Greatly Loved by God; Greatly Forgiven by God

"The dawn from on high will break upon us..."

The Rev. Kathi Johnson

Year C, Lectionary 11 – 12 June 2016

Text: Luke 7:36-8:3

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Grand Prairie, Texas

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This story of the woman anointing Jesus so captured the ancient imagination that each of the four gospel writers included a version in their own telling of the Jesus story. In Matthew, Mark, and John – the other three gospel books besides Luke – those who are with Jesus judge the woman for being wasteful. The costly ointment, they say, should’ve been sold, and then the proceeds could’ve been given to the poor. It is in Luke that we have this particular version of this story, where the woman is judged not for being wasteful, but rather, she is judged for her morality – or lack thereof.

Luke introduces this woman to us by calling her a “sinner” but does not name her particular sin. Because history is not often kind to women who make bold gestures, her sin has often been named throughout history as prostitution. But please notice that the woman’s sin is never named by the gospel writer, nor does Jesus call her out for her sin in this story.

The woman’s actions are very bold, indeed. To us, they seem foreign – they are foreign – they come out of a very hands-on place and time – remember Jesus healing the blind man by rubbing saliva on his eyes? Don’t be put off by the intimacy of her actions – rather, look at the devotion with which she does them.

The woman is weeping, and her tears bathe Jesus’ dirty feet. Jesus’ feet are probably dry and cracked from walking so much on dusty roads; the woman rubs ointment on them to provide relief. And throughout these rituals of devotion, the woman blesses his feet with her kisses. This is loving work done by someone who knows she is loved.

Jesus commends this woman to his host, Simon, for her acts of love and hospitality – acts which, by the way, should have been provided by the host. Through this story in Luke, we hear that God can forgive someone who doesn’t sin much, but we also hear that though the woman’s sins are many, God’s forgiveness is even greater.

Simon looks at this woman and only sees someone who has sinned greatly. Jesus looks at this woman as one who is greatly loved by God, and greatly forgiven by God.

Luke has this way of lifting up the lowly in his gospel. In the very first chapter of Luke, Mary the Mother of Jesus is visited by the Angel Gabriel and told that she will bear the Messiah, even though she is a young unmarried woman. Later that same chapter, Mary rejoices that God – through her child - will topple those who are lofty and will lift up the humble. When John the Baptist is born, his father prophesies that the Messiah will “give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.”

And here, in today’s story, we find a woman whose reputation precedes her, and she is made new through Jesus Christ, who offers her forgiveness and love. This “good news of great joy for all people” that we hear about in the Christmas story – this good news has reached this lowly woman, and has lifted her up.

When I am out socially with people I don’t know very well, I don’t always tell them right away that I’m a pastor. Here’s why: oftentimes, as soon as people find out I’m a pastor, they feel guilty, for whatever reason. They feel the need to apologize for not being at church for the last twenty years, or – and this is funny – they feel the need to apologize for the cuss word that’s just slipped out of their mouth in front of me.

It seems to me that they are horrified to find themselves in the presence of someone who – to them – personifies holiness. They are convinced that they could never go to church again because they just aren’t holy enough to walk through the doors. Somehow, at some time, they became convinced that God only wants to see the truly righteous ones in church – and they feel in some way that they just don’t measure up.

I don’t always have the opportunity in these instances, but when I do, I try to talk with people about our church. I tell them how great of a church I get to pastor. I tell them about ways we are involved in our community. I tell them about some of the things we do to help others. And…I also tell them – forgive me – that we aren’t perfect. We, like this woman, are sinners.

Because the true beauty of our church is not only the community service we do, or the good we do in the world. The true beauty of our church is that we are loved by God, and forgiven by God.

Yes, we sin.

Yes, God loves us.

Yes, God forgives us.

And it is then out of this love and forgiveness that we are able to take the love we ourselves receive from God, and turn it into action. The sinful woman was forgiven, and her response was to cleanse and anoint Jesus’ feet.

We are forgiven – and what is our response? Do we care for others in any way we can? Do we try to bring healing to a hurting world? Do we cast our own judgments of others aside, and try to see them through the loving eyes of Jesus? Do we help the downtrodden? Do we lift up the lowly?

Yes, we sin.

Yes, God loves us.

Yes, God forgives us.

Yes, God calls us to love God, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. And when we do these, we discover that love casts out fear, and casts out hatred, so what we are left with is love.

Amen.

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