Calvary Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Debra May Cerra
June 13, 2010

Luke 7:36-8:3 (NRSV) One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. 37 And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. 38 She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner." 40 Jesus spoke up and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." "Teacher," he replied, "speak." 41 "A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?" 43 Simon answered, "I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt." And Jesus said to him, "You have judged rightly." 44 Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little." 48 Then he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 49 But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" 50 And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
1 Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, 2 as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.

Your Faith Has Saved You

“Today's gospel reading reminds me of the story of the cookie thief. A woman at the airport waiting to catch her flight bought herself a bag of cookies, settled in a chair in the airport lounge and began to read her book. Suddenly she noticed the man sitting next to her helping himself to her cookies. Not wanting to make a scene, she read on, ate cookies, and watched the clock. As the daring "cookie thief" kept on eating the cookies, she got more irritated and said to herself, ‘If I wasn't so nice, I'd blacken his eye!’ She wanted to move the cookies to her other side but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. With each cookie she took, he took one too. When only one was left, she wondered what he would do. Then with a smile on his face and a nervous laugh, he took the last cookie and broke it in half.
“He offered her half, and he ate the other. She snatched it from him and thought, ‘Oh brother, this guy has some nerve, and he's also so rude, why, he didn't even show any gratitude!’ She sighed with relief when her flight was called. She gathered her belongings and headed for the gate, refusing to look at the ungrateful "thief." She boarded the plane and sank in her seat, reached in her bag to get a book to read and forget about the incident. Next to her book was her bag – of cookies. The cookies they ate in the lounge were his not hers. She had been the thief not him. It often happens that the one pointing the accusing finger turns out to be the guilty one. The complainant sometimes turns out to be the offending party.
“In the cookie story, the woman believed she was a wonderful person to put up with the rudeness and ingratitude of the man sitting beside her. In the end she discovered that she was the rude and ungrateful one and the man was wonderfully friendly.
The same theme is found in our Gospel reading for this morning. A Pharisee invites Jesus to his house for dinner. When a woman, who is a sinner, anoints Jesus’ feet, the Pharisee thinks that the woman’s sin makes her unacceptable to be seen with Jesus. But the Pharisee believes he is righteous and worthy to be in the company of Jesus.  “In the end Jesus showed each of them where they really belonged and the woman was seen as the one who was righteous and more deserving of the company of Jesus than the self-righteous Pharisee.”
But the message of our passage does not end there. Yes, there is the dichotomy between the righteous and the unrighteous. But there is a secondary focus in this story. Think about the plot: “In the midst of this mildly chaotic moment, a woman silently moves forward. Quite invisible to those present, she kneels behind Jesus. Like the woman with the hemorrhage that seek out Jesus for healing (Luke 8:43-48), this woman risks dire consequences as she creeps forward to touch Jesus. Then something happens to this unnamed woman. Instead of shaking with fear and trepidation when she gets near Jesus, she begins to weep. Bending low, she tends to Jesus’ dusty, dirty feet with her tears. She kisses them and then, clutching the costly oil, gently anoints his feet. The woman does not use a cloth or the hem of her skirt but, in an intimate gesture of deep love, unfolds her hair and dries the teacher’s feet.”
This woman’s actions are filled with acts of hospitality – something that was neglected by the Pharisee host. But her conduct is more than an act of welcome. Her lavish display of affection is the result of her having already been forgiven. At some point she has heard the voice of Jesus granting her pardon and grace, and her deep sense of gratitude prompts her extravagant response.
          When the Pharisee questions her actions, Jesus says to him: "Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair. You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn't quit kissing my feet. You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume. Impressive, isn't it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful.” (44-47) Then, after pronouncing forgiveness for the woman’s sins, Jesus turns to her and says, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."
          I don’t know about you, but Jesus’ statement to this woman troubles me: “Your faith has saved you.” What kind of faith did this woman have? Was it new faith; abiding faith; deep faith; or blind faith? What kind of faith does it take to save a person?
          For years I would read this passage and wonder, “Would Jesus say that about my faith? Do I have a faith that is big enough, strong enough, deep enough to save me?” And my thoughts always came back to the same answer, “I don’t think so.”
          It was while I was studying for this sermon, that I realized what Jesus was really saying to this woman. It wasn’t the type or depth or amount of her faith that saved her. It was because she had faith that she was saved. God extended grace to this woman because of her faith. It is God’s grace that saves. The woman just had to believe.
          “Some have noted that grace is like water. It always flows downhill. It may snow at 29,000 feet at the top of Mount Everest but eventually that moisture flows down to the sea. In the same way grace always goes to the lowest places in our lives. God is seeking the lost to save them, to search for the outcast, to forgive the secret sins which we do not like to recognize or acknowledge. God in Christ is seeking those sinful, shameful places which we hide from others to reconcile us with God.”
          Remember the cookie thief story: “In the story, the woman believed she was a wonderful person to put up with the rudeness and ingratitude of the man sitting beside her. In the end she discovered that she was the rude and ungrateful one and the man was wonderfully friendly. Basically we find the same thing in the two sinners story. The Pharisee and the woman provide a striking contrast. The one is too smug to claim his sinfulness; the other is moved to tears with the realization that her sins, though many, have been forgiven.
          Friends, which one are you? Are you the righteous and smug one whose line of sight is always down your nose – seeing others as more sinful that yourself and passing judgment on how they should be treated? Or are you the realist who knows you have sinned and yet believes that you are forgiven through God’s grace. 
          It is the forgiveness of Jesus that lifts our shame and gives us value and worth in spite of how unworthy we may feel. “A heart that is bound by sin and shame will wither and die. It is the love of a forgiving God which lifts our hearts to heights beyond our greatest dreams and causes us to sing in gratitude.”
Let’s sing our songs of gratitude. Let’s praise the Lord for His forgiveness. For when we do, Jesus’ words to the woman in our story become words for us, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” (50) That, my friends, is the gift of grace – saving grace; God’s grace. Amen and amen.