’s humility and sorrow draws her closer to Jesus. The intimate action of kissing his feet establishes their relationship, which then results in her forgiveness. This evening invites us to consider where we would find ourselves at such a dinner. Would we be close to Jesus, seeking his mercy, embracing his peace and focusing all our attention on him? Or would we be standing apart from Jesus, focusing our attention on the sinfulness of those who dare to spoil our party with their humanity? Let us pray that we will move through the crowd and grow ever closer to Jesus. May the fragrance of our contrition cause others to turn to Jesus.
