~~~ 2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13 ~~~ Psalm 32 ~~~ Galatians 2:16, 19-21 ~~~ Luke 7:36—8:3 ~~~
David lusted after Uriah's wife, Bathsheba.
He became so intent on possessing her for his own
that he set up the death of her husband.
The sins of David were serious, but God never hesitated to forgive him.
God waited patiently until David came to an understanding
of the gravity of his sins.
Then David said to Nathan,
“I have sinned against the LORD.”
Nathan answered David:
“The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin:
you shall not die.”
“I have sinned against the LORD.”
Nathan answered David:
“The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin:
you shall not die.”
Bathsheba was taken in the sin of adultery by her murderous King.
As a woman she had to obey when summoned by David.
Of course this does not excuse her part in their sin of adultery.
I think we are given these two serious sins, murder and adultery,
in the same reading today so that we might better understand.
There is no sin, no matter how grave or serious,
that God is not capable of forgiving.
Paul says
...I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me...
The woman in today's gospel realized she was a sinful woman.
She came to pay homage to the one she believed to be the Messiah.
'...she stood behind him at his feet weeping...'
She did not want to interrupt his meal she just wanted to serve him.
She came in repentance for her sins.
She came bringing the finest ointment she had.
She did not leave her gift sealed in the jar.
She cracked it open revealing the fragrant ointment.
This was the fragrance of her remorse for hers sins.
Her tears fell upon the feet of Jesus.
She used her hair, symbolic of her feminine beauty, to wipe his feet.
These feet that had walked down the dusty dirty road to the house.
Her humility was greater than her concern for protocol.
She proceeded to kiss his feet.
Whose feet would you kiss today?
Tiny baby feet are typically the feet I would most likely want to kiss.
I can only imagine this woman's joy when she heard these words form Jesus...
“Your sins are forgiven.”
“Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
She came to Jesus because in her heart she believed
he would accept her as she was...
a sinful woman.
Bathsheba was ordered to appear before David.
They committed their sin together.
Two women one coming for forgiveness the other coming to commit sin.
God forgives all sin if we seek his forgiveness.
If we do not seek this forgiveness
how can we expect to be forgiven?
Two women one with beauty the other with tears.
God draws us into his presence
so that we will desire his forgiveness.
Once forgiven we too can join Paul in proclaiming...
...I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me...
So touching. I cried during the reading of this gospel today at mass.
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