Today, Scripture came to us and told us of a woman, a generous one. She expressed a deep devotion and affection toward Jesus in her generosity, by anointing His feet with expensive perfume.
Her story is relational. Jesus loves her, and she responds with a deep love for Him. Her story is inclusive, for Jesus doesn’t exclude her but forgives her sin and restores her to Himself. Her story is also financial. She presents Jesus with an expensive gift, which she bought from her earnings, which she pours over His feet.
Earlier, this woman lived her adult life in the shadows of society. The good, respectable folks banished and excluded her from their lives. Because of her life choices, which she may have made to survive, she endured disapproving stares and the backbiting of others because of a sullied reputation.
Her name is a mystery. Her history remains shrouded, for Luke doesn’t tell us. He doesn’t have to, only revealing her sin is common knowledge in the city (Luke 7:37, 39). Piling their wrongs on top of hers, those who know her history are quick to fling the first stone. She ponders, “Does God reject her since society rejects her, as well?”
So, we fast-forward to the end of our Lord’s visit with her. Jesus points to her past, full of disreputable wrongdoing. He doesn’t do this to shame her, but to deal with those sins, which caused her to burn with shame within. Jesus announces to all within earshot: “I tell you, her sins, as many as they are, are forgiven” (Luke 7:47).
Others spewed out contempt, but Jesus loves her and removes the stain of sin. Jesus doesn’t ignore her history but looks at its sordid ugliness to forgive it. He doesn’t shun her but brings her into His grace, giving her faith. He tells her: “Your faith has saved you,” the faith, which Jesus just gave her. What follows forgiveness and faith? Jesus speaks it. “Go in peace” (vs. 50).
Jesus goes to visit a Pharisee, named Simon. Jesus is dining with him in his home. A forgiven woman, filled with faith, finds out where Jesus went. She seeks Him out because she wants to honor Him, with an expensive perfume, which she earlier bought. The woman approaches Jesus, with her tears beginning to wet His feet. With her hair, she wipes and dries them. She kisses his feet and anoints them with the perfume.
Such strange behavior, attracting the attention of everyone present. The sinful nature within those eating with Jesus now kicks into high gear. “If this man were a prophet, he would know the woman touching him is a sinner!” (vs. 39). Jesus can’t be a prophet because a prophet would have stopped her as soon as she started. What’s their implication, which they are too polite to say in their conversation? She is a prostitute.
So, Jesus busts open a parable. Two men owe another man a debt. The first owes almost two-years’ worth of wages. The second about two months’ salary. The lender decides to cancel both debts. Jesus asks, “Which of [the two debtors] will love [the man who canceled their debts] more?” (vs. 42). Hello—the one with “the larger debt”! Jesus replies, “You’re right” (vs. 43).
Jesus now positions Himself to speak to everyone at the dinner. They provided no water to wash His feet. So, the woman washed them with her tears. They offered no towel to dry His feet. So, she wiped them with her hair. The host didn’t even greet Jesus with a kiss, a custom of the day. So, she kissed His feet. They offered no oil to anoint His head. So, she poured out her perfume.
“I tell you, her sins, as many as they are, are forgiven—as her great love has shown.” Jesus said her sins were forgiven before He forgave her. So we find out this encounter with Jesus and the woman is the second part of the story. They met earlier, and Jesus forgave her. In gratitude, she sought Jesus out to thank and honor Him.
So, Jesus tells the Pharisees, “The one who is forgiven little loves little” (v 47). She gives far beyond what one would expect because she first received from Jesus more than she ever imagined or hoped—forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.
The Pharisees and the woman both gave. The Pharisee did so to measure up, to meet the expected standard, and to make the cut. The woman gave because of what Jesus had given to her—an incredible gift she could never earn or deserve, even a gift no one else could give to her. Forgiveness and faith are all about Jesus.
The cross of Christ and our Lord’s conversation with the woman are linked. How? By forgiveness. That is what she is: forgiven. The feet she holds and caresses will soon be dead on the executioner’s cross. The voice speaking words of forgiveness to her will soon cry out in agony, “It is finished” (John 19:30).
Jesus pays the debt in full. His generous giving is an extravagant, extraordinary act of love that only He can give. The forgiveness He speaks to the woman is a preview of what He will bring into being.
Let me tell you a story of a king, who lived in an ancient time. Throughout his life, an official of the court served the king well. One day, the King summons him. The official enters the King’s chamber and bows before him.
“You are a good and faithful servant,” the King declares. “I want to present you with this gift as an expression of my love for you.” The king gives his servant a chest of gold and precious jewels.
The king’s actions stun the official. He doesn’t see how he came to deserve such a gift or receive such wealth. He was only doing what he was given to do. Moved by the King’s gift of love, he speaks through his tears, “My King; this is more than I deserve. Your gift is too much for me to receive.”
Fixing his eyes on his servant, the king replies. “You may think the gift is too much for you to receive, but it is not too much for me to give.” The woman in our Gospel reading gives to Jesus from love and devotion, bringing her costliest gift. His forgiveness covers her. This gift of our Lord’s forgiveness is more than she deserved, no matter how many lifetimes she lived—but not more than the Savior could give.
So also for you and me. Our giving to God begins with the gift of His forgiveness, which we, too, would never deserve. But we still receive it because it is not too big of a gift for the Savior to give. Our life in Christ is not about us, but all about Him!
Did you spot how intentional Jesus was to forgive her sins? Did you detect how deliberate the woman was to express her love and devotion back to Him?
Jesus refuses to join the chorus of shame and hate-filled words against this woman. Withholding love is not His way. So, He is intentional when He addresses her condition—sin. He is intentional in the gift He gives her—forgiveness. He is intentional in the new reality He creates—faith. Jesus is just as intentional with you and me.
The woman distinguishes herself by not dismissing Jesus or His generous gift of forgiveness. She is intentional as she plans to approach Him—at a particular time and place. She is intentional as she chooses the gift she brings—a most expensive perfume. She is intentional in the position she takes—at His feet. Her generous giving is intentional as she gives to Jesus from gratitude, love, and devotion.
Their intent, Jesus’ and the Woman’s, is significant. Generous giving is no accident. The death of Jesus on the cross was not an accident. It was an intentional moment in history, planned by God from eternity. The gift of the woman is not an accident. Her generous giving is an outgrowth of her love, focused on Jesus, devoted to Him, and done with deliberate intent. So it is with us and our giving back to God.
When the woman gives to Jesus, she clarifies her love for Him. How so? Her actions moved her love from something abstract (her feelings) to something concrete (what she did). When you give to God, choosing to do so, it helps focuses your attention on Him. Isn’t that what you want for your faith-life with God, to be focused on Him?
Generous giving isn’t about measuring up or making the grade, but about giving up—giving up on your deeds to make yourself right with God. As ironic as it seems, when you give up what you have to do to be right with God, that moves you to give. Our Lord giving to you is not an abstract idea, and neither is your response to His grace.
Jesus didn’t abstractly save you; His death and resurrection are real events and real actions. Jesus isn’t present in His Supper, as some ill-defined idea, only to be received spiritually. If that were true, why would Jesus command: “Eat… drink”? His forgiveness to you in His Supper is real because He is real in His Supper. He does not come to you as an abstraction.
So also, giving back to God isn’t something abstract, but relational, based on what He does for you and who you are in Him. God’s faithful love for us brings us to a deep-rooted love for Him, undistracted by lesser wishes or demands.
“We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). We give because He first gave to us. We give because He even gives to us now, in Word and Sacrament. Even our life of faith, even our giving back to God, is Christ for us being lived out in a real way in our lives. Amen.
