13 June - Forgiven

A theme constantly in Jesus’ teaching and very near to his heart was the necessity for forgiveness in human relationships. The day Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them to pray he put the issue of forgiveness at the heart of our relationship with God. In two simple and inseparable petitions, he teaches us for all time that forgiveness is conditional. We cannot be forgiven unless we ourselves are forgiving people.

We mention this because something very like it is at the heart of the story in the gospel. It was customary at a meal in the Greco-Roman style for strangers to stand around the edge of the room in the shadows. They might be poor or in some other need. They might be trying to attract the attention of a prominent guest from whom they wished a favor. In Jesus’ case, a woman wants to thank him. She does so very effusively and passionately. Jesus’ host is silently appalled by her behavior and Jesus notices.

How does Jesus deal with the situation? From what he says, we can assume that he and the woman have had a previous encounter. She is known as a sinner, possibly a prostitute. It is obvious that Jesus has made all the difference in her life, probably making it possible for her to deal with the anger and self-hatred which are part of her existence. Anger and self-hatred are part of many of our lives and to get this point across, Jesus tells a story. Its message is that the greater a person’s sense of being forgiven, the greater the gratitude will be. Jesus then applies this to our inner lives. The key statement Jesus makes is in verse 47. “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.”

This theme obviously was central in Jesus’ thinking. We hear it in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican in the temple. We hear it again in the story of the prodigal son. On each occasion, Jesus seems to be saying that to realize without illusion who we are, to realize how little we can claim to be, yet at that same moment to realize that we are accepted by God precisely on these terms, is to discover the secret of inner freedom and inner acceptance. To taste this is to taste the Kingdom of God.

Peace,

Fr. Bob +