There’s a story in Luke chapter seven that has captured my imagination for a number of weeks now. That’s the amazing thing about the stories of Jesus Christ, they tend to capture the imagination for long periods of time. At least they do for me. And this story encompasses a radical rabbi who bucks the authority of the religious people of his time, a woman of questionable character, and a religious zealot who takes issue with both. The story goes a bit like this…
One day, while Jesus was trying to interface with the religious people of his day, he made a small success and was invited to dinner by a religious leader named Simon. When Jesus arrived at Simon’s house Simon was inhospitable and rude as he provided no way for Jesus to wash his feet nor did he offer Jesus any oil to slick back his hair. Now these things were customary in those days as traveling on dirt roads had the unfortunate consequence of collecting dust in the hair and on the feet. As Jesus attempts to dust off his feet and pulls his hair back, he begins to question the motives of his host.
Now during the course of the evening a well known woman “a sinner” as she is called in the story (which probably meant that she was a prostitute) found out that Jesus was nearby at this dinner. So she invited herself to the event (many dinners were spectacles for entire towns to watch) in hopes of seeing this famous rabbi who bucks the authority of the religious people. What desire drove her to such boldness? Did she hear the stories of healing and forgiveness? Had she heard Jesus’ prediction of his death and was so determined to see him before that could possibly happen?...
She arrives at the dinner and notices that that Jesus has not been offered the courtesies accustom to an honored guest and wasn’t he a rabbi after all? She makes her way behind Jesus and is overwhelmed by him to tears. What brought about these tears? Certainly a lifestyle of selling her soul and body to feed herself and her children could well enough bring tears. But God knows too well the injustice dealt her by her husband. A divorced woman has little chance and little choice. She’s well aware of her shortcomings, but in this man she seeks a different kind of hope. She has always heard that the life she lives is punishment from God for her many sins and she wants desperately to believe otherwise. And so the tears flow and she falls at Jesus’ feet.
Not having a towel she allows her tears to bath Jesus’ feet and like so many times before, she lets her hair down for yet another man. Only this time she isn’t looking for payment for her next meal. She had heard that this rabbi cancels out sins and does so in a way that truly liberates people. Her hair is dirty. Now his feet are clean. And she had brought something very special around her neck. If her life could afford one thing it would be to anoint this one man with something so exotic and so elaborate… if the rumors she had heard were even half true then there was no one more worthy than he was. She pulls the bottle and begins to lavish very expensive oils on his feet.
As she does this, Simon thinks that Jesus must not be as great a prophet as he has heard or else he would not allow a whore to touch him this way. Jesus sensed his thoughts and saw the disgust on his face. Jesus rebukes this religious leader telling him that she bathes him in tears and oil because she feels she has lost much and has much to regain with her piety. Then he basically says to Simon, “You do not feel this way because you justify your sin and assume God is on your side. You think you have little to forgive so you kick the wounded while their down. And you believe you are better than most everyone.”
Then Jesus did something a rabbi didn’t have the authority to do. He says to her “you are forgiven”. Now at this point in Jewish history it was well understood that only God could forgive and for that only by sacrifice. Sin of this “magnitude” would have required much outward show of remorse. She would have had to have been purified at the temple and gone though other rites in order to be declared forgiven. The reality was, there was little institutional hope for her forgiveness. There was little hope the “God” would ever find favor in her again. Yet, a popular but radical rabbi says “You are forgiven.” And the hushed murmurs begin… who is this guy that he can do what can only be done by God. Is he greater than our God and His temple?
Hearing these murmurs, Jesus thinks, I’ll one up them here and he says to her: Go in (Peace) your faith has saved you.
This is such a radical story of Grace and it is my belief that this kind of Grace can only flow from God himself.
Jesus is radical about the grace he shows in this passage...
1. He allows this “sinner woman” to touch him. In a time and place where people believed that sin and its repercussions could be transmitted by physical contact, Jesus purposefully allows and encourages this woman’s affections.
2. Jesus lifts the piety of a woman (a prostitute at that) up and over that of the religious. In other words he dishonors his host and sides with woman. In this day a woman couldn’t even testify in court. Jesus holds her piety up as greater than that of the religious leader.
3. He steps well above his role as a rabbi and side steps “God” and the temple, by forgiving her of her sins. This is at great risk as he is claiming that the Temple is no longer necessary (as he does through most of the gospels).
4. Finally he restores for her the relationship between her and God. Now this short blog entry is too small to expound on this one, but I believe (as do others) that Jesus’ message may have been less about living in heaven or hell forever and more about restoring peoples faith in God and God’s disposition them. He offered Eternal life which he defined as intimacy with God and with Himself.
This is just the first of many stories of Jesus that blow my mind about who he was/is. The more that I get to know him, the more in love with him I find myself. I often overhear people talk about Christians and how judgmental or condescending they are. Truly I have had my own experiences with these “kind of Christians” as well. I wonder, do they even know Jesus? Do they really? But it’s easy to say these things. What about me. What about the kind of grace I show to others? Who in my day might be the woman needing this kind of radical grace. Will they find Jesus’ radical kind of grace in me?
