The Lady is a Theologian

Summary for March 21

The prologue

Some Christians like to think that the gospels are just tape-recordings of what Jesus said. But there is a process of inspiration. For instance, Jesus spoke in Aramaic, but the gospels are written in Greek. Were the people who wrote it down in Greek inspired by God? Yes!

Jesus wants the message to go through the guts of the listeners. The message is enriched by this method. The disciples are part of the continuing incarnation. Don’t wait for learned scholars to tell you how to interpret the scriptures. Dive in yourself!

Luke 7:37-8:11 The Lady Is a Theologian

There was a ritual of welcome, but the Pharisee skipped these. Jesus has every right to be offended at the welcome ritual being skipped. But Jesus ignores the snub, and reclines at the banquet.

The woman is probably a prostitute. How did she come to be at the banquet? At a Jewish banquet the doors were opened, because the Rabbis said: don’t shut the doors at your banquet lest you shut out an angel or Elijah unawares. So the banquets usually had beggars present. The woman is a witness to Jesus’ public humiliation.

We can assume that the woman has heard Jesus’ message “God loves sinners” before this banquet takes place. All of the acceptable ways to wash away sins were out of reach for the woman. And yet, Jesus said that God loves sinners like her.

The host and other guests at the banquet are not pleased at the woman’s recognition of Jesus.

Rabbinic rules said a woman was not allowed to uncover her hair in public. Her hair is considered private. A pious woman always keeps her head covered. The woman in Luke 8 is very upset at how the Pharisee has humiliated Jesus. By uncovering her hair the woman is making a declaration of loyalty to Jesus. Jesus accepts the woman’s gesture of gratitude.

The Shechinah (the divine presence of God) has moved from the darkened room in the back of the Temple to the person of Jesus.