Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 7:36-50

 

A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him that she is a sinner.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. “Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty. Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The others at table said to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

 

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus teaches a very important lesson about forgiveness. Why are we compelled to do the things that we do?  A woman, who is described as a sinner or prostitute, greets Jesus and begins shower him with gifts of special reverence. “She stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears.” What compelled her to prostrate herself before Christ except for the sorrowfulness for her sins.  She came to the feet of Christ and bathed his feet with her tears.  These tears expressed the contriteness of her heart.  She was truly sorry for her sins and knew that she had offended our Father in heaven.  On her knees, crying in sorrowfulness she expresses her remorse for who she is. It was her contrite heart that Jesus saw and forgave. 

   

Many times we are blind to the actions of others and judge them wrongly.  The Pharisee was rather indignant at what he saw. The Pharisee thought, “If this man were a prophet, he would know … that she is a sinner.” Jesus, knowing the inner thoughts of the Rabbi, uses the moment to teach the man about forgiveness.  It is obvious that the grace of God has filled the woman with repentant sorrow.  It is this repentant sorrow that compels her to kneel at the feet of Jesus.  It is also the hardness of the Pharisee’s heart that causes him to wrongly judge the motives of the woman.  Out of pure love, the woman worships Christ.  In response to her act of love Jesus forgives the woman of her sins.  Because of his blindness to the truth, the Pharisee cannot see the forgiveness.  In his blindness, the Rabbi does not even greet Jesus with the customary greeting yet the woman used precious oil which would have been extremely valuable.

 

The real message here is that the woman, through her own humility, fell prostate at his feet and showed true love and compassion for Christ. Because of this demonstration, Jesus says, “So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” We are all sinners. Are you willing to fall prostrate before him and ask for true forgiveness? Do you love him enough to spend the valuable perfume to anoint him? Do you shed tears over your sins? Do you open yourself to the grace and unlimited mercy of God? We can take the position of the Pharisee and reject God’s love or we can take the position of the sinner and accept God’s love. When you take time to examine your conscience and evaluate your sins, you are at the feet of Christ. What you do while you are at the feet of Christ tells God what is truly on your heart.  It is through the humility of reconciliation that we shed the tears that open us up to true forgiveness. It is through our faith, Christ’s grace and love, that we are saved.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord Jesus Christ, I fall to your feet.

A weep in sorrow because I am a sinner.

Let me anoint you with my tears and my sorrows.

I give these things up to you my Lord so I can be filled with your grace.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon