Readings for Sunday June 13, 2010

Readings for Sunday June 13, 2010 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In last Sunday’s Gospel reading we found a compassionate Jesus who shared his meal with thousands and in this Sunday’s gospel we find a Jesus that is ignored and mistreated, and yet He is still able to show compassion and love for someone in need.
In Sunday’s Gospel (Luke: 7:36-50), Jesus was invited to dinner at the home of a Pharisee (Simon). While Jesus was reclining at the table a sinful woman living in the town heard that Jesus was at the Pharisee’s home, and so she crashed the party and also brought a bottle of perfume and stood at the feet of Jesus weeping. She used her tears to wet the feet of Jesus and dried his feet with her hair and then poured the perfume on the feet of Jesus. When the Pharisee saw who Jesus was allowing to wash his feet he said to his company: “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is – that she is a sinner.” In understanding this story it’s helpful to understand the etiquette and culture of that day, just as it is important for us to know the etiquette of today.

When the Pharisee invited Jesus to his house he knew that Jesus a rabbi should be recognized as a guest of honor. The Pharisee did not greet Jesus with a kiss and by not giving this greeting he was ignoring Jesus. It would be like being invited to someone’s home for dinner. The door is open, so you assume they intend for you to come in, but the family members are busy watching television and never rise from the La-Z-boy, to acknowledge you or say “hello.”
The washing of feet was mandatory before a meal. If the guest was of high status, the host would perform this duty himself. If not, he might have his servant do it. To not carry out his task would be like requiring a guest to wash dishes following the meal. A thoughtful host would give his guests some olive oil for anointing, though this was somewhat optional. With a very warm climate, and a scarcity of deodorant, such as a gesture was particularly refreshing. Jesus arrived at the Pharisees’ home and receives nothing. Simon does not give him a greeting, no water for his feet and no anointing for his head. Everyone present knows that Jesus is being treated rudely as if a deliberate slap in the face.
Imagine going to a party and extending your hand to someone, only to have them subtly refuse to extend their hand in return…They may even smile as they refuse, but you know – and they know – it’s intended as an insult. It’s meant to offend. A sinful woman, heard about Jesus being in the home. She must have had a deep longing for a change in her life. She gathers all her courage and slips into the house. She sees how Jesus is treated and is overwhelmed by the idea of God’s love. She took on the role of the host and washes Jesus’ feet and anoints them with her oil of perfume.

To the complaint of Simon the Pharisee Jesus tells a story of a Loan Shark and two Bookies (I think I knew these two guys in Brooklyn!!). Two men owed money to a moneylender. Neither could pay it back. They both faced the same fate – to lose all they had and go to prison. The only difference, one owed fifty thousands dollars and the other 5 thousand dollars. The loan shark calls them in and forgives their debts.

Jesus looked straight at Simon the Pharisee and asked: “Which one will be filled with relief and gratitude and joy and love for the one who has set him free from his debt and jail sentence? The Man with the Little-debt or the Big-debt? Simon answers: “I suppose it would be the Big-debt.”

Jesus speaks directly to Simon, “Do you see this woman?” Simon doesn’t see her as Jesus does. Jesus sees her heart turned toward heaven and her repentance and her humility. “You gave me no water for my feet. You did not give me a kiss. You did not put oil on my head.” She washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. She kissed my feet and poured perfume on them. “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven, for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.” Then Jesus said to her, “Yours sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you go in peace.” Too often we are like the Pharisee filled with self-righteousness, we are ungrateful for all that God has provided.

If there is one sin that most prevalent today, it is the sin of ingratitude. God has done so much for us. Our indebtedness to him is enormous and yet we rarely or at least infrequently offer thanks for what he has done. In fact, most professing Christians don’t even offer thanks over their meals, many times in the past I have asked the teens this question “When you are at school and sit down for lunch, do you stop for even a moment, Bless yourself and say thank for the meal you are about to eat?” many times the answer is No!! I forget to, or I am uncomfortable doing that in public. So, if we can’t give thanks for something as small as a meal, then how would we ever be able to thank God for all that He does in our lives?
We are much like the little boy who was given an orange by a man. The boy’s mother asked, “What do you say to the nice man?”The little boy thought and handed the orange back and said, “Peel it.”
Expressing gratitude to others can make a positive impact on their lives.

I once read a story where a youth minister told of an experience she had when she took her two daughters out to eat at a restaurant. Her girls pointed out a schoolteacher they both had in school also eating at the same place. The teacher had come in and sat down with her husband. As the mother and her daughters were getting ready to leave she felt an urge to go over and thank the teacher for the contribution she had made to her children’s lives. All the way to the exit the urge continued. As she reached the door, the mom turned around and went back to the teacher’s table, introduced herself, and delivered her sentence or two of gratitude. The teacher almost burst into tears: “I was just telling my husband that I don’t know if I can teach any longer. I’ve had the worst day I’ve had in twenty years of teaching.” The mother’s words of gratitude came at just the right time in the life of this teacher.

So as we reflect on these readings and the courage that it took for Jesus to stand his ground against the Pharisees, and the way He praised a sinful woman for her kindness towards Him, let us look for ways you can give praise to others you meet in your daily lives, always striving to live full of gratitude for the good things God has given us.

IHN tommyk

Reading 1 2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13

7 Nathan said to David: “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king of Israel. I rescued you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave you your lord’s house and your lord’s wives for your own. I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were not enough, I could count up for you still more. 9 Why have you spurned the Lord and done evil in his sight? You have cut down Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you took his wife as your own, and him you killed with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah to be your wife.’ 13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan answered David:
“The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin: you shall not die.”

Questions for Discussion:

1. Why did Nathan start with a story?
a) To get David’s attention b) to dramatize his point c) to disarm David’s defenses d) so that David would incriminate himself.

2. Do you think David’s confession was sincere? If so, why didn’t he do it sooner? What do you think about David’s punishment?

3. How do you respond when someone corrects or criticizes you?
a) I want to cry b) I accept it without comment c) I accept it as God’s word to me d) I get frustrated with my imperfections and mistakes. e) I get defensive f) I avoid that person g) I assume I deserve it.

4. Which of the following is easiest for you? Which is hardest?
a) Seeing sin in myself b) seeing sin in others c) going to confession d) receiving an apology

5. If others see something wrong in my life, they:
a) Should let me know b) better be right c) should keep it to themselves. d) Should lead by example e) Should also praise me when I do something right.

Reading II Galatians 2:16, 19-21

Brothers and sisters:
16 We who know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. 19 For through the law I died to the law that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ; 20 yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

Questions for Discussion:

1. According to verse 21, if you can be in good standing with God through your own efforts, what did Christ die for?
2. Applying the spiritual concept of verse 20, who is “alive” in your life right now--- “ I ”, or “ Christ in me”?



Gospel Luke 7:36—8:3

36A Pharisee (Simon) invited Jesus to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,38 she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” 40 Jesus said to him in reply, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. 41 “Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty. 42 Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. 47 So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven because she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” 48 He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 The others at table said to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
8:1 Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve 2 and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.


Questions for Discussion:

1. What section would the local newspaper put this story in?

a) the society page- highlighting that sinful woman crashed the dinner party this Pharisee had for Jesus
b) the gossip column- because of the scandalous way the woman acted toward Jesus.
c) The religion page- headlining Jesus’ claim that the woman’s sins were forgiven.
d) The business section- announcing the woman’s departure from her sinful life.

2. How would you have felt watching this woman anoint Jesus like she did in verse 38?

3. What needs to happen for you to feel the kind of forgiveness this woman felt?


“What’s going on between you and God? How goes your Spiritual life?"