A Woman’s Unburdening
Notes
Transcript
A Woman’s Unburdening
A Woman’s Unburdening
I know it is cheesy, and I rarely do it…but here is how the Oxford dictionary defines ‘unburden.’
relieve (someone) of something that is causing anxiety or distress.
"the need to unburden yourself to someone who will listen"
We organize several lists in the spreadsheets of our mind
The pressure to be a ‘woman of faith’ can be overwhelming.
Often, I find, we organize our ‘must do’ list in the spreadsheet of our mind
Then we let it overwhelm us
And finally, we attach our value to accomplishing the list.
And we keep several lists
One for what has gone well, things we wanted to get done in life
One for what has not gone well, we want a ‘do over’ for these
One for what needs to get done, which haunts us every single day of our life
And we connect God’s acceptance, and sometimes love, to the accomplishment of that list.
There is a story in scripture, the gospel of Luke, that speaks of a burdened woman
One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward 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 wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss 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 are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at 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.”
The reactions to this story are fascinating.
One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.
Her public vulnerability at the feet of Jesus is striking
The first women we meet in scripture hid with her husband because someone told her she was naked and her shame was exposed, seen by all.
Not shame as in naked, well, yes, but who cares.
The shame of being discovered, found out to be the fake and phony you believe yourself to be.
Who told you that you are naked so that your shame hides you from Jesus the Messiah?
Allusions to uncovering the feet, not for procreation here, but as a very intimate act for an unstated reason.
It is possible that word about Jesus has spread in town, and she is coming to him
Her vulnerability is moving.
Someone who is weeping in a room is hard to ignore.
They are loud, sniffles, blow a nose, and you cannot keep the sounds inside!
If we wanted to really play on the biblical motif…
Consider the water of her tears
When water appears, we should be asking ourselves why.
As if she is pouring out the chaotic waters of her tears on the feet of Jesus, who can part them, and walk above them.
Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
Violations against the law
You are not to consort with sinners
Uncleanness is infectious
But the motive of Simon the Pharisee is betrayed in the text
He wants to determine if this man is a man of God, a prophet, perhaps a Messiah
Simon the Pharisee has determined beforehand how a ‘prophet’ of God would behave
And when Jesus does not fit that systematic definition, Simon, get this, judges Jesus.
Let that settle in your brain for a moment…
“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Jesus uses the concept of debt to reach the Pharisee, and others around the table of the Pharisee.
Allusion to the Jubilee period when you forgive debts every 50 years (well, forty nine)
Then turning toward 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 wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.
***Do you see her…
A halting statement we all should pay attention too.
We don’t know why she is a known ‘sinner’ in the city
Jesus looks at Simon and almost commands him to look at her.
***I entered your house…
So did she
A backhanded statement that had Simon received her he would have received Jesus
Jesus is comparing Simon’s treatment of the woman to himself.
Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”
***Therefore…
Some traditions read this as Jesus interacted with her previously, forgave her sins, and she is here in gratitude to anoint him with thanksgiving of expensive perfume and her tears.
Some traditions need it to be read this way. Otherwise, her love precedes forgiveness, which, in some systems, is not possible.
***And he said to her…
But, I think Jesus’ response to her puts the nail in that coffin.
Your sins are forgiven…
I prefer to simply read the text.
She loves Jesus, she is forgiven
When Jesus forgives her, there is no celebration. There is not wonder and awe. There is no joy or gratitude that Jesus could forgive them.
No.
‘Who is this?’
Obviously it is not possible. Only God can forgive sins.
At some point, this woman, who is not unlike any of us, simply closed the spreadsheets in her mind and succumbed to her angst.
In her angst, she can think of only Jesus
And she does not care what anyone thinks
They are going to think what is true or fantasy, regardless of what you do.
Her desire is relief in her mind
Just one thing that is sure
Just one thing she can hold as true
Just one person who will see her
And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
I wonder if anyone has treated her with the dignity that Jesus has?
A bible nerd will recognize the astounding words of Jesus in this closing verse.
Often, we just skim over this.
If Jesus’ statement of forgiveness was shocking
This statement, even more so!
How can Jesus proclaim that she is saved?
And, she is saved just as Abraham is saved.
He had faith, and God said that is righteousness
As opposed to her original identification as a ‘sinner’
***Go in peace
You are aware there is a law in place at this time, called Torah, that outlines an offering called the ‘Peace Offering.’
Leviticus 7 outlines the process to make a peace offering.
There are two types of bread required
One unleavened
One leavened
And Oil is to be mixed with the unleavened.
What is in the alabaster jar?
Anointing oil
What is a term for Jesus, when we think of bread?
Bread of life
Who is the leavened bread?
She is
The Peace offering is a meal
Where is she?
At a meal
But only a ritually clean person can bring a peace offering.
Yet, she is forgiven, and here she stands.
***She knows the wisdom principle of the law better than those at the table
And that is what Jesus recognized
The law, for her, is a place for peace, not tyranny
Perhaps for her…
The tyrannical mental lists,
Were set aside, for even a brief moment,
So she could be at peace with her Lord
And her judges, the same ones judging Jesus, for a moment
Were silenced
A Woman’s Unburdening
A Woman’s Unburdening