The Unforgiving Pharisee

He very nearly giggled with glee. However, such an action was not at all dignified, and as a Pharisee he could not appear undignified.

His tunic might wrinkle.

Jesus of Nazareth was eating in his house!

All the other Pharisees wanted Jesus to visit them, see their upstanding homes, and have a chance to boast about their righteous lives. He had beaten them all to the punch!

He didn't know if this Jesus was a Messiah, as some said, though he thought that unlikely. A prophet seemed to be more likely. Either way, he wanted to be on the man's good side and see all the ruckus for himself. He was curious, and he couldn't wait to see how this Jesus worked.

Things were going well enough. People were crowding and pushing into his house, and more then once, he'd had to stop eating, and shoo them away from them. To make matters worse, Jesus insisted His twelve apostles eat with them, too.

He huffed. It looked like a woman had pushed her way through the magnitude. She stood directly behind Jesus, just staring at Him. She was dirty, very dirty. Her clothes were torn, old, and inappropriately cut to show her shapely figure. In her dirt-caked hands was an alabaster jar.

And she was crying.

The tears tracked muddy rivers down her face and neck, and he watched in horror an she approached Jesus. By now she had Jesus' attention. She dropped to her knees, and setting the jar aside, bowed to Him. Now she was sobbing. He didn't need to look at her to know that she was dripping snot all over the place.

Jesus did absolutely nothing. He couldn't believe it. This disgrace was all over Him, and He didn't seem to care. In fact, he'd say Jesus was encouraging it and welcoming her.

The woman must have seen the mess of Jesus' feet, because she started to delicately, reverently wipe His feet dry with her hair. He rolled his eyes. Some people.

She kissed his feet over and over again. Then reaching for the alabaster jar, she...broke it! Fragrant ointment spilled everywhere, including all over Jesus' feet. The smell filled the room. She rubbed the ointment all over his feet, all the while still crying.

This is getting ridiculous. She is a sinner! A filthy sinner! If this Jesus were a prophet, He would know that, and send this woman away in her disgrace.

He stood up abruptly, sending his seat flying behind him. It was time to put an end to this little display.

Based on Luke 7:36-39

"Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him." Proverbs 26:12

I want to talk about the Pharisee's attitude towards this woman. He despised her, looked down on her, thought she was filthy scum unworthy to walk the same dirt as the rest of them--and that was all before Jesus reprimanded him!

The Pharisee looked at this woman, and knew he was better than her. He knew he was worthy. He had lived an upright, divine, holy life for God. She had gone from man to man, sin to sin. Her sinner ways were quite obvious to everyone in the room. She was truly unworthy.

"Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself." Galatians 6:1-3

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:31-32

Do we have an attitude like that Pharisee? Whether it's someone you've never met from off the streets, or it's someone who has hurt you in the past, have you forgiven them? Have you torn up the weed in your soul that says they are unworthy because of their sins? Sometimes we plant seeds of self-righteousness because we managed to follow all the rules, and they didn't...Or when we sinned, it was not as bad....

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

"As it is written: 'None is righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:10

"For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it." James 2:10

To God, sin is sin. There is no difference between someone's adulterous ways or someone's thieving or someone's little, gray fib of the truth. It is all sin, and we have all fallen into sin.

Allow yourself to grow and change and forgive. Don't stay stuck in a place of unforgiveness. Don't allow that seed of self-righteous indignation to take root in you. Instead, forgive as Jesus forgave.

Completely.



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