The Sinful Woman

In the Asian culture,
there is an open door policy.
People can walk right into your home.

In Thailand,
after Johnny (Phil's brother) was killed,
Janelle came down the stairs
a day or two after the accident
to find a strange man kneeling
in front of the picture of John,
praying to him
and imploring him for forgiveness.
To take a life is unforgivable
in the Thai culture.
In fact, there is no word
for 'forgiveness'
in that culture.

The man,
who had taken Johnny's life
through his drunkenness,
wanted Johnny to forgive him
somehow,
and had come to his home
to pray to his picture
and ask for something
he didn't understand.

I say all that to say that in the Thai culture
and in the culture of the story I am
about to tell,
people can walk right into your home
because the door is literally open.

Also, in the Thai culture,
feet are considered dirty and disgusting.

If you point your feet towards someone,
you have insulted them.
The last thing one wants to do
is to touch another's feet.

I wonder if it was so in Jesus' day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Simon was a Pharisee.
He asked Jesus to come to his house
for dinner, so Jesus went.
He sat down on the floor around the low table
with His feet angled behind Him.

A woman in the city
who was a sinner,
heard that Jesus was at Simon's house,
so she took an alabaster flask of fragrant oil,
and walked right up to where Jesus reclined
at the table.

She stood behind Him weeping.

She bent down and began to wash His feet
with her tears, and wiped them
with the hair on her head.

She cried and cried
and with her tears,
she washed His dusty feet.

Then she began to kiss them.

I can just see her doing that.

Not only did she wash His feet,
she kissed His feet,
and then she anointed them
with the fragrant oil.

The very oil that she used to entice men
she poured out on Jesus.

The very oil that she bought with her
earnings of prostitution,
she poured out on Jesus.

She gave it all to Him.
She was never going to use it again.

She entered Simon's house as a sinner.
She washed Jesus' feet as a sinner.

I wonder how she knew Him.
I wonder why she loved Him so much.
There is more to this story than what
is written in The Book.

Of course,
the Pharisee knew what kind
of woman she was
and He didn't think much of Jesus' discerning skills.

But Jesus went on to tell Him a story
of two people who were in debt to the
same person.
One was in a lot of debt
and the other
was not.
"Simon, which one of the people
who owed money appreciated
the forgiveness of their debt the most?"

"Well, the one who was forgiven the most,"
Simon Says.

"That's right," said Jesus.
"Do you see this woman?
She has done for me what you did not do.
She has washed my feet with her tears,
and you didn't even give me water to do so.

You gave me no towel,
but she used her hair like a towel.
You gave me no kiss
and she has not stopped kissing
my feet since I've come in.

You didn't anoint my head with oil
but she has anointed my feet with oil.

It is true, she has many sins.
But I forgive her
because she loves me so much.
She has been forgiven much,
therefore, she loves much.

You have been forgiven little,
therefore, you love little."

Then He looked at that
woman, who had only
understood her value
by her usefulness to men,
and He said,
"Your sins are forgiven you.
Your faith has saved you.
Go in peace."

And they were amazed that
He had the authority to forgive sins.

I love that woman.

In one night,
she poured out all of her sensuality
on the only safe man around.

She gave Him what she had never
given any man ever before.

She gave Him her trust.
She trusted that He would not reject her.

How brave she was in her brokenness.
How courageous was her love.

She went away with a new identity.

Her flask of oil was empty;
her face no longer ashamed.

I love her for what she did for Him.
And I love Him for what He did for her.

Luke 7:36-50