now asks Simon a question,“ Who do you suppose loved the man more after that?”
It’ s a question that pierces Simon’ s paradigm. He knows what this is about. He knows that Jesus is calling him out on his own judgmental heart. I’ m sure with reluctance, he says,“ I suppose the one who had the larger debt.” I imagine Jesus smiling at this answer, as he turns and looks at the woman.“ That’ s right.” Those are familiar words would’ ve been familiar to Simon. He was always used to being right. When it came to teaching the Law, or his judgment of people. He’ d heard that he was right before, so why did they sound different today? Usually“ being right” results in feelings of pride, but today, it felt as though Simon, the teacher, was returning to the place of a student. This man, this Jesus, spoke with such authority, and yet such mercy. He was different than anyone Simon had ever met.
Just as Simon was processing that last question, Jesus asked another. The next verse is translated in our Bibles as a statement,“ Look at this woman,” but in the original Greek it’ s another question.“ Do you see her?” Of course Simon had heard the sobbing and seen her, but Jesus is asking Simon,“ Do you really see her?” Not as the sum total of her worst mistakes, but as a person. As a human being. Do you see her?
Do you see her tears and how each one represents a wound? Do you see her hair and how she desperately is seeking to belong? Do you see her kissing Jesus’ feet longing to feel free? Do you see her?
Jesus sees her. Jesus is what this woman has been desperately searching for. Imagine for a moment, the sound of her sobs filling her ears, echoing the deepest cries of her heart … and breaking in, she hears another sound. The voice that had told the story was now speaking to her.“ Your sins …” her transgressions, her mistakes, the things that she had chosen out of quiet desperation,“... are forgiven.” They’ re sent away. That’ s what“ Forgiven” means in Greek –“ Sent Away”. They’ re no longer a part of her. They no longer define her. They have been removed, and what’ s left is who she really is – a beloved daughter, sister, friend.
Are we like this woman today? Desperately hoping for some sort of relief? Have we been defined by our worst moments? Shackled by the shame of what should’ ve or shouldn’ t have happened? If that’ s us, if we’ re seeking for a place to call home, our invitation is to come to his feet. Pour out the oil, and anoint his feet with the fragrance of our deepest regret. We’ ve let the scent of shame shackle our life … Let’ s come to His feet. Pour it out, and hear his words“ Your sins are forgiven.” Our sin no longer define us! Our sin no longer holds us captive! We are set free from them because they have been removed from us! That smell of shame can be turned into a fragrance of salvation today! Will we come and lay it all down at his feet? Will we let him set us on a new journey, a new path? One of peace, not chaos. Will we believe that he is who he says he is? Will we look into his eyes and hear the words,“ Your faith has saved you, go in peace.” Jesus sees her. Jesus sees us.
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