Be Scandalous!

 If there had been tabloids in the first century this story would have made the front page.  Today’s National Inquirer or Star Magazine would have for sure headlined this story. 

 Everyone loves a good scandal whether they admit it or not.  Why do you think stories of the scandals of Hollywood stars trump all other stories in the media?  It’s because the media knows what people really want, that’s why.  I must confess that when I am at the checkout stand of the supermarket and I see the tabloid on the rack, I try to sneak a peek at the headlines.  In all of my boring and humdrum respectability, I would never let anyone see me pick one up, and heaven forbid purchase one, but catch a quick peek – of course!  In our dreary respectability we complain about the media, but if we are honest, we secretly relish fixating on the sins of others.

 A woman who was a “sinner” crashed Simon the Pharisee’s party.  Hmmm – “sinner” – euphuism for “prostitute” most likely.  Not only did she crash the party, she began making a fuss over Jesus in a most pretentious manner with gestures that could be construed as having sexual overtones.   She was washing his feet with her tears, drying them with her hair, anointing his feet with costly perfume, and kissing his feet! 

 The story is positively scandalous, but not merely because of this woman’s activity.  Jesus’ response is equally as scandalous.  First, Jesus does not condemn her or pull back from her actions.  It’s not hard for me to imagine the onlookers either being offended or feeling very uncomfortable by such an overt public display.   I was sitting in the hot tub at the health club and there was a young couple in the other corner of the tub very much in love, and they were kissing!  Can you imagine such a thing – kissing in the hot tub!  It made me uncomfortable!  I truly am such a bore! 

 It is likely that Simon had invited Jesus to his house out of curiosity.  Simon evidently had not extended to Jesus any of the gestures of hospitality that a host was expected by custom to perform. (see Genesis 18:1-5)  When someone comes to your house what do you usually do?  You greet them at the door with a handshake or hug, take their coat, invite them to come in and sit down and perhaps offer a beverage.  Foot-washing and anointing were a part of the customary household hospitality practices of biblical times.  But Simon hadn’t bothered. 

 In fact, Simon seems to be so preoccupied with this woman, her sinful reputation and her lavish actions.  His opinion of Jesus was dropping with each passing moment:  “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.”   What a bore! 

 Jesus, obviously sensing what nasty little game Simon was playing, launches into story-hour about the two debtors whose creditor had forgiven their debts.  When Jesus asks Simon which of the two would love the creditor more Simon answers correctly by noting the one who had been forgiven more.  Three cheers for Simon!  He got something right anyway!

 Jesus then goes on to declare that the woman’s loving actions supplanted Simon’s lack of action and indifference to Jesus.  In effect Jesus was saying that she had become, not the party-crasher but the party-host in Simon’s place and she did it better and far more extravagantly, generously and authentically that Simon would have ever done!  Whoa!  This is powerful and scandalous stuff my friends!  Are you catching the drift of this story?  Are you getting it?

 You see, Simon was a Pharisee and the Pharisees largely practiced, to put it in 21^st century terms, a program of self-help when it came to their sins.  The core of their faith was the Torah – the divine law.  Their spiritual quest, if you will, was to bring their lives into alignment with God’s demands as best they could by their own efforts.  On the surface it seems a noble thing.  But that was the problem – it was mostly on the surface.  They were so enamored by their own efforts they didn’t recognize they couldn’t do it and their system was shot full of holes.  They ended up deluding themselves into believing they could actually do it and hence judged everybody else by a standard they couldn’t keep themselves. 

Let’s face it, you and I have a streak of Pharisee in us.  When we approach a person, or when a person approaches us, a complex mechanism of assessment automatically kicks into gear. As I take in information about the other, it gets evaluated by my values; my principles; my expectations, my morals; unfortunately my prejudices get involved; and my fears; all sorts of things.

Like the Pharisees my mechanism is mostly a mechanism of law and not of grace.  I automatically focus upon the other, but scarcely turn it upon myself.  Because it’s law oriented it hinders the flow of any grace through my life, failing to see, before anything else, the other as a child of God, someone worthy of love - no matter what.    

With Jesus it's a different matter! As we watch him live and move among people in the pages of the Gospels, he related to people on an entirely different plane. He had a way of looking past the surface and seeing the other as a child of God and worthy of God’s love, and then embracing them with the Good News of God's love. 

Simon was and his guests were scandalized by the woman and by Jesus’ response to her.  They were scandalized because Jesus affirmed her and admonished Simon.  They were scandalized because Jesus claimed authority to forgive sins, and then pronounced the absolution upon the woman, commending her for her great display of affection and love. 

Jesus then made the most scandalous statement in the whole story.  He forever tied together the power to love with forgiveness.  “The one to whom little is forgiven loves little.”

Like a giant placard I believe this story gets in our faces and asks several confronting and pointed questions like:  Are you scandalized by this story?   What mechanism of assessment do you employ with others - a mechanism of law or a mechanism of grace?   Do you see yourself every minute of every day as a forgiven child of God, or are you into some sort of spiritual self-help program that deludes you into thinking you can attain a certain level of righteousness that makes you deserving of God’s love?    

Finally the story makes a shocking declaration and issues a stunning invitation.  If there is a prototype Christian in this story; if there is someone we are called to resemble; if there is an example of what a follower of Jesus is to be and do; if there is someone to emulate in this story - it is the woman!  Are you scandalized by that?   

This story is one huge life-sized invitation to be scandalous with the love with which Christ has loved you in the forgiveness of your sins through the blood of his cross.  Maybe you don’t see your sins as that big a deal.  If so, then his forgiveness is not that big a deal.  Maybe you don’t see a real need to be forgiven but can pretty much attain what you deem to be a satisfactory level of righteousness all on your own.  If so, then Jesus’ words apply, “The one to whom little is forgiven loves little.” 

But if you come to the foot of the cross and you begin to let it soak-in that the suffering, dying, bleeding love demonstrated there was for the forgiveness of your sins and reconciliation with God, then I say let that love fill you, and then take it into the world and be scandalous with it!   

Be scandalous with the love of Jesus:  Reach through some forbidden boundary with it and touch a human life upon which all the self-righteous have branded with a stigma.

Be scandalous with the love of Jesus:  Reach through a barrier that exists between you and another, someone with whom you may be estranged and give reconciliation a chance.

Be scandalous with the love of Jesus:  Reach through your prejudice to better understand a person that you or others have written off in some way.

Be scandalous with the love of Jesus:  Become an advocate for those who are victims of injustice or the powerless who need others to take up their cause and become their voice. 

The world has enough boring Christians.  Don’t add to the numbers!  What the Lord desires are disciples who are willing to be scandalous with his love.