Commentary
Forgiveness and Love
Jesus gives the explanation for
the woman’s action, “Her many sins are forgiven because she has shown great
love.”
It can be interpreted: she
received forgiveness as a result of her great love. But that would give the impression that God
forgives sins with certain condition, or one can earn forgiveness.
However, with the parable of
the two people whose debts are forgiven, Jesus teaches that “greater
forgiveness brings greater love.” [1] And
he repeats the teaching in the next sentence, “The one to whom little is
forgiven, loves little.”
In other words, love is the
result of forgiveness.
We can only love God when we
have known and accepted God’s unconditional forgiveness.
In the case of the woman in
this passage, her appreciation for the gift of forgiveness empowers her to go
to a place where she is not welcome, and to show her great love for Jesus in
the most extraordinary way. [2].
In this woman, once a sinner,
we witness the power of God’s forgiveness.
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[1] The New
Jerusalem Bible. New York,
Doubleday, 1990. Footnote, P. 1701.
[2] Francis J. Moloney, The
Gospel of the Lord, Reflections on the Gospel Readings Year C.
Collegeville, MN. Liturgical Press, 1991; p. 137.
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