Can you picture poor Simon? This woman, not just a woman but that woman, that terribly sinful woman had barged into his home and humiliated him in front of his esteemed guests while the whole town watched! And this Jesus, this self-proclaimed Messiah was doing nothing about it. He just lay there and smiled while this common harlot anointed His feet.
The wheels were turning in Simon’s mind. He cannot believe what he is seeing. The Bible says, he thinks to himself (in today’s verse), “This man, if he were a prophet, would have known WHO and WHAT MANNER of woman this is that TOUCHETH him, for she is a SINNER.”
Slowly, the attention of the appalled guests and the bewildered crowd shifts from the woman to Jesus. They begin to wonder how He will respond. Will He condemn her, banish her from the banquet and send her off into the night or will He graciously accept her adoration?
It is obvious to everyone that she had broken the boundary of appropriateness. She had crossed the line and now Jesus must choose. Will He side with Simon or the sinful woman?
Simon the Pharisee is clearly the power broker in town. He may have been the mayor or some high government official. To side with him would no doubt win some political clout. Who among us has not found it difficult to resist siding with those of privilege and power? Who among us has perhaps scowled at the “woman” who is dressed differently or of a sordid reputation?
