Reflection for September 19, Thursday; Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 7:36-50

Gospel: 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.”

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Reflection:

What compelled the woman to wet the feet of Jesus with her tears? What compelled her to wipe Jesus’ feet with her hair and to kiss Jesus’ feet and anoint them with an ointment?

It was her sinfulness, she was already tired of living her life in sin that’s why when she learned that Jesus was in Simon’s house. She did everything to get near Him so that she could humbly honor Him with whatever humble gesture that she could offer Jesus.

The repentant woman went to Jesus she did not verbally ask Jesus for forgiveness. But it was very evident that through her actions she wanted Jesus to forgive her of her sinfulness. She wanted a renewal on her life which no one could give her except Jesus. By her actions Jesus recognized her desire for forgiveness and renewal, therefore her sins were forgiven.

Never did she think that Jesus would condemn and judge her she simply focused on her need to be forgiven. This is Jesus for all of us, a God who will never condemn our sinfulness no matter how serious. A God who will never judge us based on the sins that we have committed in the past.

What is important for Jesus is for us to completely walk away from our sinfulness. The here and now which is free from any form of sin. Never mind the past sins for as long as we have the humility to ask for forgiveness and to walk away from it all.

The humble gesture of the woman was her way of asking for forgiveness of her past sins. The woman spoke to Jesus through her heart, she spoke through her acts of humility. Thus, Jesus heard the desire of her repentant heart. - Marino J. Dasmarinas