“SAINTS & SINNERS”
3rd Sunday
after Pentecost Luke
7:39 13
June 2010
John D. Lane Trinity
Church Staunton
VA
Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “If this
man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who
is touching him–that she is a sinner.”
Some
years ago, I was enrolled in a course at St. George’s College in Jerusalem. Our
time involved a lot of touring accompanied by scholars and other experts who
helped us to understand what we were seeing. One day, we were walking on a
wilderness trail like the Good Samaritan, “going down from Jerusalem to
Jericho”. Jerusalem is at the top of a mountain. Jericho is near the Dead Sea,
the lowest point on earth. Hence, ‘going down.’ Fifty or sixty yards from the
trail, Bedouin were living in several tents. We could see women, children, men,
goats, camels, donkeys. I noticed also that they had tapped into the power line
that went along the wadi and the water pipeline. No meter. The Bedouin are a
resourceful lot.
It
appeared to be an interesting culture, well worth a closer look. I asked our
leader if we could stroll over and chat them up. He pretty much freaked out:
“No, no, please no. If we went over there, they would insist on giving us major
hospitality, food, drink, etc. It would be hours before we could leave.”
In
many cultures, Bedouin included, eating with others has a special significance.
Among some of the head-hunting tribes of New Guinea, it is taboo to kill an
enemy whom you have fed. If you wait a few days, however, until the food has
passed through his system, no problem. In other cultures, it might be
relatively common for an acquaintance to serve you a meal in his home, but he
would have to consider himself a close friend indeed to eat along with
you. (Political correctness alert: I’m
saying ‘he’ because most of these rules govern relationships among men, not
women.) And in many traditional cultures, men and women do not eat together if
there are guests present.
In
today’s gospel we see that inviting someone into your house and eating with him
is important. It is an even bigger deal for a Pharisee, a paragon of
righteousness–make that self-righteousness–to invite someone controversial like
Jesus to a meal. And the Pharisee hedges his bet by not providing proper
hospitality, which Jesus later catalogues.
If
we hope to understand the gospels in general and the parables in particular, it
is important to see the extreme importance of irony, that is “the use of words
to express something different from and often opposite to their literal
meaning.” This explains why literalists and fundamentalists rarely quote the
gospels and virtually never the parables.
A
1999 film about Gilbert and Sullivan is called “Topsy-Turvy” because the plots
of their operettas are almost always turned on their heads by the end. In the
same way, the irony of today’s gospel is that the righteous man, the Pharisee,
is condemned while the sinner, the woman who keeps bathing Jesus’ feet, is
saved. Here’s the climax in Jesus’ words:
“Then turning towards the woman, he said to
Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for
my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her
hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped
kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my
feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been
forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is
forgiven, loves little.’ Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ But
those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is
this who even forgives sins?’ And he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved
you; go in peace.’”
Now
when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “If this man
were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is
touching him–that she is a sinner.”
It
has been said that it is the job of the preacher to comfort the afflicted and
afflict the comfortable, and I hope I’ve done enough of both over the years.
The biblical model for this is today’s gospel. Topsy-turvy. Among the sins of
the Pharisee is his failure to show hospitality to Jesus as well as to the
woman. As the Letter to the Hebrews has it: “Do not neglect to show hospitality
to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels unawares.”
The
Pharisee doesn’t think Jesus is a prophet because he is allowing a sinful woman
to touch him, but doesn’t realize that the prophet Jesus is looking right into
the Pharisee’s heart and finding it wanting. Jesus, higher than the angels, is
right in front of him, but the man fails to see it. Irony.
You
may have heard the story about the great biblical scholar and theologian Karl
Barth. He lived his whole life in Basel, Switzerland. Without realizing it, a
visitor to Basel sat down next to Barth on a streetcar. He said to him, “Do you
happen to know the great Karl Barth.” Barth replied, “I shave him every
morning.” The man returned quite excited to his hotel and told his wife, “I
just met Karl Barth’s barber.” Barth was right in front of him. Irony.
When
asked in 1962 (on his one visit to America) how he would summarize the essence
of the millions of words he had published, Karl Barth replied, “Jesus loves me
this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
“Judge
not and ye be not judged” we are told. Most of us are mistaken when we try to
look into the hearts of others, when we try to rank people from good to bad.
There are always whiners among us, but we often don’t know the trouble others
have. We can be quick to judge, when judgment should be left to God.
There
are rifts today that are greater than the chasm that the Pharisee believes
exist between the sinful woman and himself. Television news is full of vile.
Lies are forwarded every day about Obama and were about Bush and Clinton before
him. If they suit our political, economic, or social views, we treat them as
gospel and pass them along to our like-minded friends. As Jesus said, “You
shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” Why are we more ready
to listen to Rush Limbaugh or Chris Matthews than we are to Jesus? Do we think
Jesus is somehow too naive not to see through these guys? Since when did lying
and character assassination become family values?
The
Pharisee would be better off to practice unbridled hospitality like the
Bedouin. Jesus doesn’t just stumble into the Pharisee’s house. He is an invited
guest. If the Pharisee would look and listen more carefully, he would have a
better chance to understand the life-giving words and actions of Jesus. He
would see Jesus for who he is, and not wait to look for another. Irony.
Theologian
Norman Pittenger wrote a Forward Movement pamphlet entitled “Love is the Clue.”
These words need to be our touchstone today. Another noted theologian, the late
Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago said ironically, “I’ve been vilified; I’ve been
crucified; why, I’ve even be criticized.” Let’s lighten up on our self-righteous
criticism of others, and get on with love. As Saint Paul wrote to the church at
Philippi:
Finally,
beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever
is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any
excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Jesus
loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.
Refrain
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.