The Pardon of the Sinful Woman

Today’s Gospel reading comes from Luke 7:36-8:3 about the Pardon of the Sinful Woman. This scripture reading is once more about a woman who has committed sin, just like the woman who was caught in adultery.

However this is the story of the Divine Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ who shows the sinful woman that by forgiving her sins, God is showing his love.

“36 A Pharisee invited [Jesus] to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 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, 38 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 then, and anointed them with the ointment.

39 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 sinner.” 40 Jesus said to him in reply, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” Tell me, teacher,” he said.

41 “Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty. 42 Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon said in reply, “The one. I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

44 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. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. 47 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.”

48 He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 The others at table said to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” 1 Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.

Accompanying him were the Twelve 2 and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.”

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This wonderful story is about the sinful woman who finds the Lord Jesus Christ being invited to a Pharisee’s house and though she is not invited, she doesn’t hesitate to enter the house and, weeping, began bathing his feet with her tears and wiping them with her hair and kissing his feet. Then she anointed his feet with ointment. Notice that the woman didn’t say a word, she just did what she had to do as a way of asking for his forgiveness and showing her love for our Lord Jesus Christ.

Then notice that the Pharisee named Simon 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 sinner.” Jesus obviously heard the murmuring Simon and replied with a parable about a creditor who forgave two debtors, one with five hundred wages and the other fifty. Then our Lord proceeded to ask Simon, “Which of those whose debts were forgiven would love the creditor more? Simon of course replied, “The one with the larger debt.”

Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Whenever we go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation a.k.a. confession, after we’ve done enumerating our many sins to the priest, he gives us these very exact words, “Your sins are forgiven.” To those of us who go to confession regularly, we must have heard these words many, many times. But how many of us ever thought that while we heard the voice of the priest, it is no less than our Lord Jesus Christ who has forgiven us because the priest is doing this in “Persona Christi.” But do we really believe that we are forgiven?

Notice at the end of this gospel, Luke mentions the women who accompanied our Lord Jesus, providing for him with their own resources. Those women were sinners, which is why they loved Jesus so much more and that is why a woman like St. Magdalene became a saint.

So why did these sinful women stick it out with Jesus? In Luke 12: 34 we read, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”  Our Lord Jesus Christ came to this world for sinners. As Oscar Wilde once said, “The only difference between Saints and Sinners is that every Saint has a past, while every Sinner has a future.” God loves us all!

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