Word to the Wise
Thursday, September 16, 2021 - Thursday in the 24th Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Tim 4:12-16 and Luke 7:36-50]"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 is 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," [Luke]
SEPTEMBER 16 STS, CORNELIUS AND CYPRIAN, martyrs
For sheer emotional power and drama, it would be hard to find a scene from Jesus' ministry to beat the one in today's gospel passage from the Gospel According to Luke. It merits a careful and deep reading and reflection.
The setting of the scene is very important. First, Jesus is invited to dine at the home of a Pharisee! In terms of observance of the Mosaic law these folks were the elite. Second, in the custom of the time, women did not dine with the men on these important social occasions. Third, "sinful" in this context does not necessarily mean the woman was a prostitute. She could have been engaged in a business that brought her into contact with Gentiles or items the Pharisees considered to be unclean. Fourth, this scene occurs at a banquet [cf. Isaiah 25:6-9].
When this courageous and determined woman shows up at this banquet, Simon the Pharisee is not only upset by her presence but also scandalized by Jesus' response to her actions. Jesus confronts him with his (Simon's) attitude and behavior. Simon had failed to show the basic elements of hospitality to Jesus as a guest! He did not show gratitude for Jesus' presence. The woman must have encountered Jesus earlier and had received forgiveness for her sins, Her attitude of gratitude was dramatic. She wept and her tears fell on Jesus' feet and she wiped them away with her hair. Then she kissed his feet and anointed them with oil! This is love. Jesus says, "So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love." The guests at table are more concerned with Jesus' claim to forgive sins than they are with the forgiveness itself!! They and Simon considered themselves among the elite who try to build a fence around mercy.
Some folks of this attitude were scandalized when Pope Francis referred to the church as a "field hospital for the sick and wounded." They would see the church more as a country club for the elite who take their "superior" status for granted. They build a fence around mercy (especially around the Eucharist) to keep those whom they consider lesser beings from attending. Do we take God's mercy and love for granted and find it hard to let God bestow that same mercy on those whom we do not like? The contrast between Simon and the woman is sharp and Jesus' words are challenging. Are we grateful for God's mercy? Do we share it with others? Indeed, I wish the woman had a name so she could be identified with all the saints! AMEN