Christian Chapter Chat

3.06.2006

An Instructive Moment About Forgiveness

I dont really care for Gire's version of this story as much, although I LOVE this story, I wrote the following almost a year ago, in the last week of Lent (Holy Week), as we were approaching Easter, and its still how I feel and I dont think I could write it better, so Im not going to try....

There are 3 different instances of a woman annointing Jesus with oil and wiping it with her hair - all 3 are usually confused into one story, but it was not so...
#1 is found in John 11:2 and 12:3 - this is Mary - the sister of Lazarus and Martha
#2 is found in Matthew 26:1-13 and Mark 14:1-9 - this woman was at Simon the leper's house, she annointed Jesus' head(not his feet as in the other 2) and didn't use her hair - so its similar, but not altogether the same... some think this is Mary again from #1 although in a different instance....

What I am going to talk about today is #3 found in Luke 7:36-50 (NLT)

36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to come to his home for a meal, so Jesus accepted the invitation and sat down to eat. 37 A certain immoral woman heard he was there and brought a beautiful jar (alabaster box in KJV) filled with expensive perfume. 38 Then she knelt behind Him at His feet, weeping. Her tears fell on His feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing His feet and putting perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee who was the host saw what was happening and who the woman was, he said to himself, "This proves that Jesus is no prophet. If God had really sent Him, He would know what kind of woman is touching Him. She's a sinner!" 40 Then Jesus spoke up and answered his thoughts. "Simon," He said to the Pharisee, "I have something to say to you." "All right, Teacher," Simon replied, "go ahead." 41 Then Jesus told him this story: "A man loaned money to two people – five hundred pieces of silver to one and fifty pieces to the other. 42 But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?" 43 Simon answered, "I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt." "That's right," Jesus said. 44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn't offer Me water to wash the dust from My feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn't give Me a kiss of greeting, but she has kissed My feet again and again from the time I first came in. 46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint My head, but she has anointed My feet with rare perfume. 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 does this man think he is, going around forgiving sins?" 50 And Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Wow, what a story, and so often it's overlooked or combined with the other 2 so it loses some of its meaning...


We are looking at this story and it's about 6 days before the passover, so it's relevant to Holy Week and also a small character that tends to be overlooked, but contains a wonderful message...

Let's start with the woman - this is not Mary Magdalene as often is thought... Mary Magdalene is often portrayed as a prostitute - the Bible never refers to her this way, only that she was possessed by several demons of whom Jesus delivered her from.... the reason she is portrayed this way and why its relevant to this story is that Pope Gregory the Great decided that Mary Magdalene, the woman caught in adultery and the woman with the alabaster box that we are about to talk about was all one and the same - not true and with no Biblical basis... so now that that is cleared up, lets move on.... this woman was however an "immoral" woman and later thought of by Simon (the pharisee, not the leper as in story #2) as a sinner - this meant she was probably a fornicator or prostitue (not an adulterer b/c she still had the alabaster box which we will talk about later)... even Jesus said her sins were many...

So why not an adulterer? Whats the deal with this alabaster box you keep talking about? Each Jewish girl was given an alabaster box of expensive perfume (the box was to keep it pure) right around the time she came of age or so, maybe a little younger... Jewish girls were then "engaged/betrothed" to a Jewish guy (arranged marriage type deal)... when the Jewish girl decided she was ready to be married, she would go to her betrothed with her box and drop it in front of him, then she would get ready and be watchful, for her groom could come at any time from that point on (remember the story in Matthew 25:1-13 about the wise and foolish virgins - they were waiting on the bridegroom)... dropping the box signified that the girl was ready - she was ready for marriage, ready to follow, ready to submit, and ready to be loved... so this woman still had her box - she had never dropped it in front of someone before - she had never been married, she had never been ready to submit - until now... what a great honor she was bestowing on Jesus - she was ready to be joined to Him forever (not in marriage, of course), she was ready to follow, ready to submit, ready to be loved...

What a beautiful portrait of our salvation displayed in this woman though... we come to Jesus as dreadful, ugly people, and it doesn't matter who sees us when we come... we come when we are ready not because anyone makes us... and we drop our life in front of Him - when we are ready for marriage (ever notice that Jesus refers to Himself as the bridegroom and us the bride), ready to follow, ready to submit, and ready to be loved...

5 Comments:

  • "what a great honor she was bestowing on Jesus - she was ready to be joined to Him forever (not in marriage, of course), she was ready to follow, ready to submit, ready to be loved..."

    Very well stated, Addie. What a beautiful picture!

    I agree, I don't think you could write anything better than this. Thank you so much for sharing it!

    By Blogger Pilot Mom, at 12:45 PM  

  • Well Addie, holy cow! That was the most insightful thing you wrote. Now the part about the bridegroom all makes sense and I get the whole "being married to Jesus" stuff.

    Somebody get me a new set of glasses cause I think my prescription just changed!

    By Blogger HeyJules, at 1:06 PM  

  • What a lot of great information! Thanks for the historical references, Addie. Now I can just see Jesus' mother dropping her box in front of Joseph... "and by the way, there's something else you might need to know..."

    By Blogger Claire Joy, at 1:57 PM  

  • CJ, your sense of humor sleighs me!!!

    By Blogger HeyJules, at 2:19 PM  

  • Im glad you guys got so much out of it....

    CJ, now that was funny...

    By Blogger dangermama, at 2:57 PM  

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