When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, “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.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. “Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty. Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The others at table said to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:36-50)
The sinful woman with the alabaster flask of ointment. Much has been made of this woman. Why was she there? Did she anticipate his death and anointed him in preparation? What else would account for her weeping and tears and then kissing his feet? She wiped his feet with her hair suggesting her hair was down and in front of other men, not just Jesus. Did Luke realize this behavior suggested intimacy. In Mark and Matthew this unnamed woman anoints Jesus’ head and not his feet. Why does Luke’s version of this incident have her wiping his feet? All questions with no answers.
The leaders appeared to be stunned as the 82-year-old pope, who suffers from chronic leg pain, was helped by aides as he knelt with difficulty to kiss the shoes of the two main opposing leaders and several other people in the room. His appeal was made even more pressing as anxiety grew in South Sudan that Thursday’s coup in neighboring Sudan might put at risk the fragile peace deal that ended South Sudan’s brutal five-year civil war.
The Vatican brought together South Sudanese leaders for 24 hours of prayer and preaching inside the pope’s residence in an attempt to heal bitter divisions before the country is due to set up a unity government. “There will be struggles, disagreements among you but keep them within you, inside the office, so to speak,” Francis said in Italian as an aide translated into English. “But in front of the people, hold hands united. So, as simple citizens, you will become fathers of the nation.”
Pope Francis’ attempt to “heal bitter divisions before the country” reminds us of the state of our country as we prepare for 2020 elections. As it currently stands, we don’t expect much feet kissing, just toe-bashing.
Let’s think about what we do every Good Friday. We all proceed to the altar where we kiss the feet of Jesus on the crucifix. Why do we venerate the cross? A kiss is a sign of love; we love and embrace what the crucifix represents: Christ's great love for us and the means to our salvation. It also represents our desire for forgiveness, that which was sought by the woman with the alabaster jar. It also represents the need for us to come together and heal our bitter divisions.
Next time we need forgiveness and seek to heal, imagine kissing the feet of the one(s) we have offended. For many of us our offenses have been great. Let's grab our alabaster jars. Our tears should bathe their feet.
Deacon David Pierce
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