The woman in the Gospel account today is commonly referred to as Mary Magdalene but this is nowadays regarded as a misunderstanding since if you look carefully at the text you will see that she is not actually given a name by St Luke. Moreover, the actual Mary Magdalene is mentioned towards the end of this text but in quite a different context as one of the companions of Jesus together with some other women who supported Jesus and his Apostles financially. Let’s not get hung up over the identity of this woman but rather look at what she is doing. In any context her action of covering Jesus feet with tears and wiping them with her hair and then anointing them with precious oil would be regarded as a little strange. We are told that she has a bad reputation in the town and therefore we assume that she was most definitely looked down on by everyone. Her appearance at the Pharisees house we would assume was not especially welcome.
We can only infer that this prominent Pharisee was keeping open-house on this occasion to show off his celebrity visitor to the wider populace. Perhaps because of her strange behaviour no one intervenes, although Luke makes sure to tell us exactly what the Pharisee was thinking and it is abundantly clear that he disapproves of her. Although the Pharisee takes exception to the presence of the woman what is most interesting is that his attention is more fixed on Jesus rather than on the woman. He says to himself that if Jesus was a prophet then he really ought to know who this woman is and then turn her away. No one could have been more surprised than the Pharisee to discover that Jesus could read his mind. But perhaps he was just as surprised to discover that although Jesus knew the woman’s reputation he is quite content to let her continue with anointing his feet. Then Jesus tells him a rather wonderful parable with its conclusion that the one who is forgiven more will love all the more. Jesus points out clearly that while this woman has committed many sins the love and tenderness that she is expressing is an indication that she has been truly forgiven. The Pharisee who seems quite aloof and judgemental is left to draw the conclusion that his own sins remain unforgiven.
The spontaneous reaction of the other people sitting around him is to criticise Jesus for assuming that he has the ability to forgive sins. Rather than marvelling in the fact that this woman of low reputation is forgiven they are quick to criticise someone whom they regard as assuming quasi-divine powers. This is a constant theme through the Gospels, that the Pharisees and other so-called worthy people constantly draw the wrong conclusions. They do not seem to understand that the parables and teaching of Jesus is mostly directed at them. Their assumption is that sin is about everyone else and not them. And they are quick to judge Jesus whenever he does anything that offends against their sensibilities. Jesus is clearly exasperated by their attitude but does not give up. He continues to visit the houses of worthy citizens such as our Pharisee in today’s reading. He continues to tell them parables and attempts to teach them how important it is to repent of their sin, but apart from a few exceptions they take no notice. Indeed what happens is that it is from this group that his real opponents come and they eventually conspire to do away with him. The woman, we shall call her Mary Magdalene since that is what popular culture demands, is a completely different story. She has repented and is overcome with gratitude. We don’t know if Jesus has already had a role in her life but she plainly recognises that the forgiveness she has experienced has its origin in him. Jesus points out to the Pharisee that it is her experience of forgiveness that is the source of the great love she has shown. We ought to be careful here because of her previous profession. It is only alluded to obliquely when her bad reputation is noted but we must assume that she was indeed a courtesan.
Obviously her reputation has come about because she has been too free and easy with her favours and has probably loved many different men in her time. But the love she demonstrates towards Jesus is not any kind of casual or promiscuous love; now that she has experienced forgiveness she demonstrates a real and deeply compassionate love. Indeed it is apparent from her tears that she is completely overcome with emotion. We have to think quite hard about what love is and what love isn’t. Casual infatuations, the desire to please, deep and lustful attractions; none of these are love. Love is something much deeper, something much truer, something that takes us beyond ourselves. True love comes down to the willingness to make many sacrifices for the other. Ultimately it means being willing to give one’s life for the person who is the object of our love. It mostly doesn’t actually come down to that in existential terms; we very rarely have to end up sacrificing our lives, in other words actually dying for our partner. What it mostly involves is living a life in deep trust and companionship with one another, sharing on equal terms and making hundreds of small sacrifices for each other. But we know that deep down we would be willing to make that deepest of all renunciations for the one we love. Everything else that we do is an expression of that willingness.
With this understanding we can see how adultery and other betrayals are so undermining of a true marriage. We see how important fidelity is for the marriages we are part of. This was something that was simply taken for granted in previous generations, but these days with the media being so preoccupied with celebrity gossip and their multiple relationships we find marital fidelity a bit out of favour. Thankfully here in the Church marital fidelity is still very much in fashion because we believers realise that it is the fundamental bedrock of authentic family life. Of course, if infidelity does take place then forgiveness should follow, but only after an expression of true repentance and a real desire on behalf of the offender to recommit themselves to the marriage. Mary Magdalene has offended but she repents with her whole heart, and the emotion that she shows so publically towards Jesus is a demonstration of her wholehearted wish to begin a new life, a life in accordance with God’s laws, a life that will now be directed at giving honour and glory to her creator