Luke 7:36-8:3
Love Flows From Forgiveness
by Rev. Jack Peterson
Reprinted with permission of "The Arlington Catholic
Herald"
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Written to explain that
Christ came to save everyone.
A
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 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."
A
nameless woman offers to Jesus one of the most extraordinary acts of love and
devotion seen in the Gospels. She encounters the living God and discovers love
Himself who bestows on her His tender mercy. This encounter leads her to pour
out her love in an exceptional act of devotion.
Known
as a sinner in the town and therefore not welcome to the Pharisee’s home, she
ignores this social and religious convention, barges into his dinner party, and
brazenly engages his guest of honor. This courageous woman stands at the feet of
Jesus, weeps profusely, bathes His feet with her tears, wipes them with her
hair, kisses them and then anoints them with ointment. This astonishing act is
an expression of profound humility, deep love and inspiring gratitude.
Her
actions stand in stark contrast to those of Simon, the Pharisee, who also failed
to follow social convention. It was common courtesy when a guest came to your
house for dinner to provide water for their feet, extend a kiss as a sign of
welcome, and to anoint their head with oil. The Pharisee did none of these
things for the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, who came to dine at his
house. Ironically, the sinful woman provided what the Pharisee did not.
Jesus
offers a simple comparison to explain the meaning of this shocking experience to
everyone at the dinner party. “‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Tell
me, teacher,’ he said. ‘Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed
500 days’ wages and the other owed 50. 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.’”
The
unnamed woman knew that her sins were grave and numerous. She could not make up
for all that she had done. She probably lost hope in ever being restored to a
good relationship with God. Jesus forgave her sins and erased her debt before
God. What followed was a spontaneous act of tender love that expressed her joy,
her thankfulness and her relief. Love flows from forgiveness.
Pope
Francis deeply wants everyone walking this earth to experience the tender mercy
of Jesus this year. One could argue that this is a central reason that Cardinal
Bergoglio chose the name “Pope Francis.” St. Francis of Assisi’s vision for his
brothers was bold and simple from the start. St. Francis wanted his little
brothers to go up into the mountain hermitages, get away from the world, drink
deeply from the springs of prayer and the Eucharist, and then go down into the
world joyfully proclaiming repentance.
This
great Jubilee of Mercy is first and foremost an invitation for Christians to
renew their own awareness of their sinfulness and its effects on the world,
repent with renewed fervor and boldly bestow upon Jesus acts of humility, love
and gratitude. We are called to imitate the nameless woman in our love for
Jesus.
Secondly, this great jubilee is
an invitation to invite others to encounter Christ and His amazing mercy. Every
one of us has contact with people who have wandered from the faith or who have
never really encountered Jesus.
My
brothers and sisters in Christ, we need help with this great task. Let us turn
to the Lord, seek His guidance and courage, and find the best moment, the proper
words and appropriate venue to invite these people to encounter Christ and His
life-changing, tender mercy.
Generous
love flows from forgiveness.
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