Question:
‘Christianity’s emphasis on believing in Jesus is too exclusive. It shouldn’t be what people believe but how they live that matters.’
How much do you agree with this assessment and why?
Historical Context
Jesus’ choice of friends scandalised the religious and cultural elite of his day. For spending time with ‘the tax collectors and sinners’, some accused him of being a drunk himself (Luke 7:34). This, combined with Jesus’ openly critical stance towards the conservative religious establishment, meant that the Pharisees and others were increasingly hostile towards Jesus and his followers.
This account opens with Jesus being invited as a guest for dinner in the home of a wealthy Pharisee named Simon. In those days a dinner involving a notable guest could be fairly public, taking place in a courtyard where outsiders could stand around to observe the meal and listen in on the discussion. The gathering would be an all-male affair and the invited guests would recline on couches with their heads pointing inwards towards a central table.
What reasons might Simon have had for inviting Jesus to dinner with his friends?
The conversation at dinner is interrupted as a woman known locally for being ‘sinful’ – probably a prostitute – walks uninvited over to where Jesus is reclining and, while standing over him, begins to weep.
List each of the woman’s actions that Luke carefully describes.
What does the woman’s behaviour reveal about her emotions towards Jesus?
Small alabaster jars preserved expensive perfume and wealthy women often wore them around their necks as a beauty accessory. Pouring out the perfume meant breaking the bottle. For this woman that meant sacrificing a vital tool of her trade.
As well as the considerable financial sacrifice, what else would her actions have cost the woman?
What impression do you think this display of devotion would have made on the other guests present?
Simon is clearly very uncomfortable with the woman’s behaviour but focuses his disapproval on Jesus. Why do you think this is?
How does Jesus’ acceptance of this woman’s devotion undermine his credibility in Simon’s mind?
It seems that Simon’s doubts about Jesus’ insightfulness were unfounded, as Jesus responds directly to what Simon was thinking! Jesus tells a short story of two debtors, one owing the equivalent of two years’ wages, another about two months’ wages, but neither with the ability to pay back what they owe. Remarkably, the moneylender cancels the debts of both.
How does Jesus interpret the woman’s extravagant display of devotion towards him? What do you think has happened in this woman’s life to cause her to respond as she does?
What does it say about Jesus that he accepts her devotion without any sign of discomfort or embarrassment? What would it have cost Jesus to do this?
While speaking to Simon, Jesus turns towards the woman (verse 44). What does Jesus want Simon to understand about this woman in contrast to himself?
Having spoken to Simon, Jesus addresses the woman directly. He tells her that her faith has saved her. How has the woman expressed faith in this account? Who has she put her faith in?
The other guests are astonished by what Jesus says to the woman and ask: ‘Who is this?’ Why do you think they are left questioning Jesus’ identity in response to what’s happened?
What does this mean for me
We tend to think that the most tolerant and inclusive approach to God is to say ‘It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you live a good life’. Jesus in this story seems to say the exact opposite: ‘It doesn’t matter if you’ve lived a bad life – what matters is that you put your faith in me.’
At the heart of Jesus’ message is the claim that through trusting him we can experience God’s forgiveness and salvation – no matter who we are or what we’ve done. It was discovering this that caused the sinful woman to overflow with love. It was Simon’s failure to see his need for forgiveness that meant he was cold towards Jesus and condemning towards the woman.
Jesus teaches that God knows the worst there is about us and yet freely extends welcome and forgiveness to us at great cost to himself. How might discovering this about God make someone a more loving and inclusive person?
The gospels are full of people telling their stories - people asking questions, seeking relationships, searching for something more.
A central character, woven throughout each story, is Jesus, a historical figure surrounded by mystery. Join us as we explore these stories, and build up a picture of Jesus through the people he meets and the accounts that are written about him.