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.”

Verse 47 indicates the woman’s sins had already been forgiven, some scripture scholars indicating perhaps at the baptism of John.

            Her heart rose up, then, and she recognized through direct intuition and the spreading word of Jesus’ teaching just who he was.  She took courage and threw herself down at the feet of Jesus.  She knew that as a known sinner and a woman what she was doing was socially prohibited, yet she obeyed the dictates of her heart.

            We live in a day in which it is both socially and religiously acceptable to seek out the forgiveness of our sins, but do we?  Even when the Spirit visits us, like this woman, with a spirit of remorse, the Word is too frequently drowned out by the noises and distractions of the world and so grace and Love is left alone.

            The result is we become like the host in this story.  Sure, he was hosting Jesus at dinner.  Think of that!  Yet he did not humbly offer Jesus the common courtesies of the day.  And when this woman burst upon the scene he stood to the side shocked and indignant.  He thought to himself “if this man really was a prophet he would know who and what this woman is.”  He judged both the woman and Jesus, and they both came up short in his estimation, while he remained righteous in his own eyes.

            Who came away justified?  Which of these two people do you sense you are more like?