A sinner and a Pharisee
| Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner." 40 Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said. 41 "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?" 43 Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said. 44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." 48 Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." (Luke7:36-48) |
"Do you see this woman?" Jesus asked. Simon would not even see or allow contact with the woman who was a 'sinner' in his eyes. After all she had a bad reputation in society. In fact Simon expected anyone close to God to shun this woman. For Simon, Jesus was disqualified from being a prophet because he allowed the same woman to touch him. Simon was prejudiced by a sense of his own goodness and his perception of the woman as a sinner.
Ironically Simon had failed the basics of being a good host to Jesus whom he had invited to his house. He completely missed the point that he was breaking God's command to 'love your neighbour as yourself' recorded in Leviticus 19. Instead of being a good host and loving he held a grudge against Jesus because Jesus accepted a 'sinner.' He hated Jesus because Jesus had done the loving thing of accepting another person. Many followers of Jesus still struggle to allow the love of God to overcome their self-righteousness.
All along Jesus knew the prejudice which clouded Simon's mind. In spite of such knowledge Jesus still accepted the invitation to eat at Simon's house. So often in life we are tempted to let our knowledge of other people's weaknesses become a reason for not having fellowship with them. We avoid going to people's houses simply because they exhibit a disdain towards us or because we suspect that they are too conservative or too liberal or something else different from us. Jesus let the love of God determine his interaction with Simon. With Jesus the last word belongs not to Simon's lack of hospitality nor his disdain for his guest but to the grace of God.
The 'sinner' whom Simon would not even see, let alone accept becomes the heroine in Jesus' kingdom. She knew love. In this life we all have weaknesses or we are all indebted to God and yet God does not hold that against us. Instead, God gives us unmerited acceptance and loves us in spite of our failures. She therefore gives the appropriate response of loving and giving dignity to another human being. She had been accepted freely so she loved freely. Jesus invited Simon and us all to realize that we are all loved in spite of our weaknesses. In realizing this love we are to become a refreshing, dignifying and peaceful presence for others.
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(Paul Neshangwe who is currently serving Makokoba Presbyterian Church in Bulawayo, is married to Lydia and the two of them were blessed with two sons Tadiwa and Melusi. Paul loves being a friend.)
