Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from Luke 7:41 and following. Indeed, Jesus uses the parable to explain that the woman who anointed him in the Pharisee loves him more than his host, because she has been forgiven of greater sins and she is finalizing a whole process of repentance. She has agreed to recognize herself as a sinner, weeps at jesus’ feet, and pours ointment on the one who helps absolve his bad past. The belief that she could be forgiven despite her many sins, motivated her to find Jesus and to make this gesture of double gratitude, Jesus as the Son of God and salvation for men of good will.
This text represents a small masterpiece of narrative art, at the service of a subject very dear to the evangelist Luke: Jesus welcomes and forgives sinners. The episode reported before this passage has as protagonist a woman, a sinner presented herself at Simon’s banquet. The stranger surely knew Jesus, she had listened to these words that invited change, she had believed in a new existence and now she had come to his redeemer to express her repentance and gratitude. She kneels and leans at Jesus’ feet, while great tears flow from her eyes and wet the Lord’s feet. It is an act of repentance and deep and intimate pain.
The woman, still unable to suppress her love any longer, takes the Lord’s feet in her hands and slowly dries them with her hair. Then, from this alabaster vase she had brought, she spread fragrant oil on her feet that had just dried because of the tears of her repentance and continued to kiss them. In the eyes of the Pharisee and his guests, this attitude is not only disconcerting, but even ambiguous: everyone is worried about Jesus’ contact with a sinful woman, who discredits their category of “pure”: “If he were a prophet he would know who this woman who touches him is: she is a sinner”.
But what is even more serious in their eyes is that Jesus is silent and lets things go, thus compromising his reputation as a man of God, a prophet recognized by the people. Simon’s thought is one of disapproval, which certainly does not go unnoticed by Jesus: “Simon, I have something to say to you”. And at this point, Jesus tells the short parable of the two debtors who have been forgiven. The debtor who loves little is blithely Simon, to whom Jesus turns again: “Then, turning to the woman, he said to Simon: Do you see this woman? I have entered your house, and you have not given me water to wash my feet; but she wet them with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. You have not given me a kiss; but she, since I entered, she has not ceased to kiss my feet. Thou hast poured any oil on my head; but she poured perfume on my feet. That is why, I tell you, her many sins were forgiven: for she loved very much. But the one to whom we forgive little loves little. »
In this parable, the creditor represents Jesus Christ. The situation of the two debtors also indicates that, before God, we are all in debt like all sinners. But a silver coin of the Roman government was equivalent to the daily pay of a generic worker. Five hundred denarii was therefore the pay of a year and a half. The other, debtor of fifty denarii, had to repay the equivalent of about two months’ salary, excluding Saturdays.
Therefore, the former had a debt ten times greater than the latter, but they could not pay. However, the creditor makes no difference as regards the amount of the debt, nor as regards the impossibility of paying both: he remits to his debtors the entire amount for which they were in default, knowing in any case that they could not settle their debt. Even for us who, to a lesser extent, are all sinners before God, our sin will always be too great for us to save ourselves. The psalmist says, “They cannot redeem each other, nor give God the price of redemption. The redemption of their soul is dear, and will never take place. “(Ps 49:8-9).
Now, the creditor of the parable reported by Luke, rather than forcing the debtors to pay, forcing them to contract a debt perhaps even greater with another person to remedy him, forgives them the debt: this is a generous, extraordinary behavior on the part of the one who lends money and unexpected for the debtor. For at that time, those who were unable to pay their debts became slaves, and every seven years, the year of surrender, each creditor had to suspend all rights relating to the loan: according to Eastern custom, to whom he has been much more forgiven, will make more public noise and more displays of affection for the creditor than another will.
The parable therefore has two parallels: the creditor represents God and the debt is a sin; the two debtors describe different levels of sinner and love: the one who is forgiven less loves less, who is the Pharisee Simon, and the one to whom he is much forgiven loves the most; it is the unknown sinner. With this parable, Jesus wants to emphasize the concept of God’s Mercy, which forgives both small and large debts: “Which of them will love him more? Simon replied, “The one, I think of thequel he has put the most. “
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
Jesus and the Sinner:
· Ministry of Women, compassion shown in a special way
-Hospitality to the Prophets 2 Kings 4:10 Let us make a small upper room with walls, and put a bed, a table, a seat, and a candlestick in it for him, so that he may retire there when he comes to us.
-Kindness to the poor Pr 31:20 She reaches out to the unfortunate, She reaches out to the needy.
-Contribution to the well-being of Christ Mt 27:55-56 There were several women there who looked from afar; who had accompanied Jesus from Galilee, to serve him. 56 Among them were Mary of Magdala, Mary, mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
-Anointing of Christ Mk 14:3 As Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, a woman entered, while he was at the table. She held an alabaster vase, which contained a perfume of pure nard of great price; and, having broken the vase, she poured out the perfume on Jesus’ head.
-Washing of the Savior’s feet Lk 7:37-38 And behold, a sinful woman who was in the city, having known that he was at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster vase full of perfume, 38 and stood behind, at the feet of Jesus. She was crying; and soon she wet his feet with her tears, then wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with perfume.
– Service of the Church Rom 16:1-2 I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is deaconess of the Church of Cenchrées, 2 that you may receive her into our Lord in a way worthy of the saints and assist her in the things where she would need you, for she has given help to many and to myself.
-Collaboration with Paul Rom 16:3,6,12 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my companions in Jesus Christ, 6 Greet Mary, who took great pain for you. 12 Greet Tryphene and Tryphose, who work for the Lord. Greet Perside, the beloved, who has worked much for the Lord.
· Honoring Christ
Mt 11:8 But what did you go to see? a man dressed in precious clothes? Behold, those who wear precious clothes are in the houses of kings. Luke 4:15 He taught in the synagogues, and He was glorified by all. John 12:13 took branches of palm trees, and went before him, shouting: Hosanna! Blessed be he who comes in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel! Rev 5:13 And all the creatures that are in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and all that is there, I heard them saying, “To him who sits on the throne, and to the lamb, be praise, honor, glory, and strength, in the ages of ages!
· Spiritual service performed in humility
Mt 10:42 And whoever gives only a glass of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you in truth, he will not lose his reward. John 12:3 Mary, having taken a pound of a perfume of pure nard of great price, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the smell of perfume. Acts 20:18-19 When they came to him, he said to them: You know how, from the first day I entered Asia, I have consistently conducted myself with you, 19 serving the Lord in all humility, with tears, and in the midst of the trials that the pitfalls of the Jews brought to me.
· Rudeness, examples
-Nabal 1 Sam 25.3 This man’s name was Nabal, and his wife was called Abigail; she was a woman of common sense and beautiful in figure, but the man was tough and mean in his actions. He was descended from Caleb.
-Rehoboam 1 Kings 12:13 The king responded harshly to the people. He left the advice given to him by the old men,
-The rich Pr 18:13 He who answers before listening makes an act of madness and gets confused.
-Simon Lk 7:44 Then, turning to the woman, he said to Simon: Do you see this woman? I have entered your house, and you have not given me water to wash my feet; but she wet them with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
-Martha Lk 10:40 Martha, busy with various domestic care, came and said, Lord, does it not matter to you that my sister leaves me alone to serve? So, tell him to help me.
-The Samaritan woman Jn 4:9 The Samaritan woman said to her: How do you, who are a Jew, ask me to drink, to me who is a Samaritan woman? -The Jews, in fact, have no relations with the Samaritans.
From all the above, we note that for Simon, this is a bitter confession, made reluctantly and with gritted teeth, because at that moment he realizes where Jesus wants to arrive, making him acknowledge his lack of gratitude: “You have judged well”. Jesus points out that the more forgiven one is, the more gratitude, love and dedication one feels, while Simon had not yet understood the power of God’s mercy: God’s forgiveness is greater than the human norm can understand, and he experiences it, it is similar to the one to whom a great debt has been forgiven. If we have received forgiveness of sins, we must love the Lord, be grateful to Him, and be devoted to Him. Repentant and suffering sinners seem more capable of recognizing the Lord, of receiving Him with faith and love: repentance goes beyond moral reversal, anguish, remorse, regret, and the awareness of having performed an infamous act. Repentance is becoming aware of having desecrated God’s love, repentance requires faith. In repentance, there must be implicit recognition of our smallness, but also trust in forgiveness, certainty in God’s mercy, deep desire to be reconciled by his love that knows how to override the measure of any debt as long as it is returned to him, we recognize our sin by snuggling at his feet and showering him with tears of sincere repentance. The argument that Christ employs has been drawn, not from cause, but from effect; for, as long as a favor has not been received, it cannot arouse gratitude, and the cause of reciprocal love declared here is gratuitous forgiveness. In a word, Christ maintains, from the fruits or effects that flow from them, that this woman has been reconciled with God. Our prayers are with you all.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to react to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow ” the parable of the lost drachma.”
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.