forgiveness

One of the daily lectionary readings today is about a "sinful woman". She isn't even named, but she is the central figure in the story (Luke 7:36-50). Jesus is at the home of a Pharisee, one of the important leading men of the synagogue, having dinner. A woman comes in, kneels behind Jesus, washes his feet with her tears, wipes them dry with her hair, and then pours expensive ointment on them from an alabaster jar.

Clearly, it was an expensive jar of oil. How much had it cost her? How long had she saved it?

Clearly, she was deeply moved. Have you ever cried so much that you could wash someone's feet with your tears? Felt so empty after crying that you MUST be dry inside, but then the tears just keep coming, from some deep well of pain and sorrow?

The man who had invited Jesus for dinner declared that Jesus couldn't possibly be a prophet, otherwise he would have known how sinful - how rude - how intrusive - how inappropriate - this woman was.

But Jesus was gentle, merciful, and spoke out loud, not in her defense, but words of forgiveness. Rather than the judgment she herself knew she deserved, Jesus spoke to her deep sorrow and forgave.

A couple years ago I was at a clergywomen's conference in which a pastor spoke about the cost of the oil in her alabaster jar. Another woman sang about the cost of the oil in her alabaster jar. How much had it cost that woman - her pride, her dignity, her last shred of "I've got to hold it all together"? And when she poured it all out at the feet of Christ, she found forgiveness.

I don't know how much the oil in your alabaster jar cost you. No one really knows the cost of another's alabaster jar. Christ does though, and into that deep well of sorrow and shame, he speaks grace, mercy, forgiveness.

A dear friend signs the end of every email with this saying:

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

So true - and everyone you meet is carrying their alabaster jar, waiting to pour it out at the feet of Christ. Speak graciously. Offer mercy. And give thanks to God.