The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath

 

 Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck heads of grain.  And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"  But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:  how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?"  And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  

 

And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.  So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.  And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward."  Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"  But they kept silent.  And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

 

- Mark 2:23-3:6 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them.  As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."  So he arose and followed Him.  Now it happened, as he was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.  And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"  When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."  The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting.  Then they came and said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"  And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?  As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.  No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.  And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined.  But new wine must be put into new wineskins."

 

  Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck heads of grain.  And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"  But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:  how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?"  And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."   It's notable that this event occurred on the Sabbath, because, in some sense, even the Sabbath is transfigured through Christ.  In yesterday's reading, the conflict with the religious authorities (represented by the scribes) in some sense encompassed food, eating -- the discussion was about fasting, or rather, Christ's disciples lack of doing so.  Here the discussion evolves out of Christ's disciples eating on the Sabbath by plucking the heads of grain as they wen through the grainfields, and the criticism is that this is work and therefore violates the Sabbath rule.  But Jesus gives Old Testament examples of blameless violations of that Sabbath rule, emphasizing that, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  My study Bible comments that, under the new covenant, the food which was at one time not lawful for anyone but the priests to eat is now freely given to all by the Lord of the Sabbath.  This was prefigured by David giving the showbread ... to those who were with him.  

 

 And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.  So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.  And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward."  Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"  But they kept silent.  And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.  My study Bible says that, according to certain traditions the scribes and Pharisees had built up around the Law, healing was considered to be work, and so was not permissible on the Sabbath.  It says that they believed they served God by zealously keeping these peripheral traditions, but their legalism made them insensitive to God's mercy.  The text tells them that Christ looked around at them with anger.  My study Bible comments on this that righteous anger is a natural human emotion which is experienced in the face of sin.  While there is definitely sinful anger (Matthew 5:22), there is also anger that is God-given and proper to humanity (Psalm 4:4).  Christ's anger here is in response to people who profess God, yet have such hardness in their hearts that they cannot rejoice in the healing of one of their brothers.  

 

 In Christian theology, it has been said of Christ's Incarnation, "That which is not assumed is not healed. That which is united to God, that will be saved.  If half of Adam fell, also half will be taken up and saved. But if all [of Adam], all of his nature will be united [to God], and all of it will be saved" (St. Gregory Nazianzius, the Theologian).  What this means is that salvation works through union with Christ, thus giving the Incarnation its true meaning and power in terms of the salvation of the world, and, of course, of human beings.  Taken in another light, what we are to understand is that anything touched by Christ may be transfigured, used for God's purposes.  A strong example, as we mentioned in yesterday's reading and commentary, is the Cross.  The dreaded instrument of the cruelest Roman punishment, designated for the worst criminals, in the hands of God and through the touch of Christ, becomes the symbol for Resurrection, and in God's hands become the instrument that defeated death for all of us.  So, therefore, we can look at today's reading in terms of the effects of Christ's contact with human practices and meaning.  Christ is the One who points out to these religious leaders the blameless violations of the Sabbath incurred by David and his men; and He is also the One who declares the Law as the author of the Law, the Lord, who says here with authority, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."   In the second part of our reading, the observance of the Law advocated here by the Pharisees against Jesus is claiming healing is a violation of the Sabbath.  But if the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath, then Christ's question posed to them becomes more significant:  "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" We might as well be asking the purpose of the Law, for we know the purpose of salvation for which our Lord has come Incarnate into the world, and we know that He has called Himself the Physician (see yesterday's reading, above).  Salvation and healing are one and the same, whether we are speaking of the healing of the man with the withered hand, or the salvation of tax collectors and others who needed redemption.  All of this understanding of salvation is included in St. Gregory the Theologian's famous statement noted above.  In Christ's Incarnation as Jesus, we are given the gift of the divine touching the worldly and healing in every dimension, for this is salvation indeed.  Let us keep this in mind as we read through the Gospel of St. Mark.

 

 

 

 

 

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted

 

 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  

 

- Luke 18:9–14 

 

Yesterday we read that the chief priests led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning.  But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.  Pilate then went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?"  They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evil-doer, we would not have delivered Him up to you."  Then Pilate said to them, "You take Him and judge Him according to your law."  Therefore the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death," that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.  Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?"  Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew?  Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me.  What have You done?"  Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."  Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?"  Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king.  For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."  Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?"  And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all."

 

  Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector."  My study Bible explains that the Pharisee is highly respected and a careful observer of the details of the Law, whereas the tax collector is despised as a sinner who collaborates with the occupying Roman forces, and is seen as betraying and cheating his own people.  

 

"The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' "  The practices of this Pharisee are laudable.  My study Bible calls them worthy examples to follow.  These good deeds named here (fasting and giving tithes) are primary weapons against the passions of lust and greed (adultery and extortion).  But without the participation of the heart -- in humility and repentance -- outward practices are worthless, my study Bible says, and they lead to pride and judgment of others.  Of importance to note is that the text tells us he prays with himself.  My study Bible comments that God is absent where there is boasting.  

 

"And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' "   According to my study bible, the tax collector shows by his posture an awareness of the state of his soul.  He stands far away from the altar of sacrifice, and his eyes are cast downward.  This prayer, God, be merciful to me a sinner, is the foundation of the Jesus Prayer (a practice designed to fulfill St. Paul's teaching in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; see also this article), as is the refrain "Lord have mercy" that permeates worship and personal prayer. 

 

"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."   To be justified means to be forgiven and set right with God.  My study Bible comments here that inward humility is blessed, while pride in outward deeds is condemned.

 

Fr. Stephen Freeman (of the Glory to God for All Things blog) relates a story from the Twelve Step program Alcoholics Anonymous.  He writes, "I recall the words of an old-timer in AA to a young man who was troubled about AA’s talk about 'God' and a 'Higher Power': 'Son, the only thing you need to know about God is that you’re not him.'"   This anecdote may not explain who God is, but it gets to the point of something fundamental to Christ's story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.  The Pharisee, a scrupulous observer of all outward religious laws and practices, apparently does not truly pray before God.  He prays "with himself."  This is deliberate language in the Gospels, directly from the Greek, which reads πρὸς ἑαυτὸν προσηύχετο; literally, he "prayed to (or toward) himself."  As my study Bible points out, this is in great contrast to the posture of the Tax Collector, who "would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven."   This hesitancy in facing God, so to speak, is an indication that the tax collector is all too well aware that it is God he stands before, and not another fallible and sinning human being such as himself.  By contrast, the Pharisee seems quite unaware of his own shortcomings, whatever they may be, and has no intention of bringing them up before God, but prays in a way that not only boasts about himself but casts aspersions at the one near him, the Tax Collector.  He not only prays "with himself," but fails to come to God even to ask what else it is that God may want of him.  Where there is no inquiry nor openness to the other (and in this case, the Other is God), there can be no growth.  Thus the Pharisee's prayer is a recipe for being stuck.  The truth is, we're either going toward God, or we're going the other way.  He prays "toward" or "facing" himself (as the Greek πρὸς indicates).  He's looking in his own mirror, at his reflection of himself to himself.  What we all need -- and the point of all worship really -- is to turn toward God, and find how that particular mirror reflects who we are.  In the Proverbs we read, "My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, and do not loathe His rebuke;  for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, as does a father the son in whom he delights" (Proverbs 3:11-12).  In today's lectionary selection, this is quoted by St. Paul in the reading from Letter to the Hebrews (Hebrews 12:1-14).  A loving God wishes us to be disciples, learners.  To return God's love, and to be embraced by God is to be taught, to be encouraged above all else to grow, to become more like God, for this is the great gift of true self held in our relationship to Creator.  If we pray only toward or with ourselves, well then, like the Pharisee, we stay stuck -- except stuck always leads backwards, for life moves on and there are always new things for us to learn and ways God asks us to grow through the tensions and contradictions of life.  For this Pharisee is deliberately blind to the ways God would lead him.  As Jesus asks frequently, echoing prophets of the Old Testament, "Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear?"   So let us be justified like the tax collector, in facing God in our prayer, like the children we truly are, and finding what it is our loving Father wants for us, what Christ will teach us.  For He says, "Follow Me."  There's another anecdote but it's told to us by St. John, at the very end of his Gospel.  St. Peter is restored and given direction as he's told by the risen Christ, "Feed My lambs."  But Peter then turns and asks about John standing nearby, "But Lord, what about this man?"  Jesus replies to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me."   So this direction is for all of us, if we, like the Pharisee in today's reading, fail to pay attention to what's ours to pay attention to, and look around instead.  It's a good reminder, "You follow Me." Lent is for keeping our focus on God, sharpening and honing our practice at doing so, and learning to be humble before God.  Let us take it one day at a time, and remember what we're to be about.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your faith has saved you. Go in peace

 

 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 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 

 

On Saturday we read that the disciples of John the Baptist concerning all these things that Christ was doing 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."   My study Bible comments here that this Pharisee was intrigued by Christ, as evidenced by his invitation.  And yet, he clearly does not believe in Christ -- which is shown in his reaction to Jesus' mercy.  Moreover, Jesus points out the man's lack of even common hospitality (verses 44-46), a sure sign of lack of respect.  My study Bible further elaborates on today's reading that Christ's encounter with this sinful woman is an icon of the grace that's found in the Church.  St. Ambrose of Milan commented 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."

 

 And those who sat at 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."  My study Bible notes that the suggestion that a man could forgive sins was beyond the bounds of the law as understood by the Pharisees (see Luke 5:21).  But Christ wasn't a mere human being only; He was the very Lawgiver Himself.  St. Cyril of Alexandria is quoted as commenting, "Who could declare things that were above the Law, except the One who ordained the Law?"

 

One thing is very striking about today's reading.  In our present day and age we tend to take Christ's mercy for granted, which is unfortunate.  But taking things for granted is very important to today's reading, for what we read in this woman's love for Christ seems to be a supreme expression of gratitude on her part.  We don't often see gratitude as a form of love, but in this instance we have the perfect illustration of that concept.  Jesus says it Himself, "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."   It is surprising how little importance we often give to gratitude, but in Christ's eyes here, it is practically everything.  This woman's status in His eyes is clearly elevated -- and praised -- for her expression of love and gratitude.  So long as we feel entitled to grace, or entitled to forgiveness (or perhaps "entitled" to just about anything), we will struggle to understand the proper role of gratitude in a well-ordered life and its place in our ways of thinking.  This is especially true for those who call ourselves Christian.  There is nothing that surpasses the importance of recognizing how significant our dependence upon God really is, and the light that casts on how we live our lives, and how we view ourselves and our circumstances.  With her fragrant oil, this woman shows an extravagant thanks indeed, a gratitude that can only be borne of being freed from a kind of slavery to her sin.  It is this the Pharisee doesn't see, and perhaps cannot understand.  He doesn't see the reality of Christ, doesn't even receive Him with the hospitality (or common courtesy, as my study Bible says) that would no doubt be shown to a fellow Pharisee.  Do you and I value what Christ has to offer us?  Do we understand the depth of dependency upon and the love of God for us?  This is what we see if we but open our eyes and look at the extravagance of love, the release from a debt.  And yet, how many of us may take this for granted?

 

 

 

gratitude underrated

Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted

 

 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

 

- Luke 18:9–14 

 

Yesterday we were given the "first day" of the beginning of Christ's ministry (in John's Gospel), the testimony of John the Baptist:  Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"  He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."  And they asked him, "What then?  Are you Elijah?"  He said, "I am not."  "Are you the Prophet?"  And he answered, "No."  Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us?  What do you say about yourself?"  He said:  "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  "Make straight the way of the LORD,"' as the prophet Isaiah said." Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.  And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 

 

  Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector."  Today we are given the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.  In the West, it is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.  For the Eastern Churches (the Orthodox) Lent began on Monday, coinciding with our start of reading John's Gospel (which will continue tomorrow).  For Ash Wednesday, the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector is given as the first day of Lent.  The Pharisee is highly respected, and a careful observer of the details of the Law, my study Bible says.  By contrast, the tax collector is despised as a sinner.  This is a person who collaborates with the occupying Roman forces, betraying and cheating his own people.  

"The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'"  These practices of the Pharisee are worthy examples to follow, my study Bible tells us.  His good deeds (fasting and giving tithes) are the primary weapons against the passions of lust and greed (adultery and extortion).  But without a humble and repentant heart, the outward practices are worthless.  With such a perspective, they lead to pride and judgment of others.  Note that Jesus says he prays with himself.  My study Bible comments that God is absent where there is boasting.  

"And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'"  The tax collector shows by his posture an awareness of the state of his soul, my study Bible comments.  He stands far away from the altar of sacrifice.  His eyes are cast downward.  His prayer, God, be merciful to me a sinner, is the foundation of the Jesus Prayer, as is also the refrain "Lord have mercy" that permeates worship and personal prayer.  

Today's reading highlights something we might repeatedly understand from our faith in different dimensions, and that is the aspect of paradox.  In a literal world based on appearances, things often seem to our perception to be black and white.  There's good and evil, right and wrong, the one thing we need to do and the other thing we don't do.  But today's reading gives us paradox:  the Pharisee is a highly praised public person, full of seeming virtue in all that we might "see" of him as reported here in his words.  He fasts regularly, he gives tithes, and he compares himself very favorably with this tax collector.  Tax collectors, to the Jews of the period, were notorious sinners who worked against their own people, often using the might of the Roman state to extort extra money for themselves.  It seems that we can all find that image and popular opinion understandable.  But Jesus does not give us black and white, good and bad.  God's judgment is far more discerning than that.  Moreover, in telling us this parable, Jesus asks us to go further than black and white and good and bad.  Jesus takes us to that place of discernment of deeper realities than what we see on the surface.  Jesus asks us to gain the insight that sometimes what we see is deceiving, because we need to see the heart.  When God sent Samuel the prophet to the home of Jesse to anoint a new king over Israel among his sons, the first looked to him likely candidate, while David the youngest was away tending sheep.  But God said of the first, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (see 1 Samuel 16:1-13).  The rest were rejected by God, until David the youngest was brought in.  So often, the truths of our faith are not found in proofs and what's visible to the eye, but rather in paradox.  The truth of the matter here in our parable is that this tax collector has the highest virtue, the one that is the gateway to all else: humility.   The Pharisee does not.  In fact, in this language that tells us that the Pharisee "prayed with himself" we can see a hint of the myth of Narcissus, who fell in love with his own image in a pool of water.  If all of our lives are about constructing some kind of image of ourselves for the eyes of others to admire, we're treading the same dangerous path.  Jesus perhaps reserves His worst criticisms for the Pharisees and scribes, in Matthew 23.  This is because of their hypocrisy, a way of life based purely upon one's own image in the eyes of the world.  In John's Gospel, John will tell us, "Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in [Jesus], but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:42-43).  What Jesus praises as "justified" in the tax collector in today's story is his willingness to see himself in the eyes of God; that is, his humility.  For it's really the judgment of God that matters, and that's what the tax collector -- no doubt a sinner -- seeks in his prayer.  Just as the Cross seemed to be, in its surface image, the absolute worst thing that could happen, we know that it is the instrument of our salvation, and the moment of Christ's glorification.  Such is the element of paradox which returns again and again in our faith, for we can't see only with the eyes of the world and know the mind of God.  Sometimes even a great evil may serve the purpose of God.  We human beings need to learn through failure and experience -- and to persist in our faith.  That is, even under such circumstances, to put our trust in God.  Humility is the key virtue to all other virtues in the traditional perspective of our Church.  It is the most important thing to keep in mind as we go through Lent toward the Cross, and to Resurrection.

 

 

 

 

Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted

 

 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

 

- Luke 18:9–14 

 

This week for those in the West (and also for the Armenian Apostolic Oriental Orthodox) is the beginning of Lent.  The readings of the lectionary correspond to our preparations for the forty days of Lent, traditionally and historically a set-apart time of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer as we move toward the celebration of Christ's Resurrection.  Yesterday we read that, after His night trial at the home of the high priest, Jesus was led from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning.  But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, and it was early morning.  But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.  Pilate then went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?"  They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you."  Then Pilate said to them, "You take Him and judge Him according to your law."  Therefore the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death," that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.  Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?"  Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew?  Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me.  What have You done?"  Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."  Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king them?"  Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king.  For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."  Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?"  And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all.  But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover.  Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"  Then they all cried again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas!"  Now Barabbas was a robber.  

 

  Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector."  Jesus tells this parable in Luke's Gospel as He is about to begin His journey toward Jerusalem for the final week of His earthly life.  My study Bible explains that the Pharisee is highly respected in the society, and a careful observer of the details of the Law.  But the tax collector is despised as a sinner, collaborating with the occupying Roman forces, and betraying and cheating his own people.  

"The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' "  My study Bible comments that the practices of this Pharisee are worthy example for all to follow.  He does good deeds such as fasting and giving tithes (two hallmarks of historical Lenten practices, we may take notice here) are in fact the primary weapons against the passions of lust and greed (adultery and extortion).  But without a humble and repentant heart, such outward practices are deemed worthless by my study Bible, and under such conditions they lead only to pride and judgment of others.  It's important to note that the text tells us this man prays with himself.  As my study Bible explains, God is absent where there is boasting.  

"And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' "  This tax collector, my study Bible says, shows by his posture an awareness of the state of his soul.  He stands far from the altar of sacrifice, and his eyes are cast downward.  His prayer, God, be merciful to me a sinner, is the foundation of the Jesus Prayer.  Moreover, the refrain "Lord have mercy" permeates worship practices as well as personal prayer.  

"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."   To be justified means to be forgiven and set right with God, my study Bible explains.  It notes here that inward humility is blessed while pride in outward deeds is condemned.  

Today's parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector places a great deal of emphasis on humility.  Perhaps this is the singularly most important virtue in terms of our focus during Lent.  Humility is often thought of as something we express before other people, or perhaps in our face to face encounters with others.  But humility only properly begins with humility before God first.  It is that relationship with God that sets down the proper conduct and boundaries for our relationships and communion with other people.  Humility does not imply that one is "less than" another person, nor that one is meant to be "humiliated" or to grovel before others.  Humility is, instead, our guarantee of reliance upon something that is real, a correct assessment of ourselves and our circumstances, and that we don't step outside of or beyond boundaries that are proper to ourselves.  We might also note that in today's parable, Jesus compares the two men in terms of their levels of humility before God, but they are not compared to one another on any other ground.  Jesus does not focus on adding up the virtues of the Pharisee that he brags about, nor does Jesus tear down the Tax Collector for the work that he does.  In this story, the example is about how we come to terms with who we are by being face to face, in humility, with God.  It is once again a way of seeing that we can only come to measure ourselves with hope of a realistic assessment if we do so by coming to God in humility, with God's judgment as the proper yardstick for measurement.   At the end of John's Gospel, there is the story about St. Peter coming to Christ after his denials of Christ, and after Christ's Resurrection.  In that story, Jesus first asks Peter three times, "Do you love Me?" and when Peter replies affirmatively, Jesus tells him what he is to do:  "Feed my lambs."  In this way, Peter is restored to Christ after his three denials of Christ.  But then, another thing happens.  Peter -- as is so frequently the case -- isn't quite satisfied in his exuberance.  He then turns to Jesus and asks about John, who is nearby, and asks Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?"  Jesus replies to Peter, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me" (see John 21:15-22).   In other words, it's up to Peter to 'mind his own business,' so to speak, and focus on what is his to do, not on others.  In this sense today's teaching on humility is also pertinent, for our jobs do not consist of comparing ourselves to others, one way or another.  We stand before Christ, and only humility is appropriate for this relationship and communion, because it is in Christ that we find One who knows us far better than we know or understand ourselves, and One whose love encompasses all things, including the particular roles God desires for us in life.  We needn't fear this humility, because even when we are corrected, we are received in love, and God's truth is always for our benefit.  So let us get used to this idea of finding ourselves in that place where we place love of God as our first priority, and love of neighbor in relationship to that (see Matthew 22:36-40).  In this way there is no sense of envy nor comparison, there is no relationship of competition within a communion, but rather simply a desire to love and to be loved in God's embrace of ourselves and our community.  These conditions are essential for us to understand, for humility of the type which Christ exemplifies can only work in this way for us.  This is the way to sanity and health for all the things that ail us.  Let us seek God's love in this way, as does the tax collector, and find where true righteousness is for us, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

God, be merciful to me a sinner!

 

 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

 

- Luke 18:9–14 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus spoke a parable to the disciples, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying:  "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.  Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.'  And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'"  Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said.  And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?  I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"   

 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector."  My study Bible explains that the Pharisee is highly respected, as well as a careful observer of the details of the Law.  The tax collector, on the other hand, is despised as a sinner, who collaborates with the occupying Roman forces, and betrays and cheats his own people.  

"The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' "  The practices of this Pharisee, in the view of my study Bible, are worthy examples to follow.  His good deeds -- fasting and giving tithes -- are the primary weapons against the passions of lust and greed (adultery and extortion).  But without a humble and repentant heart, such outward practices are worthless, and lead to pride and judgment of others.  Note also that Jesus says he prays with himself, for God is absent where there is boasting.

"And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'"  Through his posture, the tax collector expresses an awareness of the state of his soul, as he stands far from the altar of sacrifice and his eyes are cast downward.  His prayer, God, be merciful to me a sinner, is the foundation of the Jesus Prayer (which was mentioned in our commentary in yesterday's reading, in conjunction with the parable of the Persistent Widow).  This is also true of the refrain "Lord have mercy" which permeates Orthodox worship and personal prayer.

"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  To be justified means to be forgiven and set right with God.  My study Bible comments that inward humility is blessed, while pride in outward deeds is condemned.  Indeed, Christ saved His most scathing comments for the hypocrisy of the religious leaders (Matthew 23).

Today's reading teaches us a great deal about the importance of humility. Despite the Pharisee's own laudable spiritual practices, what he lacks is humility.  It is humility which is precisely the thing that saves the tax collector, despite his failings in his conduct and his poor standing among his own people.  Stark indeed is Christ's conclusion that it was the tax collector who went down to his house justified rather than the other. It is only his humility that allows the tax collector to see himself clearly, because his humility enables him to truly feel himself in the presence and the sight of God.  In this sense, it is his humility that has saved him, and lack of humility that has condemned the Pharisee.  Of course, what we are to take away from today's reading is just that -- the essential importance of humility to the Christian faith.  In the long spiritual history of the Church, it has been handed down to us that humility is the queen and gateway of the Christian virtues.  It is the foundation for the rest, the fruit of the Spirit:  "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (see Galatians 5:22-23).  How can we know what honesty is, unless we first are humble enough to recognize the truth about ourselves -- or even to hear and know that truth?  It is the humility of the tax collector, in contrast to the self-righteousness of the Pharisee, that enables him to truly pray, to be face-to-face with God, so to speak, in the temple.  At a very minimum, his bodily posture as described by Jesus shows us he's aware that he's in the presence of God, whereas the Pharisee is not.  John's Gospel gives us a clue to this failure, when John tells us that "even among the rulers many believed in [Jesus], but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:42-43).  This Pharisee is conscious of his own social standing, and the opinions of others.  But the tax collector has an awareness of himself in the sight of God, as well as his community.  This parable enforces for us the particular summing up of the Law and the Prophets to which Christ and the Gospels (and even the Old Testament) constantly return, that the two greatest commandments in the Law are to love God with all one's heart and soul and mind and strength, and neighbor as oneself (see Luke 10:25-28).  In this case, despite appearances to the contrary, it is actually the tax collector who has put the love of God first, and not the Pharisee.  For here, the tax collector is aware of God and his own standing before God, while the Pharisee prays with himself, rather than God.   The tax collector here is, in fact, reconciled to God, and that is, in a sense, a face-to-face meeting, and it is what leads to what Jesus calls the state of being justified.  How do you reconcile with God?  How do we come face-to-face with God, settled with God, opened to God's way of seeing ourselves?  This is the mystery of faith and worship, but it begins with humility.  In today's story that comes from the recognition that we need God's mercy and love, for we can't truly live without it.

 

 

Your faith has saved you. Go in peace

 

 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 

 

On Saturday, we read that the disciples of John the Baptist reported to him concerning all the things that were happening in Christ's 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 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."   My study Bible comments on today's reading that this Pharisee is intrigued by Christ, which is shown by his invitation to Him.  But he clearly does not believe in Him, as shown by his reaction to Christ's mercy ("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 by his lack even of common hospitality shown toward Jesus ("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").  My study Bible adds that this encounter with the sinful woman is an icon of the grace found only in the Church.  Through her, comments St. Ambrose of Milan, "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."

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."   According to my study Bible, that a man could forgive sins was beyond the bounds of the Law as the Pharisees understood it (see Luke 5:21).  But Christ was not a mere man, but rather the very Lawgiver Himself.  St. Cyril of Alexandria asks, "Who could declare things that were above the Law, except the One who ordained the Law?"

In our previous reading, on Saturday (see above), Jesus acknowledged the criticisms He (as well as John the Baptist) receives from the Pharisees and lawyers:  He's a friend of tax collectors and sinners!  He's a glutton and a winebibber!   On Saturday we read that even the tax collectors justified God, for they'd been baptized by John the Baptist, but not the Pharisees and the lawyers.  Here in today's reading, Jesus is invited to dine with a Pharisee, but is not treated with the courtesy usually given to honored guests in a home.  The one who does show Him  great courtesy and welcome -- and love -- is the sinful woman.  We don't know who this woman was; she's not the only woman in the Gospels who anointed Christ with oil.  But we can see her great act of love and honor.  In the anointing itself we can see the glory that she gives to Christ.  This gift, according to the commentary of St. Clement of Alexandria, is the most precious thing she had, her perfume, the one thing fitting to pay the greatest honor to Christ.  St. Ambrose writes, "The grace of many flowers gathered into a bouquet scatters different sweetness of fragrance. Perhaps none but the church alone can produce that ointment. The church has innumerable flowers of different fragrance."  Let us note that she first stood behind Christ, weeping, and then began to wash His feet with her tears, before she anointed His feet with this ointment.  If we understand the symbolism clear to the ancient world, her weeping and tears are evidence of her repentance for her life and the way she has lived it.  The perfume is akin to the healing ointments of the ancient world, a pure olive oil base with essences of flowers added, and so it is seen as a comfort to Christ.  The washing of His feet, drying with her hair, and anointing with oil is seen as a way to comfort the One who will comfort others.   We may even see that, as Christ Himself took on the likeness of a sinner (scandalous to the religious authorities, and crucified like the lowest of criminals), so this woman, appearing in the likeness of a sinner, reveals the Church in her love for Christ.  What today's passage undoubtedly shows us is the power of love that must be at work in our faith, for it is love that has truly saved her.  As Jesus pronounces it, love is the key to forgiveness.  For how do we show love to someone but through loyalty and faithfulness to them?  This is an important key to understanding what faith or belief means to Christ.  In John's Gospel, Jesus preaches to the people who've followed Him, after He fed them in the wilderness:  "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."  And they respond, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"  Jesus tells them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."  It's important to understand how "belief" is meant to work in this context.  This kind of belief is more than intellectual assent to something.  The word for "faith" has as its root the word that means "trust," and that is the Greek word translated as "believe."  But what Jesus is asking for may be better translated as "faithfulness," as many scholars have commented.  That is, to be faithful to His teachings, to be faithful to what He asks of us, to be loyal.  And all of these things are signs of love, visible aspects of what it means to actively love someone, to be true to them.  So when Jesus teaches the parable on debts forgiven, He's speaking of this kind of relationship of love and trust and loyalty.  What makes covenant?  This woman clearly expresses love for Christ with her tears, as He has moved her to this great evidence of repentance in her desire for relationship with Him.  If we grasp the love of Christ, it is there repentance may happen, where shame is dropped for transformation instead.  She also gives the greatest gift she can give in terms of something valuable and precious to her.  And He responds with forgiveness, as He is the One capable of forgiving sins.  In a sense, her expression of love is a promise, one that must be ongoing to continue in relationship.  In the end, He does not say that her love has saved her, although the topic here is love in Jesus' dialogue with the Pharisee.  But linking the two concepts, He says to her, "Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace."   Let us take this journey into faith and forgiveness, and understand more deeply how faith must include love and loyalty, for without this understanding we cannot understand Jesus or His teachings to us.

And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to haven, but beat his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!"

 

 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to haven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

 

- Luke 18:9–14 

 

Yesterday we read the testimony of John the Baptist, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"  He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."  And they asked him, "What then?  Are you Elijah?"  He said, "I am not."  "Are you the Prophet?"  And he answered, "No."  Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us?  What do you say about yourself?"  He said:  "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  "Make straight the way of the LORD,"' as the prophet Isaiah said."  Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.  And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.   

 

Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector."  In today's reading, we're given one of Jesus' parables which sets the tone for Lent.  The lectionary skips over to Luke's Gospel (tomorrow we will continue in John's Gospel) to give us the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.  My study Bible explains that in the context of Christ's audience and society, the Pharisee is highly respected as well as a careful observer of the details of the Law.  But the tax collector is despised as a sinner who collaborates with the occupying Roman forces, betraying and cheating his own people.  

"The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'"   My study Bible points out that the practices of this Pharisee are worthy example to follow; they are particularly important for us to think about during Lent with its traditional emphases for us.  These "good deeds" -- fasting and giving tithes -- my study Bible calls the primary weapons against the passions of lust and greed (adultery and extortion).  But without a humble and repentant heart, it notes, these outward practices are worthless and lead only to pride and to judgment of others.  On Saturday, we read from Mark's Gospel a passage in which Jesus indicated a similar teaching on hypocrisy, in His comments warning of the practices of the scribes:  "Beware the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation" (Mark 12:38-40).  It is the "humble and repentant heart" that is a necessary component to make such practices effective, and the scribes worthy of the honor they're shown for their office.  In this context, we importantly observe that the text says this Pharisee prays with himself.  My study Bible comments that this is so because God is absent where there is boasting.  

"And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to haven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'"  My study Bible says that the tax collector shows by his posture an awareness of the state of his soul, standing far from the altar of sacrifice with eyes cast downward.  His prayer, God, be merciful to me a sinner, is the foundation of the Jesus Prayer, and the refrain "Lord have mercy" that permeates the worship practices and personal prayer of so many branches of Christian faith.

"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  My study Bible indicates that to be justified here means forgiven and set right with God -- for, it says, inward humility is blessed while pride in outward deeds is condemned. 

If there is anything we should seek to cultivate in this period of Lent, it is the practice of deeper and more meaningful prayer.  It seems to be a good time to explore the practice of the Jesus Prayer, which gives opportunity for us always to think of ourselves as in the presence of God the Father, before Christ, and praying with the Spirit.  This article at the website of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese sets out the basic idea of the prayer and the practice.  This article at Wikipedia also does a fairly decent job of setting out the practice and its theological and historical roots.  But in terms of its basic practice, the form is quite simple.  As indicated by my study Bible, it follows this prayer of the tax collector given as an example by Jesus of one who prays well.  Its most basic form which is frequently given is, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner."  But both shorter and longer versions also exist.   The simple, "Lord have mercy" is one such example.  In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, even the name of Jesus Christ is considered to be a prayer.  The important understanding about this prayer is that it is short, it is upheld by Scripture and rooted in Christian theology in that it declares Jesus as Lord, and it can be prayed at any and all times, in any circumstances.  Most importantly, this short repeated prayer is used as a powerful tool to help us to cultivate the mindfulness of prayer at all times.  That is, it is used to cultivate a prayerful orientation to all of life; it can be prayed while we do menial tasks, at any moment when we "remember God" (also an important practice in itself), in the middle of the day or the night.  Its repetition not only gives us a sense of what it means to live a prayerful life, with a prayerful mindset and orientation, it also allows us to experience what it is to let a prayer "sink down" into ourselves and root itself in the heart.  That is, this type of short prayer, repeated to ourselves either throughout the day when we recollect it, or in sessions of contemplative prayer alone and in quiet time to ourselves, roots itself in consciousness.  The practice itself is designed so that it becomes a part of our thinking, so to speak, a practice designed so that we are eventually praying "without ceasing" as St. Paul taught in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.  It is a good practice to decide to cultivate during Lent -- simple to do, simple to start, and need not be taxing to practice so much as it is simply a matter of decision to begin.  The benefits of this prayer practice can be felt right away for each person and in ways that edify and benefit whatever is going on in one's life, helping to reorient ourselves to God at any time, and drawing closer to Christ with the help of the Spirit.  It is rooted in Scripture and in today's teaching by Jesus found in the parable, and can aid and assist us in finding our way to better love God and cultivate the humility of knowing we are in God's presence at all times.  There is a kind of peace that often comes with this prayer.  It also helps us to let go of what we cannot control.  But each person has to find this for oneself in consenting to Christ's presence (Revelation 3:20).  Let us consider adopting the ways that deepen our faith, and help us to rest in and rely more strongly upon our Lord.

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted

 

 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

 

- Luke 18:9–14 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus He a parable to His disciples (following a discussion of the time of His Second Coming), that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying:  "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.  Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.'  And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'"  Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said.  And shall God not avenge His wn elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?  I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

 

Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector."  My study Bible explains that the Pharisee is a highly respected and careful observer of the details of the Law, while the tax collector is despised as a sinner who collaborates with the occupying Roman forces, betraying and cheating his own people.

"The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'"  The practices that the Pharisee names are all worthy examples to follow, my study Bible notes.  His good deeds, such as fasting and giving tithes, are the primary weapons against the passions of lust and greed (adultery and extortion).  But without a humble and repentant heart, such practices remain worthless, and they lead to pride and judgment of others.  We note that the text tells us he prays with himself.  My study Bible comments that God is absent where there is boasting.  

"And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'"  The tax collector shows by his posture an awareness of the state of his soul, my study Bible says, as he stands far from the altar of sacrifice and with his eyes cast downward.  His prayer (God, be merciful to me a sinner) is the foundation of the Jesus Prayer (about which we wrote in connection with yesterday's reading, and Christ's teaching to pray always and not lose heart -- see yesterday's reading, above), as well as the refrain "Lord have mercy" that permeates worship and personal prayer.  See also St. Paul's teaching (another inspiration for the Jesus Prayer practice) on continual prayer at 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  To be justified is to be forgiven and set right with God.  My study Bible comments that this is because inward humility is blessed while pride in outward deeds is condemned.  

My study Bible emphasizes the difference between the inner life and the outer life, and twice comments that God in some sense does not approve of an emphasis on the latter.  It notes first on the text that "God is absent where there is boasting," and secondly that "inward humility is blessed while pride in outward deeds is condemned."  How can we reconcile our faith with this emphasis on the inner life, and a seeming disparaging of the outward?  What seems to be difficult to reconcile may find its answer in Christ's teachings we've encountered recently.  First of all, in Thursday's reading, the Pharisees questioned Jesus as to when the kingdom of God would come.  Jesus replied to them,  "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!'  For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." This emphasis on the inner life seems to be because that is where we participate in the kingdom of God.  That is where we meet God, and where our prayers are said and met.  It is the place where everything that we are may meet God in encounter, or so it seems that Christ is indicating here.  The other place where we might find an answer to this seeming contradiction of the inner and the outer life is in Jesus' command regarding our own anxieties and worries about the outward, material things we need:  "But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you" (Luke 12:31; see in context).  In the parable that Jesus teaches us in today's reading, the praise for the tax collector is not so much in his honesty as it seems to be in his awareness of himself -- and especially in the place where he is aware that he is meeting God, and that all that he is inside is meeting God.  There is no appearance that can fool God or deceive God by outward display.  We might say that, in contrast to the Pharisee who "prayed with himself," the tax collector is truly praying with God.  He is meeting God in the Kingdom where he knows he's coming up short, and asks for God's mercy.  Let's also understand that to ask for God's mercy is to acknowledge it in the first place.  I would wonder how we would ask for mercy if we were not at least a little secure in knowing that we were praying to One who is merciful in the first place.  It takes trust to do that; and trust in God is, essentially, faith in God.  It is possibly the Pharisee who is, in fact, more afraid of the judgment of God -- since he first of all seemingly avoids God by praying "with himself" only, and relies upon all the outward images to impress God, without truly revealing himself and seeking where God might lead him forward into new things he has not yet addressed in his life, a way to deepen his faith and love of God.  These things are seemingly complex, because the inward life is a complex place, but our encounter with God is one that teaches us love and growing depth of the heart, a place where knowing means this reconciliation to God.  There are all kinds of places in Scripture where we're taught that God doesn't look at the outside, doesn't see the way that we see, such as when Samuel the prophet was summoned to anoint a king of Israel.  Before him was a splendid looking son of Jesse of Bethlehem, to whom he was sent by God.  But Samuel was told, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).  In the book of the prophet Isaiah, we read, "'My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord" (Isaiah 55:8).  We must consider these examples, and think hard about the tax collector and the Pharisee.  For the Pharisee would be seen in public as a great example of piety, while the tax collector would appear a notorious sinner to those to whom Jesus was preaching.  Let us once again consider the state of our own hearts, how open we are to God and God's mercy, and where we encounter the place of the Kingdom and our prayers to the Lord, "for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  It is the Lord who sees and measures, and whose judgment we need to seek.

 

 

 

 

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 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 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 reported to him concerning all the things Jesus was doing 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 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."   Of today's entire reading, my study Bible comments that this Pharisee was intrigued by Christ, which is made clear through his invitation.  But he clearly does not believe in Christ, as shown by his reaction to the Lord's mercy ("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 even by a lack of common hospitality ("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 eased 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").  My study Bible adds that this encounter with the sinful woman is an icon of the grace which is found only in the Church.  It quotes St. Ambrose of Milan, who writes 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."

And those who sat at 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."   My study Bible explains that the forgiveness of sins by a man was beyond the bounds of the Law as the Pharisees understood it (see Luke 5:21).  But Christ wasn't a mere man; He is the Lawgiver Himself.  St. Cyril of Alexandria is quoted as asking, "Who could declare things that were above the Law, except the One who ordained the Law?"

 

 The question of sinfulness is central to the Bible.  In the beginning of Genesis, we have the problem of growing violence that stems from the first sin -- a kind of lawlessness that continues to expand and grow throughout the generations, until we reach the declaration of Lamech and his multiplication of vengeance:  "If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold" (Genesis 4:24).  Vengeance remains a problem.  When we read in the Law "eye for eye, tooth for tooth" (Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, Deuteronomy 19:21) in the context of what has come before, we should understand it as actually limiting vengeance.  But then Jesus comes along with a depth of mercy that calls into question what justice and forgiveness mean to us as His disciples.  In both the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the Plain (which we've just read in Luke 6:20-49), Jesus preaches against vengeance, and teaches us to do good ("But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you"; see Luke 6:27-36).  We might pause to wonder what the world would look like if this were built into a justice system, rather than teachings for those who would be Christ's disciples.  But, on the other hand, Jesus gives careful admonition about our own behaviors; we will reap what we sow.  Within the context of our lives and our communion with God, what we give we will realize for ourselves ("For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you"; see Luke 6:37-38).  In today's reading, we are given a taste of God's mercy in action, and we can see how it works hand in hand with our own capacity for love.  Jesus points out to the Pharisee how this woman has treated Him with more grace than the Pharisee has.  He teaches the Pharisee the parable of forgiveness, telling him, "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?"  Finally, He tells the Pharisee, "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."  Jesus seems to be placing the greatest of emphasis on this communion between God and those who love God, and our sins and the mercy that we may realize for ourselves come within this context.  He speaks of the love that is within that communion, and challenges us to consider its depth.  Think about the many sins forgiven this woman for she loved much.  As happens in other similar incidents reported in the Gospels, Jesus is defending to the Pharisee her exorbitant expression of love, and He is not ashamed of this, for it is justified in the sight of God whose very character is love, whose currency is mercy.  If we do not understand that our communion with God is the language of love, our communication must be lacking. In a world beset by violence, we still deeply need this union of love with our Creator, and our own sins must be struggled with and acknowledged in this context -- for it is there that the repairs begin.  It is there we are told to take responsibility for our own behaviors and the states of our own hearts.   It is there we learn responsibility and loyalty to the One upon whom rests all things, and especially our way in life, the path we need to true well-being.  This woman has clearly understood that about her life.  Do we believe that she will continue on in her old sinful path, or that her love for God will turn her life in a new direction?  That's the question we should ask ourselves, and come to understand and know as well.  For it is her faith that has saved her, and brought her peace.