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 Pharisees who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."   And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."  So he said, "Teacher, say it."  "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.  One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.  Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"  Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."  And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."  Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?  I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.  But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."  Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."  

 

And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"  Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace." 

 

- Luke 7:36–50 

 

Yesterday we read that the disciples of St. John the Baptist reported to him concerning all these things that Jesus was doing.  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 Pharisees 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, the Orthodox Study Bible reports of this Pharisee that he was intrigued by Christ, which we infer from his invitation to Him.  However, the Pharisee clearly does not believe in Him, as shown by his reaction to the mercy shown by Christ.  Moreover, Jesus Himself remarks upon even the Pharisee's lack of common hospitality to Him.  The Study Bible adds that the encounter with the sinful woman in today's Gospel reading is an icon of the grace which is found only in the Church.  It cites the commentary of St. Ambrose of Milan, who states 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 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 the Orthodox Study Bible, that a man could forgive sins was beyond the bounds of the Law as the Pharisees understood it (see Luke 5:21).  Yet Christ is not a mere man, it says, but the very Lawgiver Himself.  It cites St. Cyril of Alexandria, who asks, "Who could declare things that were above the Law, except the One who ordained the Law?"

 

Turning again to St. Ambrose of Milan, we find a beautiful commentary on today's passage.  He writes, "Blessed is one who can anoint the feet of Christ even with oil. Simon had still not anointed him, but more blessed is she who anoints with ointment. 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" (Exposition of the Gospel of Luke 6.21).   In the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, as we prepare for Holy Communion, the priest prays, "For the precious Gifts here presented and consecrated, let us pray to the Lord.  That our God Who loves mankind, having accepted them at His holy and celestial and mystical altar as an offering of spiritual fragrance, may in return send down upon us the divine grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit, let us pray."  In the Scriptures, a spiritual fragrance is frequently united to prayer in the offering of incense.  In Psalm 141, we read, "Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice" (Psalm 141:2).  In several places, the Book of Revelation refers to this fragrance rising up as the prayers of the saints (see Revelation 5:8; 8:3-4).  St. Ambrose has an additional interesting commentary on this passage. He wrote of this woman that "she fittingly assumes the likeness of a prostitute, because Christ also took upon himself the form of a sinner" (Exposition of the Gospel of Luke 6:21); see also 2 Corinthians 5:21.  St. Ambrose was Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397 AD.  These were years of what was still the early Church; in fact, it was during his tenure as Bishop that Christianity became the official state religion of the Roman Empire.  Since that time, of course, an uncountable number of saints have glorified the Church.  But even from those first few centuries, St. Ambrose had the understanding of the holy people of God as the "innumerable flowers of different fragrance."  We have the understanding of the saints not as all alike but each as distinct.  In fact, in our faith, through holiness, the process of what is known as theosis reveals in each a unique identity in Christ.  With our Christian spiritual development, we do not become more conformed to some popular idea or flat way of being.  On the contrary, Christ will teach us to be who we truly are; we become more "ourselves" in this sense of revealing the true image in which we are created.  So we can turn to the saints, who are truly a bouquet of the innumerable flowers of different fragrance which St. Ambrose so beautifully illustrates in this image given to us.   Let us cherish our Church, and the Lord Who has come in the likeness of one of us in order to grant us this freedom, and to elevate human beings to the freedom to embody all the possibilities our Creator gives us.  That indeed includes the notoriously sinful woman who gives Christ Himself the gift of love returned to Him.  For today's story reveals that the connection between love and sinfulness is Christ's forgiveness.  St. Cyril of Alexandria writes on this same passage that Christ "came that he might forgive the debtors much and little and show mercy upon small and great, that there might be no one whatsoever who did not participate in his goodness" (Commentary on Luke, Homily 40).  As has been written, love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8; Proverbs 10:12).  For "her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch

 

 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.  Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land.  And he sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.  When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.  

 

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"  For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.  And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men."  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

 

- Luke 5:1-11 

 

On Saturday, we read that, after casting out a demon as He taught on the Sabbath in the synagogue at Capernaum, Jesus arose from there and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them. When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.  Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."   And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee. 

 

 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that he stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.   The Lake of Gennesaret is another name for the Sea of Galilee.  According to the Orthodox Study Bible, it is about 13 miles long and 7 miles wide.  

 

   Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land.  And he sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.  Sitting was the traditional position for a teacher, for authority was frequently conveyed through a throne or seat.  According to my study Bible, some early Christian preachers (such as St. John Chrysostom) sat while the people stood.  For another example, see Matthew 5:1, where Jesus begins preaching the Sermon on the Mount in the seated position.  

 

 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  Jesus commands Simon (St. Peter), "Launch out into the deep . . ."  My study Bible cites St. Ambrose of Milan, who sees the spiritual meaning of this command as an invitation to give one's life over to the deep mystery of the knowledge of the Son of God.  

 

 But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.   Let us first note Simon's response to Jesus' command; his human mind uses his rational sense and experience in which it is doubtful they will catch more.  But he is nonetheless obedient to Christ's word.  My study Bible comments here that the Lord draws people to Himself by things that are familiar to them.  It cites the example of the Magi drawn by a star (Matthew 2:2), and tax collectors would be drawn by a tax collector (Luke 5:29), so here Jesus draws the fishermen with fish (see 1 Corinthians 9:18-23).  

 

 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"  For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.   My study Bible comments that St. Peter's cry in the face of divine power is not a rejection of Jesus (contrast this with Luke 8:37).  Rather, this teaches us that, when suddenly cast in the light of Christ, holy people like St. Peter become keenly aware of their own unworthiness (compare Isaiah 6:5; Revelation 1:17).  

 

 And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men."  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.  This great catch of fish is described by my study Bible as an image of the apostles bringing humankind to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Moreover, it fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah 16:16.  It cites the Orthodox festal hymn of Pentecost, in which it is sung, "Through your fishermen, You drew the world into Your net."

 

 In today's reading, Jesus tells St. Peter, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  As noted above, St. Ambrose of Milan comments that this command is an invitation to give one's life over to the deep knowledge of the mystery of the Son of God.  Let us bear in mind that given our previous reading in which we were told that Jesus went to St. Peter's home (and healed his mother-in-law), we know that these men were already followers of Christ.  But in today's reading, they are invited more 'deeply' to participate in His ministry.  When we are told that they forsook all and followed Him, this is understood that they have now committed full-time as disciples and participants in His ministry.   They will live with Him and learn from Him.  It also sets down a pattern, in which Jesus uses St. Peter as leader and even as spokesperson on behalf of all the disciples ("Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!").   Of course, today's reading sets down a pattern as well for all of us, in the sense that we are always invited to participate more deeply in the mystery of Christ, and to grow in our knowledge of Him.  For this is His way (meaning path or road); it is a lifelong journey.  Just like the disciples, our faith must grow and we grow in it.  The word Gennesaret is an interesting one to explore, for while some aspects of meaning are debated, there is a general consensus that it can be understood as "garden of riches" or "princely garden."  Moreover, it indicates that this particular region of the Sea of Galilee, and the plain adjacent to it, were extremely fertile fishing and agricultural areas.  So the poetic symbolism of the Gospel remains both in this name (such as "princely garden"), indicating the abundance of the Lord's goodness, as well as the great "catch" or harvest possible to this ministry and through their discipleship.  Through the good things of God, we also may be drawn to Christ (as my study Bible indicates above).  It is a very common thing to see the beauty of life and our natural world and feel an uplifting of our hearts toward God.  For such beauty and majesty as are found there also give us a sense of awe at something we cannot create, but is given to us instead to steward.  In the abundance of fish we see the abundance of the followers of Christ that would come through His ministry, and the disciples He now calls.  Fish, of course, have long stood for what is uncountable, even unlimited, and in the horizon of the Church, this remains true.  We know, also, that the image of a fish would serve as a symbol for the early followers of Christ.  The classical Greek word for fish was ιχθυς/ixthys.  These letters ΙΧΘΥΣ formed an acronym for "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior"  (Ἰησοῦς Χρῑστός Θεοῦ Υἱός Σωτήρ).  The Church still fishes for men; that is, for human beings.  As St. Ambrose indicates, we are all invited through Christ into the infinitude of the mystery of God.   Just as Jesus would teach that faith as a mustard seed grows great things, so it all begins from this finite and limited scene on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and it yet continues to grow and expand.  We are each an essential part of that growth; let us play our own role through faith.