June 11, 2010
Sunday Scripture
Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
BY FATHER DONALD DILGER
Jesus is a dinner guest at the home of a Pharisee named Simon. Jesus did not exclude Pharisees, despite the bad press most of them get in our four gospels. Some of them were his friends and even warned him of lethal danger from Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee. During the dinner at Simon’s house, a woman of that city, “who was a sinner,” (probably a prostitute), entered the dining room. She brought an expensive container (alabaster) of ointment. Standing behind Jesus, at his feet, she moistened his feet with her tears, toweled them dry with her hair, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
Obviously Jesus’ feet were not under the table as is our custom when eating. He followed local custom, adopted from Greek usage, of reclining at table on a bench close to the table. The diners propped themselves up with one elbow on the table, while their feet extended either onto the bench or protruded outward from the bench. This made it possible for the woman to easily approach Jesus’ feet. Simon, his host was disgruntled. He knew this woman. Whether or not in the biblical sense of a man knowing a woman, we do not know. Luke attributes this thought to Simon, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman this is touching him, for she is a sinner.”
Jesus knows his host’s thoughts. He replies with a parable. One man owed a lender fifty denarii (fifty days’ wages). Another man owed five hundred denarii. He forgave both. Which of the former debtors loved his benefactor most? Simon suspects it was the man who had been forgiven the greater debt. Jesus agreed. The lesson of the parable follows. When Jesus came into Simon’s house, he did not receive the customary symbols of welcome — no water for his feet, no ointment bestowed on his head or feet. This woman, supplied all that Simon omitted. Simon had judged the woman harshly. Jesus also judges her, but only to forgive her many sins, “for she loved much. Those who have little forgiven, love little.” Simon is implicitly told that he too is a sinner, but that in his omission of customary hospitality, he loved too little. Therefore he gets little forgiveness. This was probably the last time Jesus was invited to dinner at Simon’s house.
Jesus turned to the woman, and said, “Your sins are forgiven.” This brings the usual criticism, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” It was commonly believed that only God can forgive sins. Luke omits the accusation of blasphemy against Jesus by his claiming to forgive sins. In Luke’s catechesis, the question of Jesus’ critics, “Who is this, who even forgives sins,” was already answered in the Annunciation and Visitation. In the Annunciation, the son promised to Mary is “Son of the Most High, Son of God, a King who rules an eternal kingdom.” In the Visitation, Elizabeth says to Mary, “How is it that the mother of my Lord should come to me? In the Greek in which Luke writes, “Lord” is rendered as Kurios, a title the Greek Old Testament uses for God in the revelation of God’s personal name in Exodus 3:15-16.
Luke adds a postscript. Among those with Jesus in a preaching tour of cities and towns were the Twelve and a group of women whom Jesus had cured of sickness. Luke mentions Mary Magdalene, (“from whom seven demons had gone out”), Joanna, (wife of Herod Antipas’ prime minister), Susanna, “and many other women.” Unfortunately for Mary Magdalene, Christian interpreters of ancient times, true to their bias against women, decided that the “seven devils” had to refer to sins against the Sixth Commandment.” Tertullian, (died 240), was the first to identify Magdalene with the “sinner woman” of the preceding story. Gregory the Great, (died 604), identified her also with Mary of Bethany, sister of Lazarus. Thus this great woman-disciple of Jesus, supportive of him to the end and beyond, was evolved into a triple personality, and was defamed as a prostitute, though now reformed.
King David’s house-prophet Nathan confronts the king about his adultery and murder of the husband of the adulteress. David repents by admitting his sins. Nathan assures him, “The Lord has forgiven your sin. You shall not die.” The story was chosen for today’s liturgy because it echoes the themes of repentance and divine forgiveness already seen in today’s gospel. David’s situation was not quite as easy as it seems from this brief reading. As the story continues in the Bible, there were further unpleasant consequences of David’s very grievous sins.
Paul develops his theology of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, rather than through the works prescribed by the Torah. Paul’s background for this statement is found in Psalm 143:2, “No man alive is righteous before thee (God).” The most memorable statement of this brief reading is this, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me . . .”