{"id":22986,"date":"2025-01-02T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-02T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/urc\/urc-daily-devotion-2nd-january-2025"},"modified":"2025-01-02T06:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-01-02T06:00:00","slug":"urc-daily-devotion-2nd-january-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/urc-daily-devotion-2nd-january-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"URC Daily Devotion 2nd January 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

St Luke 7: 36 – 50<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee\u2019s house and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee\u2019s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment.  She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, \u2018If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him\u2014that she is a sinner.\u2019  Jesus spoke up and said to him, \u2018Simon, I have something to say to you.\u2019 \u2018Teacher,\u2019 he replied, \u2018speak.\u2019 \u2018A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?\u2019  Simon answered, \u2018I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the greater debt.\u2019 And Jesus said to him, \u2018You have judged rightly.\u2019  Then turning towards the woman, he said to Simon, \u2018Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.  You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet.  You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.\u2019  Then he said to her, \u2018Your sins are forgiven.\u2019  But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, \u2018Who is this who even forgives sins?\u2019  And he said to the woman, \u2018Your faith has saved you; go in peace.\u2019<\/p>\n

Reflection<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is said that when a woman hits forty (or thereabouts) she becomes invisible. I read a series of crime novels where the basic premise was that an older woman was invisible and could therefore rob a bank undetected, if she so wished. (She didn\u2019t. She solved the cases instead.) But invisibility has always been part of a woman\u2019s lot in a man\u2019s world and sometimes to her advantage. As in this case. The woman has managed to find her way, uninvited, into the inner circle, where the chief guest is reclining at dinner.<\/p>\n

The men involved have names: Jesus and Simon. The woman has two labels: \u2018woman\u2019 and \u2018sinner\u2019. It feels like a hostile situation, surrounded by those who label her so unkindly. <\/p>\n

I find it interesting that Jesus actually confronts his host with his blindness to the woman. \u2018Do you see this woman?\u2019 he has to ask. I wonder who we don\u2019t really see in our everyday lives? Who are the people burdened with labels instead of names – refugees, illegal immigrants, the women and children represented only by numbers killed in men\u2019s wars?<\/p>\n

Let us never forget God sees each one as a precious individual person, each one as worthy as the folk who think they are important, the folk who think they have the right to abuse and kill them. Instead, there is one Lord who declares that these \u2018invisible people\u2019 are the ones with faith, whose sins are forgiven.<\/p>\n

Prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Open our eyes to truly see the people we encounter, Lord.
Give us hearts that recognise them as Your children just as much as we are, and may we take the time to learn each other\u2019s names, and stories.
Amen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

St Luke 7: 36 – 50 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee\u2019s house and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee\u2019s house, brought an alabaster jar of … <\/p>\n

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