Luke 7:40-43
Jesus was a story-teller, which is why people, even those who hated his teachings and methods, often invited him into their homes, especially for banquets. Story-telling and good food go hand in hand in just about every culture. And Jesus was a master at the former.
I remember as a kid sitting enthralled and frequently doubled over in laughter as larger-than-life Uncle Al Reid, seated at the head of the long Thanksgiving table in Grandma's house, regaled us with one story after another. A prize-fighter turned preacher, he had traveled the world and had a way with turning his memories into vivid forms of entertainment that confirmed what we used to read in the Reader's Digest, that laughter is indeed the best medicine.
I once heard a lengthy discourse on why Jesus was not humorous in his story-telling. I don't believe that for one moment. The Creator of humor was not beyond using it himself. Yet whether in humor or in all-seriousness, his stories were designed to inform as well as entertain, as all the best stories can do.
The setting and story on this occasion in Luke 7 were far from humorous. It was a very tense moment. A known local "sinner woman", a woman of questionable character, euphemistically meaning there was no question her character was bad, had entered the house of one Simon, a prominent local Pharisee, who was entertaining Jesus at dinner. If it wasn't bad enough for her to enter this "pure and clean" house, she then proceeded to touch Jesus, wash and even kiss his feet.
Washing the feet of guests was a fairly common custom. Kissing them was a bit more unusual. But none of that mattered more than that a holy man as Jesus was reputed to be had allowed himself to be defiled by being touched by this woman of all people.
Simon said nothing. His thoughts spoke loud enough, at least to Jesus. "What kind of a man is this that would allow a woman like that to touch him."
Jesus responded to Simon's reaction by doing as he often did, telling a story. We call them parables, meaning a story rich in meaning, or more precisely a meaningful story that invites the listener to draw the conclusion. As stories go, this one was quite short.
Two guys owe a third man, a professional moneylender, and it is payback time. Neither of them has what they owe. One of the two owes about a day's worth, the other about two year's worth, based on an average day's pay for an average worker. Surprise of all surprises, the moneylender just up and cancels their debts, both of them. Scot free. No questions asked. Not even a "just don't come back" or "Just you wait." End of story.
Then Jesus uses one of his favorite teaching techniques -- he asks a question. "Which of these two guys who was forgiven the debt will love the lender more because of having the debt cancelled?"
Simon assumed it was the man who had owed the larger debt. Jesus cried "bingo" or something more PC like "you have judged correctly."
Point of the story -- the more you owe, the more grateful you feel when your debts are canceled. That is something all of us can identify with.
Although Jesus isn't yet finished talking with Simon about this, I begin to sense that the more for which we have to be forgiven, the more love we will feel in response. Or, maybe if we don't love God in response to being forgiven, it is because we do not realize how much of a debt we really owed. Either way, it is interesting how strongly forgiveness breeds connectedness. Poor Simon, he hadn't sinned enough to get close to Jesus.
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