Luke 7:36-50

     Jesus has noted the irony of the fact that John had come not eating and drinking and had been accused of being possessed. Jesus himself came eating and drinking and had been called a glutton, a drunkard and friend of sinners. It’s the classic catch-22---those disposed to think poorly of John and Jesus would have found some reason to discount the truth that they brought.
     Another irony is that Jesus was, apparently, also a popular dinner guest. It’s not hard to picture why. He was kind and courteous, could intelligently converse, and seems to have had a good sense of humor. This last is often lost because of the change in time and culture, as well as the serious attitude Christians take in reading the bible.
     Starting in verse we hear that Jesus had been invited to dinner by a Pharisee. A woman came in where they were dining. Now this, in itself, was not shocking. Today we would think it very strange if someone just walked into a dinner party that we were holding. It was not considered unusual in those times. This was the opportunity for the average citizen to participate in the intellectual life of the community. People could come in a listen to the dinner conversation. What was shocking about this woman’s presence is that she was known to be living an immoral life. She came, weeping to sit at Jesus’ feet. Her tears fell on his feet, she wiped them with her hair and anointed his feet with a flask of expensive oil of myrrh.
     The host saw this and thought, ‘good heavens, if this guy is a prophet, if he’s really as connected to God as he appeared, then he’d know this woman was a sinner!’
     It is here that we learn that the host’s name is Simon, for Jesus addresses him by name. How Jesus answers is through a parable, asking if someone owed the money lender a great deal and the other just a little, and both were forgiven the debt, who would love the money lender the most. Simon, who surely knew what Jesus was getting at, had to admit it would be the one whose largest debt had been forgiven.
     Jesus pointed out that when he’d come to Simon’s house, no water had been provided for his feet, yet this woman had not ceased from keeping his feet wet with her tears and wiping them with her hair. Simon had given him no kiss of greeting, yet this woman had continually kissed his feet. Simon had provided no oil for anointing his head, yet the woman had anointed his feet with oil of myrrh. The love she showed Jesus demonstrated how great her sense of need for forgiveness was and how greatly she feels the relief in receiving that forgiveness. Simon’s lack of attention shows his lack of need and consequently a lack of gratitude for having been forgiven.
      In fact, Simon’s actions also demonstrate a possible laxness in hospitality. As people mostly went barefoot or with sandals in those times, coming into a home, feet were dusty and dry. Having the servants (if you had them, which the Pharisee certainly must have) wash the feet was a common act of hospitality. Whether or not this was always done can be speculated, but Jesus was noting the difference in the way Simon and this woman had approached him.
     The set up of the room and dinner table would vary from our traditional “dining rooms.” People reclined on couch, leaning on one elbow, with feet stretched away from the table. This would have given the woman easy access to his feet.
     Scholar, Professor Jeremias, indicates that it was considered an act worthy of merit to invite a traveling preacher to a meal, especially if they had preached in the synagogue. Although we are not told that Jesus had preached in the synagogue, it is not unlikely he had done so. The gospel story is as often a series of vignettes more than it is a linear story. This is necessarily so as they tell of years of ministry and teachings in very few words. John would write at the end of his gospel that if everything Jesus did was written down, the world could not hold the books that would be written.
      Although we would see allowing someone to kiss the feet to be an act of abasement, it was at that time a gesture showing deeply felt gratitude. It is sometimes assumed that the woman in question was Mary Magdalene, but there is no other evidence than tradition for making that assumption.
      As shocking as the respectable Pharisee found Jesus in letting a sinful woman approach him, he and the invited guests found it even more shocking that Jesus would then tell the woman that her sins were forgiven. His words likely do not seem shocking to Christians of today, but to these first century religious leaders it was something surprising. Luke does not report a negative response as much as a shocked question, of who is this who even forgives sins? At others times the response is far more negative showing that his forgiveness of sins was considered possibly blasphemous and certainly presumptuous. 
      The story concludes with Jesus telling the woman that her faith had saved her and to go in peace.
     Jesus occasionally told people that their faith had saved them and he didn’t explain what he meant by that. Is faith a work that earns merit? Is faith an act of empowerment? Does faith open a channel between people and God? What of those who are self-righteous about their faith or the perceived correctness of their beliefs? The religious leaders who were observing and debating with Jesus certainly patted themselves on the backs for their faith and theological purity, rejecting others who did not come up to their standards.
      It could be, at least in this circumstance, that his words to the woman were in part an affirmation to her, and in part a lesson for those who were listening. No doubt they found it hard to credit that this woman could have faith or be included in the love and concern of God. By describing the power of her faith, was he trying to upset that assumption?

Who are the “Pharisees” of today among the Christian church?
In what way might any Christian be guilty of a Pharisaic attitude?
How can faith be proclaimed without treading the path of self-righteousness?
Is Jesus came today, how do you think he might act and shock us? What people might he welcome that would surprise us and make us wonder what and who he was?