13th June 2010 - "The unwelcome guest"

ColinHull - Ayot St Peter's
2 Sam 11:26-12:10, 13-15
Gal 2:15-end
Luke 7:36-8:3

Theme: The unwelcome guest

Seeing it from the inside

There is a particular way of reading the gospel and bible stories by trying to immerse your self in the story as one of the characters. To see the story from the inside and how it affects what you think and feel. So today I want to take you on a mental journey to witness a woman who comes weeping at Jesus’ feet. With a bit of imagination I want you to become part of the scene. Place yourself in the scene.

A prior meeting

But first I want you to imagine another scene. Something that may have happened a short time before. You have heard Jesus preaching about the kingdom of God and about how God is like a shepherd who goes out of his way to seek a lamb that has become lost from the flock. Perhaps it touched a feeling in your own life when you felt you had done something wrong. You decide you want to hear more of this teacher and start following him.

But then you notice Jesus sitting down in the market square with a group of prostitutes. They are well known locally. He is sitting sharing some bread and a drink. He is speaking gently to them and asking about their lives. One of them says she does not like what she is doing but she has no other means of earning a living. She has no man to look after her and now nobody wants her. Jesus continues to talk for a while before getting up to leave. He turns to you and says “Come, we have a dinner invitation”

Simon’s house

You arrive with Jesus at a big house with a courtyard. There are couches arranged around a table and all the guests are reclining. As you go in a somewhat stern looking man looks at you both and beckons you to two empty couches near to him. You lie on the couch and some food is brought to you.

You look around.All the couches appear to be occupied with men who are obviously strongly religious and probably Pharisees and teachers from the Rabbinic school nearby. They discussing some finer parts of the laws of Moses and start to try and draw Jesus into their discussions.

The unwelcome visitor

Then you notice a sudden hushed silence and then disapproving glances towards a woman who has just come in. You recognise her as one of the women Jesus had been talking to earlier. She comes in and kneels at Jesus feet muttering something to him. She takes off his sandals and you notice tear drop falling on his feet. She dries these off with he hair. She opens are jar of a perfume. Its smell wafts around us as she then proceeds to pour it on his feet and massage it into his skin.

You glance around at some of the other guests. People are shifting uncomfortably and passing disapproving looks at each other. Some are whispering and shaking their heads. There are a few who are laughing but it is not a nice laugh, as they are making fun of her and Jesus.

What about you? Are you shocked to see this? Are you uncomfortable with this strange display? What would you have said to her? What would you say to Jesus about her?

Jesus is speaking to Simon the host. Simon had provided no water to wash his feet but this woman has. He tells Simon he received no proper greeting of friendship but this woman has done more than make up for it since she came in.

“Do you see this woman?” Jesus asks

Of course we see her. Or do we?

Do we really see her as she is? Have we really understood her and her life up till now? All we have known about is what she has been. But how did she come to be that way? What circumstances have led her down the path that so many disapprove of and want to judge her for?

Do we sit in judgment on a life we know nothing about? What has shaped us in our lives? What good influences came our way that did not come to her? Can we recognise the people who led us and taught us and gave meaning to creating a good and godly life? Are we thankful for what we have received that has brought us God’s grace and love?

A large debt

Jesus tells as story of two people with debts that are cancelled. One owed much more than the other. Surely the one who had the larger debt was more thankful. What do you think? Of course if you owed a larger debt you than another person you will be more relieved if it is cancelled.

Do you begin to see what Jesus is coming to? The woman kneeling at his feet is crying with gratitude. She has already felt the burden if her life’s failures are being lifted. Jesus had taken an interest in her earlier, as no one ever had. No other person filled with God’s spirit and authority had ever got near her to tell her of God’s love for her. All people had ever done before was to use her for their desires or shun her because of her way of life. She knew her debts and failures before God and society were many- but now she felt accepted and loved and could now find the way to change.

“Your faith has saved you go in peace”

You see Jesus get up and lift her to her feet. He puts his arms around her and kisses her cheek. He draws back and smiles at her and you see a smile on her own face and a new light in her wet eyes. She goes away happy. But what will we do now she has gone, after what we have seen? What will we do after seeing those tears of repentance and gratitude? The perfume poured on his feet. How does it make us feel about our selves? And how will it affect how we see people and judge them? Will we be more like Jesus or are we still like Simon the Pharisee?

A-men