The Pharisee's Ignorance vs. the Woman's Repentance

Letting go of his feet, she washed the feet of Jesus. But sparing them — lest with sinful tears she affront the holy feet — she laid the beauty of her hair beneath them like a towel and wiped his feet. And one could see the whole woman bent over him, tending Jesus: her eyes, like fountains from above, poured out streams of tears, while her soul, like a basin set beneath, received the drops falling from his feet; her locks did the wiping, serving as a towel; and her hands, pouring out the alabaster of ointment, anointed his divine feet with myrrh to honor him — for, as she says, 'myrrh emptied out is your name' (Song 1:3).

You saw how a sinful woman overcame the ungrateful mindset of the Jews and the divine lack of laws. For they threw stones at him, but she refreshed him with the ointments of fragrance. But the Jews, being ungrateful, foolish, and ignorant, repaid the benefactor with stones, thinking to love the cornerstone (Matt 21:42); but she anointed the feet that were to stand all day because of her upon the cross. And why do I say that she overcame the ungrateful people of the Jews, where the whole choir of the saints surpassed them? For she received grace which kings did not receive, which the powerful did not attain; for kings of Tarshish and islands will bring gifts, and all the kings of the earth will worship him (Ps 72:10). And indeed according to the prophet, they gave gifts and worshiped boldly, but none of them loved the feet of Jesus.

How? The Magi came having taken the star as an ally of guidance (Matt 2:2), but they brought gifts boldly, knowing the measure of their own rank. For the heaven, he says, is my throne, and the earth a footstool for my feet (Ps 102:13). Therefore let the woman be praised as having received the honor of the whole earth, as having touched the stainless feet whose dust the nations and patriarchs shall scatter, according to what was said that they shall scatter the dust of his feet. She touched stainless feet, and shared the body toward John of Christ. For he fell upon his chest, for from that place he was to send out divine teaching; but she left behind the feet of him who walks for our sake. But Christ, who does not judge sin but praises repentance, who does not despise the past, but the future...

Testing existing things, having passed over her former evils with forgiveness, He honors the woman and praises her repentance, justifying the tears and crowning the intention. But the Pharisee, seeing the wonder, is struck in his mind and, being cast by envy, does not accept the woman's repentance, but even mocks the one who thus honored the Lord and diminishes the dignity of the one honored, seeking to vote down his ignorance.

For, he says, the Pharisee who called him, seeing, said to himself: 'If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who touches him, that she is a sinner.' 'O thoughtless and senseless and all-encompassing Pharisee!' Saying these things, you do not expose the manner of the woman, but you accuse your own forethought of being ignorant, saying what sort of woman she once was. Surely you did not honor him as knowing all things as God in the calling; therefore, have you no shame, O bright accuser and slanderer, that you call him as God and able to bless, but you shout at him as a man and saying he knows nothing concerning us. 'This,' he says, 'if he were a prophet.'

And how much better than you, O Pharisee, is the woman in Shechem, who did not know a prophet and, from first sight, having recognized the Savior, most gratefully confessed: 'Lord, I see that you are a prophet.' How much more wonderful than you is even this sinner, whose sin you see, but whose repentance you do not see. But you also condemn her whom the Judge justifies, and you blame and lie about her whom God, having accepted, crowns; because, having seen God lying beside you in human form, she knew and honored; and having uncovered the wounds of the soul, she asked for mercy and for the forgiveness of those having been burdened.

But you, having honored by the calling, dishonor by mockery, saying: 'If he were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who touches him.' Wretched man! Just because you did not expose her evils, do you vote down his ignorance? Just because she went up to your roof, burdened with many evils, do you reject his knowledge? But because you deigned him to go up to your roof, to recline with you and to lay hands on your bound ones, you grumble and did not deign him, thinking him one of many? Were you worthy to host God or to set a table for the one preparing a table in the wilderness? But being a lover of mankind, you not...