Do You See Her?

“Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, ‘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.’” Luke 7:44 (The Message)

Simon was a Pharisee who had invited Jesus to dine with him. During the meal a woman who was a known sinner entered the house with a jar of perfume. She knelt next to Jesus’ feet. As her tears fell on His feet she dried them with her hair, kissed his feet and anointed them with the perfume she had brought.

Simon was aghast! The woman’s reputation was well-known and he couldn’t believe that Jesus would let such a woman touch him. Especially if he was truly someone who spoke with God. The holy and sinful simply do not mix! Or so Simon thought.

Jesus’ response to Simon’s thoughts is telling. Looking at the woman he says to Simon, “Do you see her?” Of course Simon saw her. Isn’t he the one who was horrified at the way she wantonly approached Jesus.

“What do you mean, ‘Do you see this woman?’”, he must have thought. “I’m the one who pointed her out to you! I’m the one who cringed when she barely had entered the room. “Do I see her?” I’m the one that had to point her out to you, Jesus! You’re the one with poor eyesight, or perhaps you just haven’t heard what type of woman she is. I know you would never allow anyone with such a immorality even come near you. Well, unless you are not who you say you are, Jesus!”

But Jesus meant it. He meant for Simon to take another look at her. He meant for Simon to notice how she had indeed touched him. He wanted Simon to take a good long look at her. He wanted him to lay aside his presumptive nearsighted view of the woman and see her as a fellow human being.

Of course, that would be hard for Simon to do. She was well-known for her sin, and Simon was well-known for his devotion to religion and morality. Now Jesus wants him to look at the woman, and to notice something peculiar. She, so unholy and sinful could not stop washing Jesus’ feet and drying them with her own hair. Meanwhile Simon had not even supplied so much as a towel!

It is so unfortunate that we can be just as misguided as Simon. We look at people and we think we have them pegged. “There’s that liberal democrat over there. I’m sure he’s godless, has no morals and supports aborting every baby in sight.” “Did you see that conservative? I bet she hates gays! He’d probably rather see people burn in hell than love someone different that him.” We peg the poor as lazy, the hard-working as gruff or the well-educated as smug.

Jesus says, “Simon, do you see that person?” No, we are much like Simon. We do not see the person, we see our assumptions, our prejudices, our boxes all categorized so we know exactly what to do with each sort of person we come in contact with. “Do you see that woman?” Do we really?

Human eyes tend to see surface groups and classes, the eyes of faith see the individual made in the unique image of God. Jesus eats with a religious big-wig, but it is the lowly sinner lady who can’t keep herself from gushing love and devotion for Him. What happened to our presumptions now? What box should we put her in? Or Simon?

Jesus takes the opportunity to let Simon in on a secret: serving God isn’t about being the best, it’s about being the most forgiven! Simon, like many of us, assumed he wasn’t quite as bad as the worst of human miscreants. He might admit a handful of common missteps along the way, but his need for forgiveness was tiny compared to someone like this woman!

Or so he thinks. Or so we think. I had someone recently; in admitting they had done something they shouldn’t have, say, “I guess I sorta made a mistake.” That’s our problem! We only think we have “sorta” sinned. So, for those who sorta sin, they sorta get forgiven!

I’m starting to see now, why it is important to take long looks at people. It isn’t so I can see how dirty they are; but it is to remind me that I’m as far from God’s best as “they” are. Or, at least, as I sort of think they are.

Simons are people who have only “sort of” sinned. They are glad they are forgiven, but it’s not really such a big deal. People like the woman have sinned with all their vigor. They don’t care, everyone knows. And, grateful at such overwhelming forgiveness, they love unreservedly.

“Sort of” addicts never get help. “Sort of” sicknesses never get fully healed. People “Sort of” out of tune never get adjusted.

I don’t care anymore, I need forgiveness. I need it now, I need it full, I need it right out in front where everyone can see. And, I need to take a new, long look at people I’ve boxed away. Maybe some of them are just now drying the feet of Jesus while I sit merely writing about Him.