The setting of the third week in Ordinary Time is unlike the first two. The first two weeks are in crisis – a sick centurion’s slave and then then death of a widow’s son. In the first week (June 2) the teaching is by example – Jesus healed the sick centurion’s slave due to the centurion’s devotion to the slave and the centurion’s work in building the synagogue. Jesus lavishly praised his faith despite being a foreigner. The second week’s teaching reflects on Jesus – Jesus sympathy for the son of the widow to raise him from death.
This week appears more relaxed- at a meal in Pharisee Simon’s house. But we tend back to the first week in looking at who can be disciples -foreigners then and now the sinful. And that creates more tension in a challenging environment of men in a pharisee’s house. The focus is back on who Jesus as was the case in last week.
When Jesus attended a banquet, he was often the entertainment. (Feasting with Jesus). The rich liked to invite him to banquets to avoid the crowds – a more intimate setting. His role was to answer question posed by the guests. There is mutual respect between the guests.
However, this banquet is interrupted by the actions of the silent, sinful woman. who anoints Jesus’ feet with her tears, dries those same tears from his feet with her hair, kisses his feet, and anoints them with the salve. She was not wanted at this time.
As with many stories in Ordinary Time it highlights the extravagance of the kingdom and that appearances are not what they seem to be. When Jesus accepts the woman’s attention, Simon believes that he cannot be a prophet after all. However, Jesus deftly contrasts Simon’s hospitality with that of the woman. He is not criticizing him but rather identifying the difference between what Simon did, which is not unusual, and what the woman has done, which is extraordinary.
Jesus provides a lesson that discipleship involves forgiveness and it is forgiveness for not a few but the many. And that included women. All are a part of the Kingdom. The love that is generated by her is in response to her forgiveness. Forgivness is definitely part of the walk with Jesus.
Jesus uses a short parable to highlight that. The parable is about the difference in the depth of love from people who have been forgiven much versus those who have been forgiven little. The amount of money that is involved in Jesus’ parable may help to clarify what is at stake. In general, these financial calculations in Jesus’ parable are based on the assumption that a denarius would be a working man’s pay for a day’s work. Therefore, 50 denarii would be a little more than two months of labor. 500 denarii, on the other hand, is nearly two years of work. For a working man, two years labor is what is implied in the difference between 50 denarii and 500 denarii. Luke’s listeners would have recognized the forgiveness that is involved as a really big deal with 500 denarii, so tell it that way.
The dynamic of this story is to change one’s perception of the woman and to celebrate her gestures of love. That is what happens at the end of the story. Jesus turns back and speaks to the woman directly—it may be that he sits up or that he brings the woman into the middle of the circle which wasn’t the norm at the time.