The Pharisee has invited Jesus to his home for a meal. Jesus's acceptance of the invitation shows that he was not spurning the Pharisees socially, but that he indeed was here for them also. The woman has taken advantage of the social customs of the day which allowed her to attend a banquet to wait around for left-overs. She was allowed to come get scraps, but she wanted to see the Savior.
She brings along an expensive bottle of perfume. Where she got this, I have no idea. She may have bought it with her "earnings," or she may have received it as a "gift" from a client, or she may have taken from a client. She could have also come by it honorably, I presume. She does to Jesus what she knows to do. I speculate that this was not the first time she had washed the feet of a man, while crying and splashed some expensive perfume on his feet. It's the sort of demeaning thing that a john would have requested. She was expressing love for Jesus in the only way she knew how. When the Pharisee saw her doing this, he wasn't shocked, but he says, "If this man was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him."
Looking back at the woman, he continues his conversation with the host. He explains that she has done much more for him than the host has done. She has been forgiven much and is very, very grateful. Jesus then tells her that her sins are forgiven and that her faith has saved her. Now she can go. She has what she came for.
Wow! I am absolutely blown away by this story. I am floored at the willingness of Jesus to love the unlovable. I find myself saying, "Yeah! Take that Pharisee." I have to ask myself, what does this say about Jesus? Jesus accepts us where we are when we come to him. Jesus deals with us where we are when we invite him in. Jesus accepts our offering no matter what it is. Jesus cancels debts - both large and small. Jesus notices our offerings. Jesus notices our ambivalence. Jesus forgives sins. Jesus saves the woman based on her faith - not her church attendance, not her walking an isle, not her commitment to attend temple every week after that, not her quitting her profession...
This really is good news. This really is the expression of the gospel that people are searching everywhere hoping to attain. This is the love and the compassion I want to flow through me. Incredible!
I am especially drawn to this chapter because C and I stood in the area, overlooking the Jordan River, in Jordan, where Jesus spoke to the crowd, saying,“What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind?" It was the only area, within miles, where there were tall reeds, swaying in the wind. It was suddenly put into context.
ReplyDeleteOne on your comments really struck me, Brad. The idea that "the hooker" had performed this act before, that it was something her john could have required of her.
I'm trying to decide if I like that idea or not. I guess I've always read this passage with the thinking that she was in the Lord's presence, and she suddenly performed this dramatic and moving act of worship. No forethought, just response.
But, it seems logical that she could have been repeating an action that had been performed on another man.
It's certainly interesting to think about, though...Can God take our routine, rote, our muscle memory, so to speak, even our dysfunction, and accept it as worship and then extend His forgiveness and grace?
Yes, of course, He can.
Wow.
This is good news for me; sadly, my worship is often muscle-memory-driven...
Thanks for making me dig a little deeper, today.
E.