LEARNING TO SEE

Luke 7:36-50

Rev. Paul Wrightman  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 9/1/24

DODIE GRADIENT, A SCHOOLTEACHER FOR THIRTEEN YEARS,

DECIDED TO TRAVEL ACROSS AMERICA

AND SEE THE SIGHTS SHE HAD TAUGHT ABOUT.

TRAVELING ALONE IN A TRUCK WITH A CAMPER IN TOW,

SHE LAUNCHED OUT.

ONE AFTERNOON ROUNDING A CURVE ON I-5

NEAR SACRAMENTO IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC,

THE WATER PUMP BLEW ON HER TRUCK.

SHE WAS TIRED, EXASPERATED, SCARED, AND ALONE.

IN SPITE OF THE TRAFFIC JAM SHE CAUSED,

NO ONE SEEMED INTERESTED IN HELPING.

LEANING UP AGAINST THE TRAILER, SHE PRAYED,

“PLEASE GOD, SEND ME AN ANGEL. . .

PREFERABLY ONE WITH MECHANICAL EXPERIENCE.”

WITHIN FOUR MINUTES A HUGE HARLEY DROVE UP,

RIDDEN BY AN ENORMOUS MAN SPORTING LONG BLACK HAIR,

A BEARD, AND TATTOOED ARMS.

WITH AN INCREDIBLE AIR OF CONFIDENCE, HE JUMPED OFF AND,

WITHOUT EVEN GLANCING AT DODIE, WENT TO WORK ON THE TRUCK.

WITHIN ANOTHER FEW MINUTES, HE FLAGGED DOWN A LARGER TRUCK, ATTACHED A TOW CHAIN TO THE FRAME​​ 

OF THE DISABLED CHEVY,

AND WHISKED THE WHOLE 56-FOOT RIG OFF THE FREEWAY

ONTO A SIDE STREET, WHERE HE CALMLY CONTINUED TO WORK

ON THE WATER PUMP.

THE INTIMIDATED SCHOOLTEACHER​​ 

WAS TOO DUMBFOUNDED TO TALK,

ESPECIALLY WHEN SHE READ THE PARALYZING WORDS

ON THE BACK OF HIS LEATHER JACKET: ​​ 

“HELL’S ANGELS – CALIFORNIA.”

AS HE FINISHED THE TASK, SHE FINALLY GOT UP THE COURAGE TO SAY,

“THANKS SO MUCH,” AND CARRY ON A BRIEF CONVERSATION.

NOTICING HER SURPRISE AT THE WHOLE ORDEAL,​​ 

HE LOOKED HER STRAIGHT IN THE EYES AND MUMBLED:

“DON’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER.

YOU MAY NOT KNOW WHO YOU’RE TALKING TO.”

WITH THAT, HE SMILED, CLOSED THE HOOD OF THE TRUCK,

AND STRADDLED HIS HARLEY.

WITH A WAVE, HE WAS GONE AS FAST AS HE HAD APPEARED.

OUR SCRIPTURE TEXT THIS MORNING CONTAINS​​ 

A POINTED QUESTION THAT JESUS ASKED:

“DO YOU SEE THIS WOMAN?’

IT’S APPARENT FROM THE STORY ABOUT THE SCHOOLTEACHER

WITH HER BROKEN TRUCK THAT ALL SHE COULD SEE IN THE GUY

WHO STOPPED TO HELP WAS SOMEONE DANGEROUS,

QUITE POSSIBLY A CRIMINAL,​​ 

AND WHO WAS​​ OUT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HER.

THIS PARALLEL’S SIMON THE PHARISEE’S JUDGMENTAL ATTITUDE

TOWARD THE WOMAN WHO WASHED JESUS’ FEET

AND DRIED THEM WITH HER HAIR.

ALL SIMON COULD SEE WAS A LABEL –​​ 

PROBABLY THE LABEL “PROSTITUTE” –

AND NOT THE WOUNDED PERSON BEHIND THE LABEL.

SINCE JESUS INTENDED HIS QUESTIONS​​ 

TO ECHO DOWN THE CENTURIES AND CHALLENGE EVERYONE,

AS WE LOOK AT TODAY’S SCRIPTURE TEXT

WE NEEED TO SHUN THE TEMPTATION TO SIT BACK AND ENJOY

WATCHING JESUS MAKE SIMON SQUIRM.

NO, THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS BIBLE STORY IS TO GET US

TO ASK OURSELVES THE​​ SAME​​ QUESTION THAT JESUS ASKS SIMON:

“DO YOU SEE THIS WOMAN?”, OR “WHAT DO YOU SEE?”

DO WE SEE A​​ PERSON​​ OR A​​ PROBLEM?

DE WE SEE A​​ PERSON​​ OR A​​ LABEL, A​​ STEREOTYPE?

DO WE SEE A PERSON WHOM GOD LOVES JUST AS MUCH AS US,

OR SOMEONE WE SECRETLY WISH GOD WOULD RELEGATE

TO THE GARBAGE HEAP?

SIMON THE PHARISEE WANTS TO​​ TEST​​ JESUS

TO SEE IF HE IS A PROPHET, AS HAS BEEN CLAIMED.

SO HE INVITES JESUS TO A​​ BANQUET, WHERE MEN,

EXCLUSIVELY, DISCUSS WEIGHTY MATTERS SUCH AS PROPHECY.

OUR SCENE IS FILLED WITH TENSION​​ 

BECAUSE OF WHAT​​ DID​​ NOT​​ HAPPEN.

REMEMBER THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF THE RULES OF HOSPITALITY

IN THE CULTURE OF THE MIDDLE EAST.

THE​​ MINIMUM​​ JESUS COULD EXPECT WOULD HAVE BEEN

A KISS OF GREETING, A LITTLE WATER FOR HIS FEET,

AND SOME OLIVE OIL WITH WHICH TO ANOINT HIS HEAD.

TOWARD THE END OF THE STORY THE​​ OMISSION​​ 

OF THESE THREE COURTESIES IS MENTIONED SPECIFICALLY BY JESUS.

NO ONE IN THE ROOM COULD HAVE FAILED​​ 

TO OBSERVE THEIR OMISSION.

THE​​ INSULT​​ TO JESUS IS​​ INTENTIONAL

AND ELECTRIFIES THE ASSEMBLED GUESTS.

WAR​​ HAS BEEN DECLARED​​ 

AND EVERYONE WAITS TO SEE JESUS’​​ RESPONSE.

HE IS​​ EXPECTED​​ TO OFFER A FEW TIGHT-LIPPED REMARKS

ABOUT​​ NOT​​ BEING​​ WELCOME​​ AND​​ WITHDRAW.

RATHER, HE​​ ABSORBS​​ THE INSULT AND THE​​ HOSTILITY​​ BEHIND IT

AND DOES​​ NOT​​ WITHDRAW.

AT TRADITIONAL MIDDLE EASTERN VILLAGE MEALS

THE OUTCASTS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE NOT SHUT OUT.

THEY SIT QUIETLY ON THE FLOOR AGAINST THE WALL,

AND AT THE END OF THE MEAL ARE FED FROM THE LEFTOVERS.

THEIR PRESENCE IS SEEN AS A COMPLIMENT TO THE HOST

WHO IS THEREBY SEE AS SO NOBLE THAT HE EVEN FEEDS

THE OUTCASTS OF THE COMMUNITY.

ONE OF THOSE OUTCASTS, ONE OF THE THROW-AWAY PEOPLE

SITTING AGAINST THE WALL, WAS A “SINFUL” WOMAN –

“SINFUL” HERE PROBABLY BEING A EUPHEMISM FOR PROSTITUTE –

WHO HAD HEARD AND ACCEPTED JESUS’ MESSAGE​​ 

OF GRACE FOR SINNERS.

IT IS IN THE PRESENCE OF​​ GRACE​​ 

THAT BROKENNESS IS MOST CLEARLY SEEN.

JESUS DID NOT​​ BADGER​​ PEOPLE TO REPENT.

REPENTING – ADMITTING ONE’S NEED FOR THE​​ HEALING TOUCH

OF GOD – WAS SIMPLY WHAT PEOPLE FOUND THEMSELVES​​ DOING​​ 

IN ORDER TO​​ PARTICIPATE​​ IN THE FLOW OF​​ LIFE​​ 

THAT JESUS WAS OFFERING.

AWARE OF THE DRAMATIC INSULT INFLICTED ON JESUS

BY THE HOST OF THE BANQUET, THIS WOMAN CAN NO LONGER

CONTAIN HERSELF AND DRAMATICALLY​​ BREAKS​​ 

THE RULES OF ETIQUETTE IN TURN.

THE​​ HOST​​ REFUSES THE TRADITIONAL COURTESIES?

VERY WELL,​​ SHE​​ WILL COMPENSATE FOR HIS RUDENESS

AND OFFER THOSE COURTESIES​​ HERSELF.

BUT IF SHE​​ ASKS​​ FOR WATER THEY WILL​​ NOT​​ GIVE IT TO HER

BECAUSE THEY​​ WANT​​ JESUS HUMILIATED.

ANGRY OVER THE RUDENESS JESUS HAS JUST ENDURED

AND FRUSTRATED AT HER POWERLESSNESS

TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, SHE BEGINS TO​​ WEEP.

SUDDENLY THE LIGHT DAWNS.

THAT’S IT –​​ HER​​ TEARS.

SHE​​ WILL WASH JESUS’ FEET WITH HER​​ TEARS. ​​ 

THE WOMAN’S TEARS ARE​​ NOT​​ FOR HER​​ SINS,

WHICH HAVE​​ ALREADY​​ BEEN FORGIVEN,​​ 

BUT FOR​​ JESUS’ PUBLIC HUMILIATION.

SHE IS IN ANGUISH BECAUSE, BEFORE HER EYES,

THIS BEAUTIFUL PERSON WHO SET HER FREE

WITH HIS MESSAGE OF GOD’S LOVE FOR​​ ALL,

IS BEING PUBLICLY​​ HUMILIATED.

ONE THING LEADS TO AOTHER, AND WE SEE HER UNCOVERING

AND LETTING DOWN HER HAIR TO​​ DRY​​ JESUS’ FEET.

THIS WAS A SHOCKING BREACH OF DECORUM.

IN TRADITIONAL MIDDLE EASTERN SOCIETY,

FROM THE DAYS OF THE JEWISH RABBIS TO THE PRESENT,

A WOMAN WAS AND IS OBLIGED TO COVER HER HAIR IN PUBLIC.

AMONG THE OFFENSES THAT JUSTIFY A MAN DIVORCING HIS WIFE

WITHOUT A FINANCIAL SETTLEMENT IS UNCOVERING

OR LETTING DOWN HER HAIR IN PUBLIC.

WE CAN SEE ALL THE MEN RECLINING AROUND THE TABLE

AT THIS BANQUET OPEN-MOUTHED WITH​​ SHOCK​​ AND​​ DISGUST.

THAT IS, ALL EXCEPT​​ JESUS.

JESUS IS​​ EXPECTED​​ TO​​ REPUDIATE​​ THIS WOMAN’S ACTIONS

AND​​ ORDER​​ HER TO​​ LEAVE.

INSTEAD, HE​​ ACCEPTS​​ WHAT SHE IS DOING

AND ALLOWS HER TO​​ CONTINUE​​ TO DO IT.

BETWEEN THE HOST’S​​ INSULTING​​ JESUS ​​ 

AND NOW JESUS’​​ ACCEPTANCE​​ ​​ 

OF THE MINISTRATIONS OF THIS SINFUL WOMAN,

THE TENSION IN THE ROOM IS​​ UNBEARABLE.

ONE​​ PERSON, HOWEVER, IS PRETTY​​ PLEASED.

THIS IS SIMON, THE HOST, WHO THINKS THAT HE NOW KNOWS

DEFINITIVELY THAT JESUS IS​​ NOT​​ A PROPHET,

BECAUSE NO​​ PROPHET, ACCORDING TO​​ SIMON’S​​ DEFINITION,

WOULD​​ ALLOW​​ SUCH AN​​ UNCLEAN​​ PERSON TO​​ TOUCH​​ HIM.

NOT ONLY HAS SIMON SUCCEEDED IN INSULTING JESUS,

HE AND HIS FRIENDS CAN NOW GO ON RECORD

THAT JESUS ALLOWS – EVEN​​ ENCOURAGES! –

DESPICABLE BEHAVIOR FROM DESPICABLE PEOPLE.

THESE LIGHTNING-FAST ASSESSMENTS​​ 

ARE HAPPENING IN SIMON’S​​ MIND.

HE IS SAYING ALL THESE THINGS TO​​ HIMSELF.

IT IS IN THE SAFETY OF THE​​ INSIDE,

IN THE​​ SECRET​​ SPACE WHERE WE TALK TO​​ OURSELVES,

THAT THE MOST DAMNING​​ JUDGMENTS​​ CAN BE MADE

WITHOUT​​ FEAR​​ THAT THEY WILL BE​​ CHALLENGED.

UNLESS, THAT IS, SOMEONE IS ABLE TO EAVESDROP ON THE​​ HEART.

IN THE ASSESSMENT OF SIMON THE PHARISEE,

JESUS IS NOT ENOUGH OF A PROPHET TO KNOW​​ 

WHAT KIND OF A WOMAN IT IS WHO TOUCHES HIM.

BUT IT DOES SEEM THAT JESUS IS ENOUGH OF A PROPHET

TO KNOW WHAT THE SILENT SIMON IS THINKING TO HIMSELF.

FINALLY, JESUS SPEAKS UP WITH A BLUNT CALL TO VERBAL​​ BATTLE.

“SIMON, I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO YOU.”

THE PHRASE “I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO YOU,”

IS A CLASSIC MIDDLE EASTERN IDIOM THAT INTRODUCES​​ 

A STATEMENT THAT THE LISTENER DOES NOT WANT TO HEAR.

BUT INSTEAD OF A DIRECT​​ ARGUMENT,

JESUS THROWS SIMON OFF GUARD WITH A​​ PARABLE:

“A CERTAIN CREDITOR HAD TWO DEBTORS;

ONE OWED AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO FIVE HUNDRED DAYS’ WAGES,

THE OTHER AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO FIFTY DAYS’ WAGES.

WHEN THEY COULD NOT PAY,​​ 

HE CANCELED THE DEBTS FOR BOTH OF THEM.”

A VERY SIMPLE PARABLE, FOLLOWED BY A VERY SIMPLE​​ QUESTION:

“NOW WHICH OF THEM WILL LOVE HIM​​ MORE?”

SIMON GETS THE ANSWER RIGHT, BUT ONLY​​ TENTATIVELY​​ RIGHT.

HE “SUPPOSES” THE “ONE FOR WHOM HE CANCELED

THE GREATER DEBT.”

HE IS​​ GUESSING​​ AT THE OBVIOUS MATH RATHER THAN​​ FEELING

THE GUT-WRENCHING RECOGNITION OF THE MOVEMENT

FROM​​ HOPELESSNESS​​ TO​​ HOPE, FROM​​ DEADNESS​​ TO​​ LIFE.

IT IS JUST THIS FAILURE OF​​ DEEP​​ LIVING,

OF NEVER HAVING ALLOWED HIMSELF TO ADMIT

HIS OWN​​ BROKENNESS, TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIS OWN

DESPERATE​​ NEED​​ FOR GOD,​​ 

THAT MAKES JESUS’​​ SECOND​​ QUESTION SO DIFFICULT FOR SIMON.

JESUS TURNS TO THE WOMAN AND ASKS SIMON:

“DO YOU​​ SEE​​ THIS WOMAN?”

OF COURSE HE​​ DOESN’T​​ SEE HER.

ALL HE CAN SEE IS A MEMBER OF A​​ CLASS, AN​​ OBJECT,

A CERTAIN​​ KIND​​ OF WOMAN, A​​ SINNER.

NEITHER DOES SIMON REALLY​​ SEE​​ JESUS.

ALL HE CAN SEE IS A​​ FALSE​​ PROPHET.

JESUS HAS NOT ONLY TOLD A PROFOUND PARABLE

THAT REVERSES THE ORDER OF SIN AND FORGIVENESS,

SHOWING US THE TRUE SOURCE OF LOVE.

HE IMMEDIATELY GOES ON TO COMMENT FAVORABLY

ON THE WOMAN’S ACTIONS,​​ SHIFTING​​ THE​​ HOSTILITY

OF THE ASSEMBLED GUESTS TO​​ HIMSELF.

IN THIS RARE​​ APPLICATION​​ OF ONE OF HIS OWN PARABLES,

JESUS RADICALLY UNMASKS THE OPPRESSION OF WOMEN,

AND ALSO OF THOSE WHO ARE COMMITTING

WHAT TODAY WE WOULD CALL “RELIGIOUS​​ ABUSE.”

IF​​ LOVE​​ AND​​ FORGIVENESS,​​ COMPASSION​​ AND​​ KINDNESS,

INCLUSIVENESS​​ AND​​ WELCOME​​ ARE CENTRAL TO JESUS,

THEN​​ EXCLUSION,​​ REJECTION,​​ HATRED, AND THE​​ 

DEMEANING​​ OF​​ OTHERS​​ BASED ON GENDER, CLASS, RACE,

NATIONALITY, OR PAST ACTIONS,​​ 

ARE CLEARLY​​ ANTITHETICAL​​ TO JESUS’ MESSAGE.

“DO YOU​​ SEE​​ THIS WOMAN?”

JESUS​​ SAW HER AS A FORGIVEN, LOVING​​ PERSON.

SIMON​​ SAW HER AS AN INTRUDING​​ SINNER.

IN CONCLUSION, THIS STORY IS INTENDED TO CHALLENGE US

TO SEE​​ DIFFERENTLY, TO SEE WITH THE EYES OF​​ COMPASSION

AND​​ ACCEPTANCE, COMPASSION AND ACCEPTANCE

THAT EMPOWER OTHERS TO BECOME THEIR​​ TRUE​​ SELVES.

THE SERIOUSNESS OF SIN AND BROKENNESS​​ 

IS THAT IT TEACHES US TO BELIEVE A​​ LIE​​ ABOUT OURSELVES

AND TO​​ DEFEND​​ THAT LIE AGAINST THE REVELATION OF TRUTH.

SIN TELLS US THAT WE ARE​​ ISOLATED​​ INDIVIDUALS​​ 

WITH SCARCE RESOURCES AND MEAGER MEANS

WHO NEED TO OPPRESS​​ OTHERS​​ IN ORDER TO LIVE.

BUT WHEN WE​​ TURN​​ FROM THIS​​ LIE,

LITERALLY, WHEN WE​​ REPENT, WHEN WE ACKNOWLEDGE

OUR BROKENNESS AND OUR NEED,

WE FIND OURSELVES BECOMING​​ 

EXTRAVAGANT LOVERS OF GOD AND NEIGHBOR.

JESUS CHALLENGES US TO TRADE IN​​ 

OUR​​ ISOLATION​​ FOR​​ COMMUNION.

AND HE GIVES US THE​​ KEY​​ TO​​ HOW​​ TO​​ DO​​ THIS

IN TODAY’S SCRIPTURE LESSON:

THE WAY TO COMMUNION WITH OTHERS​​ 

LIES IN OUR LEARNING HOW TO​​ SEE:

TO LET GO OF OUR MOUNTAIN OF LABELS AND DISCERN

THE WOUNDED, HURTING PERSON WHO IS BEING CRUSHED BY THEM.

GIVEN HALF A CHANCE, PEOPLE OFTEN CRAWL OUT OF THE BOXES

INTO WHICH WE’VE RELEGATED THEM.

JESUS WAS GREAT AT BUILDING​​ BRIDGES​​ INSTEAD OF​​ WALLS.

MAY GOD GIVE EACH OF US THE STRENGTH AND THE COURAGE

TO FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE. ​​​​ AMEN.

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