For she loved much

 

 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him.  And he went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.  And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.  Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."  So he said, "Teacher, say it."  "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.  One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.  Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"  Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."  And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."  Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?  I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.  But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."  Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."  And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"  Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace."

 

- Luke 7:36–50 

 

Yesterday we read that the disciples of John the Baptist reported to him concerning all the things done by Jesus in His ministry.  And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  When the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?'"  And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard:  that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."  When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings' courts.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  This is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'  For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."  And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.  But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.  And the Lord said, "To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like?  They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:  'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we mourned to you, and you did not weep.'  For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'  But wisdom is justified by all her children." 

Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him.  And he went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.  And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.  Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."  So he said, "Teacher, say it."  "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.  One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.  Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"  Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."  And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."  Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?  I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.  But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."  Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."  And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"  Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace."  Commenting on today's entire passage, my study bible says that this Pharisee is intrigued by Christ.  This is clear from his invitation for Christ to eat in his home.  But he also clearly doesn't believe in Christ, as is seen in his reaction to Jesus' mercy -- and even a lack of common hospitality in context of the time, which is specified by Jesus.  My study bible also tells us, importantly, that the encounter with the sinful woman is an icon of the grace which is found only in the Church.  St.  Ambrose of Milan has taught that, through her, "the Church is justified as being greater than the Law, for the Law does not know the forgiveness of sins, nor the mystery in which secret sins are cleansed; therefore, what is lacking in the Law is perfected in the Gospel."  We also need to understand the perspective that gives rise to the question, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"  The idea that a man could forgive sins was beyond the bounds of the Law as understood by the Pharisees (see also 5:21).  But Christ, we are to understand, isn't a mere man, but the Lawgiver Himself.  My study bible quotes St. Cyril of Alexandria, who asks, "Who could declare things that were above the Law, except the One who ordained the Law?"

It's very interesting that it is a time when Jesus dines in the home of a Pharisee that this "sinful woman" has come to express her great love for Christ.  She does it in a dramatic gesture, reported more than once in the Gospels.  She is first of all so humble that she stands behind Christ, and weeps.  She brings a very expensive jar of fragrant perfume oil.  As a deep sign of penitence and love, she washes His feet with her tears, dries them with her hair, and anoints His feet with this fragrant oil.  These are all signs of deep grace.  In effect, where the Pharisee himself does not do Christ the honor of receiving Him with the fullness of hospitality, this woman does so.  We don't necessarily know who she is.  Is she poor?  Is she wealthy and so can afford the extravagant expensive perfume oil?  Is she known to all because she's a rather notorious woman, and someone with a reputation for indulging in the social and material pleasures of life which are afforded to her?  We don't know all of that, although we might infer some of those details.  But one thing is certain:  in Christ she has found something.  As so many others did at that time, and so many other since, she has found a rooted place of belonging in the forgiveness and genuine love she obviously knows is present for her in Christ.  Let's note something else which is remarkable:  Jesus doesn't protest.  He doesn't protest that she's making rather a spectacle in front of all of these presumably dignified men at the dinner.  He doesn't protest that she's disrupted this social affair.  What's even more striking is that He doesn't protest that she's making a fuss over Him in particular.  He fully allows her to make these tremendous signs of love and honor.   The only thing that we can conclude is that in His great wisdom and love, He understands that this is something that is for her.  He already knows that her sins are forgiven in Him.  But to allow this public display of total devotion is to form a greater bond, to suffer the scorn of the others present at such a seeming scandal.  It's not only of healing value for her, this great expression of love and gratitude, but it's a time for Him to teach and express one more aspect of His divinity, His capacity to forgive.  We might easily imagine her exclusion from the religious community, but she is reconciled to God in Christ who forgives.  Hence, as Jesus explains, the great demonstration of love she brings to the table, one in which we are to understand that along with her many sins there is also the capacity for great love.  This great love is expressed in the faith that Christ recognizes, which results in His great forgiveness.  The text as translated might lead us to say that people love in response to how much they are forgiven.  But we're talking about the love and forgiveness of God, which is not measured at all.  Instead, I believe we're to take Jesus at His word, that her many sins are forgiven "for she loved much" -- and her great love is evidence of the faith which Jesus says saves her.  It is those who love only a little who are forgiven a little.  In this sense, a true desire for Christ and what He offers to us becomes a measure of the forgiveness we might realize.  In theological terms, this is called "eros" and it implies a depth of desire for God which is chaste.  In her great love is also the willing strength of her repentance, as it reflects the desire for reconciliation with God.  Perhaps this scandalous woman has found the right place for her desire, after looking in all the wrong places.  At any rate, it is a story found every day in the life of the faithful -- an idea that may be shocking to some today without understanding, just as it was to the Pharisee and his guests at the table.  Consider the link of the capacity for great love and its connection to our capacity to be devoted to Christ in faith.  It is a lesson we need to know to understand the soul, and the deep psychological wisdom of Christ.