Why doesn't he say something? (June 13, 2010)
By Rev. Bert A. Thompson

Did you ever notice groups of two in God’s word? Cain and Abel, the Pharisee and the tax collector, the wide and narrow path, the thief on one side of Jesus on the cross and the thief on the other side, and today’s account of Simon the Pharisee and the sinful woman.

There are groups of two in the Bible because there are only two ends to this life: heaven or hell, salvation or damnation. It’s Jesus or Satan.

The sinful woman in our Gospel lesson recognizes this, but sadly, Simon the Pharisee has no clue.

Simon invites Jesus to dinner. Jesus is popular right now. To have Jesus at your table means you are somebody. During this dinner hour, discussion takes place. The participants recline on couches as they eat. Their feet hang off the couches away from the table. On the edge of this dinner party, a crowd of local people gather to listen.

Suddenly, a serious breach of manners occurs. A woman in the crowd breaks ranks. She comes right into the honored area and kneels down behind Jesus at His feet.

Simon is shocked. I’m sure all the people start whispering. This woman has a reputation all over this town and it’s not a good one. People know who she is and what she has done. If Jesus
is a prophet as some people claim, why doesn’t He say something?

This woman is weeping so hard her tears are splattering all over Jesus’ feet. Then, she does something even more shocking in that society. She lets down her hair in public! Immoral! She uses her hair as a towel and wipes her tears off Jesus’ feet. And she continues to kiss His feet as she pours perfume on them. Simon glares at Jesus. What is Jesus going to do?

Jesus knows what Simon is thinking. Jesus wants Simon to repent of his sins also, as this woman is repenting of hers. Jesus says, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

Simon answers in an impolite way, rather like “Go ahead. Tell me.”

Jesus tells Simon of two debtors: one owes 50 day’s wages, the other owes 500 day’s wages. Both of them don’t have even one cent to repay their debts, so their banker cancels both debts. Which one is more grateful?

Simon suspects a trick question, so he says: “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt cancelled.”

Jesus does not say “You’ve answered correctly” but “You have judged correctly.” Simon judges the parable correctly, but Jesus wants him to judge the woman correctly. Speaking of sin: at the most, Simon thinks he only owes 50 and this woman owes 500. Jesus wants Simon to see that even if this is true, neither Simon nor the woman can repay even a penny of their debt of sin. Jesus wants Simon to see that only Jesus can cancel their debt of sin.

Sadly, Simon misses Jesus’ point completely. Simon thinks the good he does far outweighs the few bad things he might do. In contrast, this woman knows exactly who she is and what she has done. And she knows who Jesus is. Jesus is her Savior.

Jesus makes a great contrast between Simon and the woman. In Jesus’ day, sandaled, sweaty feet are washed by servants. Simon does not have his servants do this for Jesus. Middle eastern custom gives kisses on the cheeks to honored guests. Simon does not. Olive oil refreshes the hair. Simon gives none.
Yet this woman washes Jesus’ feet with her tears and wipes them with her hair. She keeps kissing those feet and anointing them with expensive perfume.

Who loves Jesus more, Simon or this woman? She love Jesus far more, because she knows what she
did and she knows what Jesus has done for her.

What do you think her terrible sins are? The Bible never mentions her sin and for a very good reason. If her sin is mentioned, people could say, “Oh, that’s not me!” Her sin is not mentioned so each of us can say, “That is me.”

Speaking of “That is me”, have you ever felt like this woman? Have you ever felt the unkind gaze of people as you approach the feet of Jesus here at His Table? Have you ever had the feeling as you go up to this Table that people are talking about you: “Why is she or he going up there? I bet if the pastor knew what he or she did, the pastor wouldn’t let them go to holy communion.” Have you ever felt that?

Yet you come to the feet of Jesus. Your tears are real and they are splashing on the feet of Jesus. You come, because you have to be at the feet of Jesus. No other place will do, because here is forgiveness of your sin.

Here you touch Jesus in His real Body and His real Blood. And you don’t even care who is whispering in the pews about you, because you need Jesus. And Jesus receives you. And Jesus forgives you all your sins. And you go home forgiven and free. You love Jesus because He first loved you. And in that love for Jesus, you don’t want to live in sin any longer.

When I was young, I lived only two minutes from church, but I was often late. If I missed Confession and Absolution at the start of the service, it didn’t bother me because I knew all the words. I went to Holy Communion because it was the right thing to do. My love for Jesus was not that strong because I thought I was a good person. I came to God’s house because that’s what good people do. The sermon was the high point of the service for me. If I felt the sermon fell flat, I was not too impressed.

Thank God, the Holy Spirit is working on this stubborn heart of mine. I’ve come to realize that I am a much bigger sinner than I thought I was. I study my hymnal because every word in the hymnal is meant for me. Confession and Absolution is Jesus speaking directly to me, saying, “Your sins are forgiven.” The Scripture lessons are for me. The sermon, whether eloquent or stumbling, is meant for me. The Body and Blood of Jesus is given and shed for my many sins. I can weep at this altar, because Jesus loves me. I’m beginning to see what Jesus means when He says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

This sinful woman loves Jesus immensely, because Jesus first loves her. She loves Jesus so much because she has been forgiven so much. I didn’t love Jesus that deeply, because I thought I was a pretty good person. Now, because the Holy Spirit has worked in me though God’s Word, I see that I desperately need the forgiveness He brings. I need His strength to stop sinning.

I am not a diabetic, so I do not need insulin. I don’t think much about insulin. But people who are diabetics need insulin to stay alive. Simon didn’t think much about forgiveness. He thought he did not need Jesus’ life-giving forgiveness, but the woman knew she needed Jesus’ forgiveness desperately.

Jesus surrounds Himself with sinners, real sinners, to release them from slavery to their sins. Jesus surrounds Himself with you and me. Jesus comes to you and me in our real sins, our sins that everyone knows and our sins that no one knows, our sins that wake us up at night, our sins that cause fear, stress and anxiety. Jesus comes to set you and me free from sin.

Here is the place He has promised to meet you. Here is the place where He hands out His gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation. Here is the place Jesus speaks to you through the lips of the shepherds whom He has sent to you. Here is the place where you are born into His family through the water of Baptism. Here is the place Jesus feeds you the food of heaven through their hands and the elder’s hands. Rest here in peace at the feet of Jesus.

Weep with joy, for He has made you His brother, His sister through His Blood. Weep for joy, because He gives you His strength to begin to resist sin, for sin no longer controls you.

Weep with joy, for your sins, which are many, are forgiven. Amen.