396-397 : Jesus Preaches On Forgiveness
THE scribes and the Pharisees brought to him a woman caught doing wrong,
and when they had placed her before him, they said,
"Master, this woman was caught doing wrong, in the very act.
Now Moses in the law commanded that such a person should be stoned.
But what do you say?" This they said to test him, that they might be able to accuse him.
Jesus stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground as though he had not heard them.
When they continued asking him, he stood up and said to them,
"He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."
And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
When they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the eldest,
and Jesus was left alone, except for the woman.
Then Jesus stood up and seeing no one but the woman said to her, o'Woman,
where are your accusers?
Has no man condemned you?" She said, "No man, Lord."
And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and sin no more."
One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him.
And he went into the Pharisee's house and sat down to dinner.
Now there was a woman in the city who was a sinner,
and when she learned that Jesus was having dinner at the Pharisee's house,
she brought an alabaster box of ointment and stayed at his feet, behind him, weeping.
She began to wash his feet with tears, and wipe them with the hair of her head,
and kissed his feet and anointed them with ointment.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself,
"This man, if he were a prophet,
would have known who and what kind of woman this is who touches him, for she is a sinner."
Jesus answering said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he said, "Master, speak on."
"There was a certain creditor which had two debtors. One owed him much, and the other a little.
When they had nothing to pay, he forgave them both freely. Tell me then, which of them will love him most?"
"I suppose the one to whom he forgave the most," Simon said.
And Jesus said to him, "You have judged rightly." Then turning to the woman, he said to Simon,
"Do you see this woman? I came into your house, and you gave me no water for my feet,
but she has washed my feet with tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
You gave me no kiss, but this woman, since the moment I came in, has not stopped kissing my feet.
You did not anoint my head with oil, but this woman has anointed my feet with ointment.
"Therefore, I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.
But he to whom little is forgiven, loves little." And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
Then they that sat at dinner with him began to say within themselves, "Who is this that forgives sins also?"
And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."
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