A Poem a Sunday - Pentecost 4 – C -
June 12, 2016
St. Luke 7:36-8:3 - New Revised
Standard Version (NRSV)
Commentary: Middle East hospitality in the first century
included purity rituals of welcome. This
incident is an example of Kingdom hospitality where Jesus welcomes those on the
margin and those on the margin are examples of faithful responses to God’s gift
of grace. Forgiveness is an offense to
those who are unable to see their own complicity in lacking compassion. What does our churchly hospitality reveal to
the outsider today?
A Sinful Woman Forgiven
36 One
of the Pharisees asked Jesus[a] to eat with him, and he went into
the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. 37 And a woman in
the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s
house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. 38 She stood behind him at
his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them
with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the
ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to
himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of
woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.” 40 Jesus spoke up
and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Teacher,” he
replied, “speak.” 41 “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five
hundred denarii, [b] and the other fifty. 42 When
they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them
will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he
canceled the greater debt.” And Jesus[c] said to him, “You have judged
rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see
this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has
bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45 You gave me
no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet.
46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with
ointment. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been
forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is
forgiven, loves little.” 48 Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves,
“Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your
faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Some Women Accompany Jesus
8 Soon
afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the
good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, 2 as well as
some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called
Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna, the wife of
Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them[d] out of their resources.
Footnotes:
Simonized
The signage
is clear,
the
bathrooms are clean;
the donuts
and coffee
presented
with prestige.
Each name
tag
announces:
“You are
welcome!”
“Come in!”
Yet, each
pew is preserved,
each
parking place reserved
(a human
habit, I guess,
off-putting
for guests).
Simonized
hospitality,
polished
and smooth,
covers a
heart
that cannot
make room.
Room for
the woman,
lonely, in
despair;
where
everyone is happy
does anyone
really care?
Care to
hear the heartache,
the
darkness of life
yearning
for sanctuary
amidst all
the strife?
Striving to
live
between the
ache and the awe,
she lets
down her hair
and she
enters the hall.
At the foot
of the altar
she opens
her perfume;
odors of
Eden
mixed in
with her gloom.
Too much to
forgive
so she lets
it all go
lavishly
open
extravagance
overflows.
How dare
such a sinner
be shown so
much grace?
Doesn’t she
know
she is
creating a disgrace?
Little is
love
that
forgives what is trite.
Abundant is
love
that gives
new life.
Liberated
woman,
Simon still
a slave.
Simonized
hospitality
is all that
he gave.
A Poem a Sunday
May be used with permission
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