A Tale of Two Women

~~~ 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.”

 

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...

Grace Enables Us

~~~ 1 Cor15: 1-11 ~~~ Psalm 118 ~~~ Luke 7:36-50 ~~~

 

"...But by the grace of God I am what I am,
and his grace to me has not been ineffective..."

 

Once again today we hear the beautiful lines from Paul's letter to the Corinthians.

What I love about Paul is his honesty and transparency with his followers.

He openly admits that he was once a person that was doing all he

could to fight against the new Christians.

 

In his transparency he acknowledges that it was only

through the grace of God

that his significant spiritual growth was made possible. 

 

Through the goodness of God Paul grew in wisdom concerning the things of God.

God saw something in Paul that he could use to reach others.

God was right...of course...

Paul's spiritual influence continues to flourish today.

 

Paul accepted God's grace and let it be the catalyst for his future mission.

 

The gospel story today of the sinful woman

who weeps and anoints the feet of Jesus

is also about grace and transparency.

 

"...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..."

 

 

This woman, even though a well known sinner within her community,

humbly approaches Jesus.

She is in a lowly position at the feet of Jesus.

She is vulnerable wiping his feet with her hair.

 

She did not come in singing and dancing attepting to seduce Jesus.

Those actions might have been more acceptable

 considering her reputation.

 

The Pharisee is also transparent; he does not try to hide

what he perceives as evidence contrary to what he believed.

"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."

 

Well the truth be told; Jesus did know this woman was a sinner

but she was

attentive in caring for him.

The Pharisee had just gone about his customary greetings

with a visitor in his home.

 

This woman did so much more than anyone would have expected.

 

For it is through grace that we too can do more than is expected.

It is through grace that we are safe to be transparent.

If we have nothing to hide transparency should be the norm.

 

Something drew the woman to the feet of Jesus.

Something brought her to her knees in his presence.

Something caused her tears to greatly flow from her eyes.

 

 

Where would you cast yourself today in this story?

 

Are you the Pharisee who extended the invitation?

 Are you the Pharisee who began to question the insight of Jesus?

Are you the Pharisee who was shocked but what he witnessed?

 

Are you the woman

who collects the finest perfumed oil?

Are you the woman

who weeps tears stored up inside from the past?

Are you the woman

who gladly falls to the floor in humility?

Are you the woman

who comes to wash the feet of the Master?

 

Are you so filled with the grace of God

that he could ask you to do anything for him?

 

Before God there is nothing but transparency.

He gives us enough grace to step away from our sins.

He gives us enough grace to go out and proclaim his word.

 

His grace truly is sufficieant for you to accomplish great things in his name.

 

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.