One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37 vAnd behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining 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 wwiped 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 this, he said to himself, “If xthis man were ya prophet, he zwould 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, “Say it, Teacher.”
41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundredadenarii, and the other fifty. 42 bWhen they could not pay, he ccancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” 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; dyou gave me no water for my feet, but eshe has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 fYou gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to gkiss my feet. 46 hYou did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, iwhich are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, j“Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among8 themselves, k“Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, l“Your faith has saved you; mgo in peace.”
So she went. And from there on out her life was a million times harder. With the forgiveness of Jesus, with that love in her heart, she couldn't sell her body anymore.
She got a day job, and the pay sucked. She lost most of her friends. Granted, her partners in crime were never really her friends to begin with, but there had been some camaraderie there. She couldn't make many new friends because everyone recognized her. Her past was a brand.
She was lonely.
She worked hard and honestly for very little.
But in her heart she carried those 5 tender minutes with her Savior. She remembered the grimy, dusty feeling on her lips, the oily, salty, muddy mess in her hair. As she had cleansed his feet, He had cleansed her spirit. She clung to those merciful words closer than she'd ever clung to a pseudo-lover.
She kept loving much.
She died, with little evidence that her life had amounted to anything.
In the resurrection, the veil was lifted.
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