Today in the Gospel Jesus is invited to a meal by Simon the Pharisee, but once He is seated at table a woman with a bad reputation gatecrashes the party and starts behaving in what the other guests believe to be a very inappropriate manner. She begins weeping over Jesus’ feet. Imagine if that happened today. This sinful woman has been accepted, forgiven by Jesus. She reflects the abundant grace of God, which unexpectedly breaks through boundaries that hums beings see to impose. Simon the Pharisee, rather like older brother in the story of the prodigal son, doesn’t want to celebrate God’s unlimited forgiveness; he disapproves of it.
Christian communities can often respond as Simon did. We can disapprove of too much generosity, especially to people who seem to be breaking the rules all the time. We might have have a certainly sympathy with the village of hard-working peasants who turned away the ex-convict Jean Valjean because he represented too much of threat to their security. No doubt the bishop who gave him hospitality was seen as a silly old man who was out of touch with reality. God’s love seems disruptive and even dangerous. How else do we expect to overcome the divisions and hostilities that divide families, communities and nations in our world unless we allow God’s unlimited forgiveness to work in us, so we can witness to God’s healing love in our lives?