A Forgiven Woman

FORGIVEN

In those days, everyone was talking about Jesus. One night, he went to eat at a man’s home. This man was one of the leaders of the Jews.

While he was there, a woman came in. She fell down next to Jesus. And she started to cry. Her tears fell on his feet. Then she wiped the tears off his feet with her hair. She started to kiss his feet. Then she took a jar of very expensive oil. It smelled very good. And she poured it all over his feet.

When they saw this, the leaders of the Jews started thinking. They thought, ‘Jesus can not be a prophet. If he were, he would know what kind of wicked woman was touching him.’

But Jesus said, ‘I have a story for you. There were two men who owed another man money. One of them owed him 50 silver coins. The other man owed 500 silver coins. But neither of them could pay the man back. And so he forgave both of them their debts. Which man do you think loved him more?’

And the leader said, ‘I suppose the one who owed him more.’

Jesus said, ‘You are right. When I came in, you did not give me water to wash my feet. She washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You did not greet me with a kiss on the cheek. But she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not welcome me and put oil on my head. But she has poured expensive oil all over my feet. Her great love for me shows that her many sins have been forgiven. But whoever is forgiven a little, shows only a little love.’

Then Jesus looked at the woman. He said to her, ‘Your sins have been forgiven.’ And the people all began to say to themselves, ‘How can he forgive sins?’

Then Jesus said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.’