The Forgiving Christ
Scripture Reading: Luke 7:29-50
Meditation
The Pharisees had just accused Jesus of being a glutton and a drunkard. Yet one of them, Simon, invites him to his house for dinner.
Jesus accepts.
He goes to the Pharisee’s house and reclines at his table.
“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. 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, 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.”
Simon is the one in the room who attaches the labels. He tags Jesus, “glutton, drunkard, friend of tax collectors and sinners”. He brands the prostitute, “the woman who lives a sinful life in this town.” But when it comes to himself, he proudly wears the badge of “Pharisee—a separated one.”
Simon believes it’s his self-appointed task to determine, decide, and discern others’ levels of spirituality. He’s designated himself spiritual prosecutor, judge, and jury. And so Simon’s invitation goes well beyond asking Jesus to sit at his table; while he’s sitting at his table, Simon is going to put Jesus on trial.
“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.’ ”
Simon reasons that, if Jesus were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him, a sinner. In addition, if he were a prophet, he wouldn’t let her touch him. Because he doesn’t stop her from touching him, Simon concludes that Jesus isn’t a prophet.
But Jesus knows what his host is thinking. He decides to go on the offensive and puts Simon on the stand. He begins his cross-examination by telling him a short story and closes it with a question.
“Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 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?”
The answer is obvious but Simon stumbles. He stumbles not because he doesn’t know the answer but because he doesn’t want to admit it.
“I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.”
The one with the bigger debt is sitting behind Jesus. When she entered the Pharisee’s house, she ran to Jesus’ feet; wet them with her tears; wiped them with her hair; kissed them; and then poured perfume on them.
She filled the whole room with the fragrance of her love.
Somehow, somewhere, sometime in her recent past, Jesus had forgiven her. Like the fragrance locked in the alabaster jar, she had been set free. She had been given a new life and with that new life came the sweet bouquet of her devotion.
That’s why she came.
When his grace washed over her past, her gratitude welled up in her eyes, poured down her cheeks and washed his feet. She’s no longer “the woman who is living a sinful life” she is “the woman who had lived a sinful life”.
Though her past is in her past, some—like Simon— won’t let her forget it. Because they refuse to forget her past, Jesus gives Simon and those in the house something new to remember her by. He gives her a new name. He gives her a new title. He gives her a new label to describe her lavish act of love.
He calls her,
“the woman who loves much.”
She has been forgiven much and so she loves much.
Jesus also gives Simon a new name.
When he came to Simon’s house, Simon refused to offer him any gesture of hospitality. He didn’t offer any water for Jesus’ feet. He gave no greeting, nor oil for Jesus’ head. His inaction— everything he didn’t do—demonstrated his disdain for Jesus. Jesus calls Simon,
“the one who loves little.”
The Pharisee stands condemned; the prostitute kneels forgiven. Simon had offered Jesus a backhanded, dubious, one-time invitation; but the prostitute had given him a forever-fragrant, costly expression of her devotion.
Grace had washed over her past.
Gratitude floods her present.
Prayer
Father,
Your Son was accused of getting too close to sinners. The Pharisees—the spiritually “separated ones”; the self appointed spiritual enforcers of the law—labeled him a “glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.”
“Friend of tax collectors and sinners” he was, but not a “glutton” or a “drunkard.” He did eat, socialize, and talk with people who were on the outside looking in. He did get close to “sinners”.
But he got close in order to embrace those who thought they were outside the reach of love. He drew near so that he might surprise those who assumed they were past the point of mercy. He went to parties and social gatherings because he wanted to forgive those who believed they were beyond the grasp of grace.
During this day, I want to know that the Forgiving Christ has made me—a sinner—his friend.
In the intimate moments of this day, show me the depth of his love. Reveal to me the price he paid for my forgiveness. Let me see, know, and feel how close he has come to me. And then, in joyful response, prompt me to bring something valuable to pour out at his feet.
May this day be filled with the fragrance of that gift.
It’s in the Forgiving Christ’s name I pray. Amen.
Reflection
If you were labeled by your sin, what would people call you? (i.e. “the woman who had lived a sinful life in that town”)
Because of the Forgiving Christ, what’s your new name? (i.e. “the woman who loves much”)
What are you willing to bring and pour out at the feet of the Forgiving Christ. That which is fragrant and valuable or that which is left over?
How has grace washed over your past? How is gratitude flooding your present?
All Scripture references in the meditation are marked by italics and are taken from the Gospel reading for the day (Luke 7:29-50). Those verses quoted outside of the chosen reading for the day are noted in parenthesis. All Scripture quoted on this site is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
