THE THOUGHT TODAY

14/ 07 / 09
Beyond Taboo
Luke 7: 36-39

“This man if he were a prophet would know what manner of woman this is who is touching him for
he is a sinner”

Luke tells a strange and unusual story of Jesus being invited into a Pharisee’s house. While there, a
“woman of lesser virtue”, known throughout the city for her “bad” ways, came to see Jesus at the
house of Simon the Pharisee. As he sat down to eat, the sinful woman brought a flask of expensive
alabaster oil to anoint Jesus. Before doing so, however, heartbroken about her sinfulness, she began
to weep. So abundant was her sorrow at her sinfulness that enough tears flowed to wash Jesus feet.
If that were not enough, she took the hair of her head, wiped the feet she had washed, kissed his feet
with her lips, then proceeded to anoint Jesus feet with the expensive perfumed alabaster ointment.

Anyone standing by must have wondered about the nature and intensity of the emotion which drove
her to do this. What was it that Jesus said to her before this which would have led her to do this?
Anyone yes, but not Simon the Pharisee. As far as he was concerned, Jesus was allowing a bad
sinful woman to be all over him.

He must have invited Jesus to his house because of the power and authority which Jesus showed in
his teaching and preaching throughout the land. Are we too not caught by power and authority of
religious and civic leaders that we gladly invite them to our houses to share the best that we have?
Simon was so disturbed that he said to himself. “ Wait. I made a mistake. Is this man a prophet? He
can’t be a prophet, otherwise he would have known and felt the sinfulness of the woman and
shunned her.” He may have even thought to himself ‘Jesus shame on you. I wish I didn’t bring you
into my house’.

Jesus, with acute perception, read Simon’s thoughts. He asked him if two persons were forgiven
their debts who would love the forgiver more, the one with the greater or the one with the lesser
debt? Simon answered the one with the greater debt. Jesus then turned to Simon and reminded him
of the love and care which the woman showed (which he, as host, should have shown but didn’t do
so). Jesus ended this incident with a telling observation. “To whom much is forgiven from them is
much love received. To whom little is forgiven, from them little love is received”.

Are we guilty of being caught up in our self righteousness and lack of sin that, even in our spirits,
we frown on and deny the joy of salvation and release (beyond taboos) to persons who have been
weighed down by sinfulness and other people’s unwillingness to forgive and forget another’s
transgression?

Again we are reminded by Jesus himself of the great joy in heaven when even one sinner comes to
redemption

Today.

Ashley R Cain
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