Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year C

Readings: 2 Samuel 12:7-10,13; Galatians 2:16,19-21; Luke 7:36-8:3

Your faith has saved you; go in peace.

The liturgy of the day invites us to ponder over the theme of forgiveness. Jesus, in today’s Gospel forgives the woman who was considered a sinner by the people of her town. When she comes into the house of Simon, the Pharisee, she bends down at the feet of Jesus, washes his feet with her tears, dries them with her hair and anoints them with expensive ointment. Without uttering a single word she shows her utmost love to Jesus. Jesus on the other hand feels this act of kindness from her part and lets her do it, though, his host refuses to accept it. Simon, the Pharisee, is unable to see this act of kindness and the tender love that is showcased by the woman towards Jesus, because Simon sees only the “sinfulness” in this woman, and Jesus sees the “person” of this woman.

The first reading from the second book of Samuel tells the story of the sinfulness of King David, who, even after having achieved all the pleasures of the world, is eyeing the wife of his General Uriah. He sins with her and when the sin is about to be exposed he manages to kill his General through vicious means. When Prophet Nathan tells the king of his folly, David repents and is bitterly ashamed of his cowardice. He regrets the act and asks for forgiveness.

The second reading of the day beautifully magnifies the theme of forgiveness by adding the dimension of Christ centeredness. We, as the followers of Christ, are called to live in and through Christ. The Law is important, but it is not helping us to live in Christ if we remain with the Law and forget the underlying currents of Christ centeredness. In the Gospel we clearly see the difference in wavelength between Jesus and the Pharisee. Jesus reaches out to the woman purely from the viewpoint of Love, the Pharisee, on the contrary, rejects her on the basis of the Law (“She is a sinner”).

Many times in our lives we tend to work with these two wavelengths. We want to be like Christ and reach out to everyone with love, but we feel bound by the Law and are unable to realise the need of Christ centeredness. On the one hand the Law brings an order in our life and defines the basis of living a moderate, acceptable Christian life. On the other hand, it makes us rigid and judgemental, especially when others are not “following” the Law. But Christ centeredness stands above the Law and helps us to look at the person and not their deeds. Yes, we all need a proper life, yes we all need our life organised, and yes we all need to be “good” Christians. All this is possible when we make Christ our centre. When Christ is in the centre, we do not need to worry about what others are doing. We do not need to argue who is right and who is wrong. We do not have to fear the judgement, for we are living a life centred in Christ.
Jesus shows us how to live our lives based on him. He did not judge the woman who was considered a “sinner,” instead he gave her the opportunity to feel and express her love. God gave the opportunity to King David to look into his life, accept his folly and repent his wrongdoing. Once the person was able to feel the love of God, they were forgiven, both the “sinful” woman and King David, because they both showed their faith in God.

Let us put on Christ dear friends and express our faith in God. And we will experience the forgiveness and then we can proudly hear the words of Jesus, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” Amen.