Rev. Dr. Neil Thomas

Christ, it seems, used interruptions as teachable moments. A time for parables. A time for vision. A time for pausing and considering: what can be learned here? This woman came and, seeing Christ, burst into tears. Tears of guilt? Maybe. But also tears of joy and of healing and of transformation. Tears shed when one’s life was interrupted by grace. Maybe we need to ask ourselves how we respond to such interruptions? To such grace? She need not say anything. It is her actions that are shocking and in stark contrast to the others already in the room. She weeps, and she lets her tears fall on Jesus, which she then wipes with her hair. It is a very intimate scene. Why is she doing this? There is a reference to forgiveness, but the discussion reveals that the motivation is love, and the text seems to emphasize that we are not witnessing forgiveness that is a result of love, but love that is a result of forgiveness. This is born out in the conversation between Jesus and Simon. Simon acknowledges Jesus as teacher and Jesus teaches Simon by way of a story and question, suggesting that those who experience great forgiveness will naturally show great love. We are not told any details of the forgiveness the unnamed woman has experienced, just that she is a sinner, obviously in need of forgiveness. The others in the room see her as utterly “other,” but we know that is not Jesus’ perspective.