Gracious Receiving
A Sermon by Brent J. Eelman
June 17, 2007
Abington Presbyterian Church

Luke 7:36-8.3
    One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. ³⁷And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. ³⁸She 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. ³⁹Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.’ ⁴⁰Jesus spoke up and said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Teacher,’ he replied, ‘speak.’ ⁴¹‘A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴²When they could not pay, he cancelled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?’ ⁴³Simon answered, ‘I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the greater debt.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You have judged rightly.’ ⁴⁴Then turning towards the woman, he said to Simon, ‘Do 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. ⁴⁵You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. ⁴⁷Therefore, 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.’ ⁴⁸Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ ⁴⁹But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’ ⁵⁰And he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’
    Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, ²as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, ³and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.*  

When my father died, one of the things that I received from his estate was an old Dutch wall clock. It dates to the 17^th century and has a very intricate movement that is powered by weights and a pendulum. The clock was always in the hallway of our home, sometimes it worked, more often than not it didn’t. It was hard to keep something working with four children in the house. I didn’t always know the story behind the clock, but later I learned that my father, following World War II, went to the Netherlands as a student delegate for the opening convocation of the World Council of Churches. One of the things that he hoped to find during this sojourn was a grandfather’s clock similar to the one he knew as a child, growing up in Holland. He located one, purchased it, and brought it back to the states. As I mentioned, it was always on the wall in the hallway of our house.

In the middle of my junior year at college, I came home for winter break and I noticed that the clock was no longer there on the wall. I asked where it was, and was told that it was being cleaned. When I came home from college for the spring break it was not there either. I don’t remember seeing it again for a number of years. Then it appeared again. I never gave it much thought.

A number of years later, a few years before my father died, I was talking with my step-mother and she mentioned the clock. She then let “the cat out of the bag” by telling me that my father did not have the money to pay for my tuition my last year of college and so he surrendered the clock as collateral for a loan to my tuition. I was not supposed to know this… but of course, few things ever remain a secret. A host of strange feelings came over me. I was amazed at my father’s sacrifice. I began to ask myself if I would have acted differently that last year of college, knowing that he made such a sacrifice. I also found myself saying, “Someday I am going to repay him for this.” I will stop the story there for the time being.

I had, unknowingly, received a gift from my father. Knowing how important that clock was to him, I felt as though it was undeserved. I almost wished that he didn’t do it.. It was hard to accept. Some gifts are very hard to accept.

Jesus was also the recipient of gifts. Jesus, the one who taught that it is better to give than to receive, was also on the receiving end of gifts of love and sacrifice. Jesus, the one who gave sacrificially, was also able to receive the sacrifices of others. We should take to heart Jesus’ admonition that it is better to give than to receive, because it is…. but the logic of that statement does not preclude that receiving is not good. I am coming to believe that the generous heart, the heart that truly loves, is also one that can receive.

The story took place in the home of a Pharisee. Jesus was there visiting with the men, when they were interrupted by a woman. Luke only identifies her as “a sinner”. We do not know what her sin was. Somehow in Sunday school I was under the impression that she was a woman if ill-repute. I suspect that appeals to an adolescent lascivious mindset. But Luke doesn’t say that.. just that she was a sinner, and presumably everyone knew she was a sinner. She brought an alabaster jar filled with ointment and proceeded to wash Jesus’ feet with her tears and wipe them clean with her hair before anointing him with the ointment. This was a very sensual scene and Jesus was on the receiving end. Others were appalled. If we were there, we would also be appalled. In ancient Middle Eastern society, a host of taboos were broken by this brazen act. She was a woman, a sinner, and she had crossed the line of acceptable conduct. They protest, not only this woman’s behavior, but Jesus acceptance of it, and that is where we discover another dimension to the one we call Christ and Lord.

Jesus was able to receive love. He was secure enough in his own skin, that he could receive the love and affection that this woman brought to him. He didn’t stop her, instead he used it as a teaching moment. Once again, the parable was about receiving and how we receive gifts. In this case, the parable was about receiving forgiveness.. that too is a gift. This woman, whose sins were many, was also able to receive. She was humble and human enough to receive the gift of divine forgiveness. Her love and affection shown toward Jesus, was a response to receiving the gift of forgiveness. Her gift to Jesus was an expression of joy… and Christ would not take that joy from her. He was able to receive graciously.

Gifts have become an obligation in our society, and that is too bad, because there is something that is very special about a gift. Gifting is a symbol of a relationship. We give precious things in relationships of love, and those gifts bring the giver a great deal of joy. That joy is compounded in the way that they are received. When Karen and I were first dating, I took a great deal of joy in getting gifts for her, ( I still do!) A few weeks into our relationship she received roses for Valentines day. I remember purchasing a chamois shirt for her for her birthday… There were other little things along the way. It was fun and special. It brought me a great deal of joy. We were together about 8 months when she wanted to go bike riding and I confessed that I didn’t have a bike. She wanted to get one for me as a gift, and I put up a fuss that I could never let her do that… I remember her saying to me: “Brent, please let me have the joy of giving you something.” Relationships of love also require us to receive… and in the relationship of love that God has established with us, we need to graciously receive the gift of forgiveness that God brings. This is what the woman with the costly ointment knew.. this is what Jesus knew… this is what the Pharisee could not understand.

I still have the clock. It is being repaired now…. But it is mine and someday will hang on the wall in our house. I do not know its value, but I do know its value as a symbol of love that my father had for me…. Sometimes I am so thick. I didn’t figure it out until my own child went off to school. She announced the school of her intention and I saw the tuition costs, and wondered how would we do that… we made some changes and we did…. Some might say there were sacrifices, but they really weren’t… because few things have brought me the joy that giving that to my daughter has.

I believe that God takes joy and delight in giving to us… we need to be gracious receivers… not takers.. receivers… Responding in gratitude and living lives of gratitude.

God has given us so much: creation, forgiveness, love, hope, healing, beauty, music, language, other human beings, pets, animals, shelter, food, plants, and flowers…. Can we graciously receive these things?

Most importantly – God has given us salvation in the person of Jesus Christ. How do we receive him? How do we receive God’s greatest gift? Amen.

*The New Revised Standard Version Bible, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers) 1989.

Abington Presbyterian Church, Abington, Pennsylvania,  www.apcusa.org