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Eleventh Sunday – Year C – Ordinary Time
Readings: 2 Sam 12:7-10, 13; Gal 2:16-19, 21; Lk 7:36-50.
1/ Reading I: RSV 2 Samuel 12:7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man. Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, `I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul; 8 and I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. 9 Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight? You have smitten Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 13 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.”
2/ Reading II: RSV Galatians 2:16 yet who know that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified. 17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we ourselves were found to be sinners, is Christ then an agent of sin? Certainly not! 18 But if I build up again those things which I tore down, then I prove myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification were through the law, then Christ died to no purpose.
3/ Gospel: RSV Luke 7:36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house, and took his place at table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed 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 sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “What is it, Teacher?” 41 “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he forgave them both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, to whom he forgave more.” And he 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 wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss 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 are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at 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.”
I. THEME: Examining ourselves to recognize our sins and not to condemn others.
People used to think their decisions are right until the moment when God sends somebody to point out their mistakes. In such moment of enlightenment, people should be humble to recognize their wrong doing so that they can receive God’s forgiveness; if not, that precious moment is passed and people shall regret forever.
Today readings illustrate the cases which people were enlightened by God. In the first reading, God sent the prophet Nathan to King David to correct him. Nathan skillfully corrected David by telling him an unjust story. At first hearing, David becomes angry and condemns the rich man who took away his neighbor’s lamb; but when Nathan pointed his finger to David and said: that rich man is you. Then, King David recognizes his sins and begs for God’s forgiveness. In the second reading, before the Damascus’ event, Paul thought that people could be saved by carefully keeping of the Law; but after this event, Paul must humbly confess that no one can’t perfectly keep the Law. Therefore, everyone must believe in Christ to receive salvation. In the Gospel, Jesus also told a story to help a Pharisee to recognize his shortcomings. Jesus came to his house as a guest, he did nothing to treat him as a guest; while a prostitute who had just come by treated him more than a guest. Jesus forgave all her sins and told her to go home in peace.
II. ANALYSIS:
1/ Reading I: Nathan came to King David to point out his sins against Bathsheba’s family.
To understand this passage, readers need to read previous chapters of the Second Book of Samuel, especially what King David did to Uriah and his wife.
1.1/ David should recognize all God’s blessings for him and live righteously before Him:
After hearing Nathan’ story, King David becomes very angry, condemns the rich’s act and gives out his punishments; but Nathan enlightens David’s mind when he said to him: “You are the man. Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, `I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul; and I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if this were too little, I would add to you as much more.”
1.2/ King David recognized all his sins against God and others.
King David knew Nathan likened him with the rich man in the story. And all things happened in the past which David thought that no one knew now Nathan reported in details.
(1) David killed a man without weapons: Nathan said, “Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have smitten Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.”
David didn’t directly kill Uriah, but sent him to the hottest battle without back-up soldiers so that Uriah shall be killed by the sword of the Ammonites. David’s purpose in doing this act is to take Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife, as his wife.
(2) David repented from his sins: Then King David said to Nathan, “David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.”
From that time, many bad things happened in David’s house as Lord’s punishments for his sins; but he doesn’t complain because he knew all those are the results of his sins.
2/ Reading II: “A man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.”
2.1/ Examining of oneself according to the Law.
Today passage of Paul’s Letter to the Galatians is the center of Paul’s doctrinal section. He said: “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
In order to understand why Paul made this conclusion, we must come back to what happened to Paul on the way to Damascus. Before that event, Paul was a conservative Pharisee on the way to Damascus to seize the Christians there, to bring them back to Jerusalem and to put them in prison, because Paul thought they opposed the ancestors’ Law. But a light from heaven struck him, causing him to fall and to be blinded. Then, the Resurrected Christ appeared and showed him that he is still living.
After that, he opened both Paul’s physical and spiritual eyes to let him know that: the Law is good but no one can keep the Law. According to what the Lord said to Moses, only one violation is enough for one to die forever. Therefore, no one can become righteous by keeping the Law.
2.2/ The reason for Jesus’ coming:
Since no one can become righteous and saved by the Law, Christ must come and redeem sins for people. Once their sins are taken away, they become righteous before God; when they become righteous, they don’t have to die, but shall live forever.
So, St, Paul ascertained: “For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification were through the law, then Christ died to no purpose.”
3/ Gospel: “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
First of all, we need to find out the reason why Pharisee Simon invited Jesus to dine with him. It isn’t as an honor guest because he didn’t fulfill his duty as a host. It isn’t also to harm him as some Pharisees because he called Jesus by an honor name, “Rabbi,” which means “Teacher.” He might be in the middle, both wants to be popular and to hear Jesus’ teaching.
Secondly, why did the woman have courage to come to Jesus without fearing to be rejected? She must be one of Jesus’ audiences. She heard his teaching and was touched by it so she came to express her love and repentance. The fact that she let her hair come loose in public might be regarded as the act of a sinful woman; but she didn’t care because she lives according to her true self. She knows she is a sinner and everyone around her also know that, so she doesn’t need to hide it.
According to Jewish tradition, when a guest comes to visit, the host shall welcome a guest by putting one hand on the guest’ shoulder and kiss him; then he shall take water to wash the guest’s feet; lastly, the host shall put some drops of olive oil or perfume on the guest’s head. This Pharisee didn’t do any of these three things according to the tradition for Jesus; he can be blamed as lacking of hospitality.
Not only that, he also condemned both Jesus and the woman by saying, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”
3.1/ Jesus invited Pharisee Simon to examine of his conscience.
Like the conversation between Nathan and David, Jesus also tells Simon a story; at first, the Pharisee thought the story has nothing to do with him.
(1) The story of the two debtors: Jesus said to him, “”Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “What is it, Teacher?” “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he forgave them both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, to whom he forgave more.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.””
(2) The concrete example: Turning his attention to 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 wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.””
3.2/ Jesus forgives the woman’s sins.
Then Jesus said to the woman: “”Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.””
– The woman’s faith was expressed by her love for Jesus. Jesus didn’t praise her sins; but he emphasized her acts of repentance. She knew that she have sins, and many of them; but she trusts in God’s compassion and believes that He shall forgive her sins. Since she has many sins, she is more deeply in gratitude when she is forgiven; and she is at peace with herself and in good relationship with God.
– For the Pharisee, we didn’t hear any of his action, even a repented word. In reality, everyone sins against God and others. When people feel that they have no sin, they deceive themselves as St. John said (1 Jn 1:8), because they don’t carefully examine of their conscience. The most danger for those who call themselves righteous is that they don’t need God and His forgiving love.
III. APPLICATION IN LIFE:
– We should often examine of our conscience to recognize our sins and to ask for God’s forgiveness. Those who don’t do this shall not recognize their sins to confess and continually be in their sins.
– After being reconciled with God, we must be generously forgive those who sinned against us.
– We need to avoid judging others. Let leave that for God. We only need to know one thing that as a human being, all are prone to fall and have many weaknesses.