Contemplative Bible Reading

Luke 7:47-50 (New Living Translation)

47 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” 48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

49 The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?”

50 And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

This is the conclusion of the (hi)story of the immoral woman who knelt at the feet of Jesus and washed his dusty feet with her tears. She then dried the feet of Jesus with her hair and poured perfume on them.

By anointing the feet of Jesus, the woman was setting Jesus apart for a sacred purpose. That is what pouring expensive liquid on someone mean to the Jews. It is like us today standing when an important person walks in the room. The standing shows our respect and honor for the person. (Some of us still do those things.)

This immoral woman had faith, a belief in something not seen because it has not yet happened, that Jesus was the Christ, i.e., the one appointed to take away the sins of the world. She had an active faith in that she knelt there and did these things for and to Jesus.

At the protest of Simon the Pharisee, Jesus explained that the faith of the woman in those things spiritual brought spiritual salvation.

It is at the is point where I am supposed to conclude with a significant thought or two. How about this one? Sometimes, by faith in God, we do things that just aren’t done in a polite society (do we remember what a polite society was?). When questioned, we answer humbly and in truth. Yes, this is unusual, but I do this in the name of God. I think we can do that. Let’s have a little more faith in our lives.