Have you ever thought about what it would have taken for this woman to enter into the house of this politician and come before an honored guest to wash his feet with her hair and perfumed oil? A group was discussion this very story and the awe for this woman was great because she had to have been prominent herself, or had connections to be able to bribe her way into the house. That fact that she was known as a sinner has the implication that perhaps her sin was great and that it was permissible given her position in society. These are just speculation.
She kisses the feet of the lord. She has shown hospitality to a man who is not really welcome as a guest, and one who the host has insulted by not offering the customary foot washing as required by the rules of good hospitality. She has done all these things with such great love, not simply out of requirement.
Jesus puts a story of two debtors to Simon Peter, one who owes more than another, and yet both debts are forgiven, who would love more the one forgiving the debt. Peter answers, the one who had more to be forgiven. It is amazing the number of people who come to church seeing God who have spent their whole lives apart from him, and how wonderfully he is to forgive their sins as much as one who has always lived a good and righteous life. We should be happy for each other that we are all called to the Banquet. We are all challenged to remember that we are all loved equally by our Heavenly Father. We are challenged to help each other, and not to feel jealous of each other, or be judging if someone is greatly thankful to the Lord for his goodness; it is just their way of acknowledging the gift they have been given. We have all been given gifts, we just need to look and bring them with us to the foot of Christ and honor and adore him through our gifts.
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