Pardoning the sinful woman!

Today’s gospel teaching comes from Luke 7:36-8:3 about the Pardon of the Sinful Woman. This story is about how sinners should seek the love and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, something that Pharisees cannot do.

 “36 A Pharisee invited [Jesus] to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 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, 38 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.

39 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.” 40 Jesus said to him in reply, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Tell me, teacher, “ he said, 41 “Two people were in debt to a certain creditor, one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other fifty. 42 Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?”

43 Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 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. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. 47 So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”

48 He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 The others at table said to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 But he said to the woman, “Your faith saved you; go in peace.” 1 Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve 2 and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.”

On the surface, it would seem that our Lord Jesus Christ was teaching Simon the Pharisee the proper or right way to treat his house guests… as our Lord Jesus virtually complained to him that it was the sinful woman who took care of him in the Pharisees’ own house. But in truth, the sinful woman took the opportunity to show her great love for our Lord Jesus because she recognized our Lord as he entered the house of the Pharisee, and it was her way of making amends about her sinful life.

It is unfortunate that Simon the Pharisee asked the poignant question “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.” Simon obviously didn’t know that Jesus loves sinners, is always seeking them out and has found one in the sinful woman who was a perfect person to be in the house of the Pharisee. The Pharisee is, in reality, a greater sinner as they do not acknowledge the fact that they too are mere mortals, susceptible to commit sin, which is why our Lord Jesus Christ always chastises them.

In a way, our Lord Jesus told the sinful woman, “Your sins are forgiven” even if she did not even speak a word, not even asking for the Lord’s forgiveness. This is a case where actions truly speak louder than words. You can actually feel that sense of envy from the other guests who questions our Lord, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” because the sins of the sinful woman was forgiven by Jesus.

This reminds me of another Bible story also between Jesus, the Scribes and the Pharisees who asked a similar question, which, Jesus replied by telling the lame man to walk and pick up his matt and go for his sins have been forgiven. This shocked the Pharisees and Scribes because Jesus told them that it was easier to say, “I forgive you” than let a lame man walk.

A very important point to remember is the words of our Lord Jesus when he told Simon “So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” Indeed, for us humans, it is difficult to fathom the love of God. In this story, Jesus equates the act of the woman who wiped his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair and anointed his head with oil and his feet with an ointment, while kissing his feet as an act of love, rather than repentance. This is why we shouldn’t be scared to confess our sins through the Sacrament of Reconciliation as our Lord Jesus Christ looks at this act as a sign of our love.