Dichotomy

Luke 7:36-50

³⁶One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, ³⁸and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. ³⁹Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” ⁴⁰And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” ⁴¹“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴²When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” ⁴³Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” ⁴⁴Then 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 wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. ⁴⁶You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. ⁴⁷Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” ⁴⁸And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” ⁴⁹Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” ⁵⁰And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Imagine you are hosting a dinner party, possibly in celebration of a visiting dignitary or honored speaker. When they arrive at your home, they are forced to simply enter your home without you bothering to answer the door. You don’t provide a greeting, nor do you take their coat. They are in fact made to stand unattended and no beverage is offered. Such a scenario is difficult to even imagine. If you were going to treat them that way, why did you even bother to invite them in the first place?

Much of what I want to share with you today comes from the brilliant work of Kenneth E. Bailey who has done extensive study on the parables, focusing on historical and cultural morays that are greatly influential in helping us to understand these events at a deeper level. He is quoted by other scholars in commentaries and from the pulpit on a regular basis.

This is a modern example of the situation in which Jesus finds Himself in our story for today. All of the socially acceptable customs of the day are being ignored. His feet are left unattended, no oil for His head is offered, and the kiss of greeting is omitted. While the invitation might have been extended because that was customary, the insult is clear and Jesus remains calm. Social dictates would have said that He must leave the gathering in haughty derision after such a slight. But Jesus stays at the party even though everyone there knows that the host has slapped Him in the face.

A long, low table, or more often merely the great wooden dishes, are placed along the center of the room, and low couches on either side, on which the guests, placed in order of their rank, recline, leaning on their left elbow, with their feet turned away from the table. Everyone on coming in takes off his sandals or slippers and leaves them at the door, socks or stockings being unknown. Servants stand behind the couches, and placing a wide, shallow basin on the ground, pour water over it on the feet of the guests. To omit this courtesy would be to imply that the visitor was one of very inferior rank. Behind the servants and the loungers the villagers crowd in and are not thought obtrusive in so doing. This explains how the woman achieved access to the house and how she could stand behind Jesus at his feet. Besides omitting the water for His feet, Simon had given Jesus no kiss. To receive a guest at the present day without kissing him on either cheek as he enters, is a marked sign of contempt, or at least a claim to a much higher social position.

Kenneth E. Bailey. Poet and Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes: A Literary-Cultural Approach to the Parables in Luke.

When the woman, who at first is just a part of the village crowd, stops at the feet of Jesus the story suddenly becomes even more interesting. This woman is a prostitute. She is known by the entire community as such, so for her to show Jesus this attention is almost alarming for the rest of the party guests. One cannot help but be moved by her sincere worship of Jesus and while the host has neglected his duties abysmally, she makes up for those offenses with her great humility and open adoration for Jesus. Her tears are just the beginning. Instead of water to wash Jesus feet, she uses her tears. Clearly she knows who she is ministering to and has seen all that Jesus has done. Then, lacking a towel, she lets down her hair. This would have been shocking to every person in the room because a woman’s hair was only allowed to be down in the most intimate of circumstances, at home with her own family. But her devotion moves her to perform this act and care not about her own reputation. Then, she anoints Jesus’ feet with perfume.

For her to anoint his head would be extremely presumptuous, as we have noted. No-but she can, as a servant, anoint his feet and thereby show honor to his noble person. Thus, while Simon's gesture implies Jesus to be of inferior rank, the woman's action bestows on him the honor of a nobleman in the house of a king. The kissing of the feet is not only compensation for what Simon has refused, but also a public gesture of great humility and abject devotion.

Kenneth E. Bailey. Poet and Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes: A Literary-Cultural Approach to the Parables in Luke

Jesus then steps up and points out the woman’s incredible devotion and Simon’s overbearing hubris. The lowly prostitute, who is clearly repentant, is granted forgiveness. Simon is shown to be the beggar here, unwilling to bow the knee to the Savior. Who do you most closely relate to in this story; the repentant prostitute or the pride-filled Pharisee? For most of us, we might have to admit to both for we all know what it feels like to wrestle with pride but we also hopefully understand that place of deep repentance. Jesus would have offered forgiveness to Simon as well but he was unaware of his own need and impressed instead with his own self-righteousness. Those who are convinced of their own self-declared holiness are not going to see their need for Jesus. May we never find ourselves in that place.