“Your Faith has saved you”

“Your Faith has saved you.”

This article is based on the ‘Anointing at Bethany’. The article will help acquire a deeper and better understanding of the biblical text and the context in which the incident occurred. The article aims at helping one live a better and faith-filled life. The incident begins with Simon’s invitation to Jesus, to have a meal with him. This was definitely a matter of pride for most people, that a well known social personality should visit the house. It must have been the same for Simon.  Let us get to know who this Simon was.

Simon

From the Gospels, we get some information about Simon. We are told he is a ‘leper’ and a ‘pharisee’(Mt 26:6; Lk 7:36). First of all, let us understand what ‘leprosy’ was for the Jews. Any skin disease was considered to be leprosy and a person suffering from leprosy was ostracized and treated as an outcast. Some commentators suggest that Simon may have been cured from leprosy or that he may have contracted leprosy later (before the gospels were written). The second thing about Simon was that he was a ‘pharisee’. The earlier passages tell us that the Pharisees were execrating Jesus and plotting to do away with Him. It is interesting to see that Simon despite all this, invited Jesus to his house. This invitation is symbolic. Firstly, it teaches us that everyone is a child of God and that no one is qualified or disqualified from calling out to God. God is above all and for all. Secondly, God is ever willing to come to our aid, to be with us. “Behold, I stand knocking at the door…” (Rev 3:20). It is God who takes the initiative, the first step towards us.  

The woman

As we go ahead in the passage, a new character is introduced. She is a woman of ill-repute, who has come to see Jesus with an alabaster jar of ointment. I would like to raise a question here: why did Simon allow such a woman to set foot in his house, considering her status and his reputation? Jesus was regarded as a prophet by many people and hence a large crowd followed Him, wanting to listen to Him. While it was an honour for Simon to entertain Jesus as a guest, it seems improbable that He could have come in as his only guest. The woman may have come in as one of Jesus’ followers and took her place at Jesus’ feet. Her actions of bathing Jesus’ feet with tears, kissing them and anointing them with ointment are taken to be signs of her repentance. This would also be something startling for any good and upright Jew. Why should a woman like her do something so brave, risking public insults and censure? Her deed was brave because a woman like her was usually looked down upon and shunned by the society. It was indeed, a brave action on her part to touch Jesus in front of so many people and especially in front of the very people who condemned her and shunned her. She, probably may have heard Jesus speak and was touched by His simplicity and loving nature and may have experienced a change of heart.

When Jesus brought to Simon’s notice that he had not welcomed Him in keeping with the Jewish tradition of hospitality shown to guests which consisted of washing the feet of the visitor, exchanging a kiss of peace and anointing the head with oil; He was not being a pettifogger and neither was He indicating Simon’s imperfect observance of the law. But actually, He was trying to open Simon’s eyes to recognizing his self-righteousness and his judgemental attitude. Jesus wanted him to become aware of God’s love and all that He had done for him, just as the woman had.

Conclusion

This passage has a lot to teach us. We have come to recognize some of the dynamics of the incident and have also examined the various attitudes involved. The punchline of the passage is v. 50 where Jesus says to the woman, “Your faith has saved you.” St Paul says, “God will justify the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Rom 3:26). Ultimately, it all boils down to this: Are we willing to acknowledge Jesus as our Saviour and Lord as the woman did and show how much we love Him by our actions? If our answer is a ‘lived’ “yes”, then Jesus will tell us that our many sins have been forgiven and that our faith in Him has saved us. If we reply negatively, then we need to ask God to grant us the gift of faith and to fill our hearts with love so that we may realize that we have been forgiven much and that we are called to love much.