On the Sinful Woman

Listen, beloved, and be comforted at how merciful God is. He forgave the sinful woman her offenses; indeed, he held her up when she was in distress. With clay he opened the eyes of the blind man, so that his eyes saw the light. He gave healing to the paralyzed man, who got up and walked and carried his bed. And to us he has given the pearls: his holy Body and Blood. He brought his medicines in secret, and with them he heals openly. He went about the land of Judea like a physician carrying his medicines. Simon invited him to the feast, to eat bread in his house. The sinful woman rejoiced when she heard that he was sitting at the feast in Simon’s house. Her thoughts gathered together like the sea, and her love surged like the waves. She saw the Sea of Grace, how it had pressed itself into one place, and she resolved to go and drown all her wickedness in its waves. [a]

She bound her heart, because it had done wrong, with chains and with tears of suffering, and she began to weep to herself: “What good has this sexual immorality done me? What good is this lewdness? I have defiled the innocent without shame. I have corrupted the orphan. Without fear I have robbed the merchants of their goods, and my greed was never satisfied. I have been like a bow in war, and have killed the good and the bad. I have been like a storm at sea, and have sunk the ships of many. Why did I not win one man for myself, who might have corrected my lewdness? For one man is of God, but many are of Satan.” These things she said inwardly; then she began to act outwardly. She washed away from her eyes the dye that blinded those who looked at it, and tears poured from her eyes over that deadly eye paint. She drew the enticing bracelets of her youth off her hands and threw them away. She took off the fine linen tunic of sexual immorality and threw it away from her body, and resolved to go and dress herself in the tunic that is the garment of reconciliation. She drew the decorated sandals of lewdness off her feet and threw them away, and set her steps on the path of the heavenly Eagle. She took her gold in her palm and held it up to the face of heaven, and began to cry out in secret to the one who hears openly: “This, Lord, which I gained by wickedness, I will use to buy redemption for myself. This, which was gathered from orphans, I will use to win the Lord of orphans.” [b]

These things she said in secret; then she began to act openly. She took the gold in her palm and carried the alabaster jar in her hands, and she hurried out in sorrow to the perfumer. The perfumer saw her and was amazed, and began to question her. These were the first words he spoke to the prostitute: “Was it not enough for you, prostitute, that you have corrupted our whole town? What is this new style you are showing your lovers today, that you have put off your loose living and dressed yourself in modesty? Before, when you came to me, you looked different from today. You were dressed in fine clothes, and you brought little gold, and you asked for costly ointment to make your lewdness pleasant. But look! Today your clothing is poor, and you have brought much gold. I do not understand your change. Why this new style of yours? Either dress in clothes to match your means, or buy ointment to match your clothes. This ointment does not suit or fit this clothing. “Can it be that a merchant has met you, one who brings great wealth, and you have seen that he does not love the style of your lewdness? So you have put off your lewdness and dressed yourself in gentleness, so that by one style after another you may capture much wealth. But if he loves this style because he truly is a chaste man, then woe to him! What has he fallen into? Into an abyss that has swallowed up his goods. But I give you advice, as a man who wishes you well: send away your many lovers, who have done you no good since your youth, and from now on look for one husband who may correct your lewdness.” These things the perfumer said to the prostitute, in his wisdom. The sinful woman answered the perfumer when he had finished speaking: “Do not hinder me, man, and do not hold me back with your questions. I have asked you for ointment, not as a gift; I will pay you its price, and not grudgingly. Take the gold, as much as you ask, and give me the costly ointment. Take what does not last, and give me what lasts; and I will go to the one who lasts, and buy what lasts. As for what you said about a merchant: a Man has met me today who carries riches in abundance. He has robbed me, and I have robbed him. He has robbed me of my transgressions and sins, and I have robbed him of his wealth. And as for what you said about a husband: I have won a Husband for myself in heaven, whose rule stands forever, and whose kingdom will not be dissolved.” She took the ointment and went out.

She went out in haste, and Satan saw her and was enraged, and was greatly troubled in his mind. At one moment he rejoiced, and at another he was grieved. That she carried the perfumed oil made him rejoice inwardly; but that she was dressed in poor clothes, at this he was afraid. So he stuck close to her and followed her, as a robber follows a merchant. He listened to the murmurs of her lips, to hear the sound of her words. He watched her eyes closely, to see where her glance was turned; and as he went, he kept beside her feet, to see where her steps were turned. Satan is very crafty at learning our aim from our words. That is why our Lord has taught us not to raise our voices when we pray, so that the devil may not hear our words and come near and become our adversary. So when Satan saw that he could not change her mind, he put on the appearance of a man, and gathered around him a crowd of young men like her lovers of former days, and then he began to speak to her like this: “By your life, woman, tell me, where are your steps headed? Why this haste? You are hurrying more than on other days. What is this gentleness of yours? Your soul is as gentle as a servant girl’s. Instead of garments of fine linen, look! you are dressed in shabby rags. Instead of bracelets of gold and silver, there is not even a ring on your fingers. Instead of fine sandals for your feet, there are not even worn shoes on your feet. Tell me everything you are doing, for I do not understand your change. Has one of your lovers died, and are you going to bury him? We will go with you to the funeral, and share your sorrow with you.”

The sinful woman answered Satan when he had finished speaking: “You have said well that I am going to bury the dead, one who has died to me. The sin of my thoughts has died, and I am going to bury it.” Satan answered the sinful woman after her words: “Come now, woman, I tell you that I am the first of your lovers. I am not such a one as you are, and I lay my hands on you. I will give you more gold again than before.” [c] The sinful woman answered Satan when he had finished: “I am tired of you, man, and you are no longer my lover. I have won a husband for myself in heaven, who is God over all, whose rule stands forever, and whose kingdom will not be dissolved. Look, I say it in your presence; I say it again, and I do not lie. I was a servant girl to Satan from my childhood to this day. I was a bridge, and he walked over me, and I destroyed thousands of men. The eye paint blinded my eyes, and I was blind among the many whom I blinded. I became sightless and did not know that there is One who gives light to the sightless. Look, I am going to get light for my eyes, and by that light to give light to many. I was bound fast and did not know that there is One who overthrows idols. Look, I am going to have my idols destroyed, and so to destroy the follies of many. I was wounded and did not know that there is One who binds up wounds; and look, I am going to have my wounds bound up.” These things the prostitute said to Satan in her wisdom; and he groaned and grieved and wept, and he cried aloud and said: “I am beaten by you, woman, and I do not know what I will do.”

As soon as Satan saw that he could not change her mind, he began to weep for himself, and this is what he said: “From now on my boasting has perished, and the pride of all my days. How can I set a trap for her, now that she is rising on high? How can I shoot arrows at her, when her wall cannot be shaken? So I will go into the presence of Jesus; look, she is about to come into his presence. And I will say to him, ‘This woman is a prostitute.’ Perhaps he will reject her and not receive her. I will say to him: ‘This woman who is coming into your presence is a woman who is a prostitute. She has taken men captive by her sexual immorality; she has been defiled since her youth. But you, Lord, are righteous; everyone crowds to see you. And if people see you talking with the prostitute, they will all run from your presence, and no one will greet you.’” These things Satan said to himself, and he was not moved. Then he changed the course of his thinking, and this is what he said: “How can I go into the presence of Jesus, when secret things are plain to him? He knows me, who I am, and that no kind service is my purpose. If he rebukes me, I am ruined, and all my schemes will be wasted. I will go to the house of Simon, for secret things are not plain to him. I will put it into his heart; perhaps he will be caught on that hook. This is what I will say to him: ‘By your life, Simon, tell me: this man who is staying in your house, is he a righteous man, or a friend of those who do wickedness? I am a wealthy man, a man of property, and I want to invite him as you have, so that he may come in and bless my possessions.’” [d]

Simon answered the Evil One after he had spoken: “From the day I first saw him I have seen no lewdness in him, but quietness and peace, humility and good conduct. He heals the sick without payment; he cures the diseased freely. He goes up and stands by the grave, and calls, and the dead rise. Jairus called him to raise his daughter to life, trusting that he could raise her to life. And as he went with him on the way, he gave healing to the sick woman who took hold of the hem of his garment and stole healing from him; and her pain, which was hard and bitter, left her at once. He went out to the desert and saw the hungry, how they were fainting with hunger. He had them sit down on the grass, and fed them in his mercy. “In the boat he slept, as he chose to, and the sea rose against the disciples. He got up and rebuked the waves, and there was a great calm. The widow, left desolate, was following her only son on the way to the grave, and he comforted her; he gave him back to her and gladdened her heart. To one man who was mute and blind he brought healing by his voice. He cleansed the lepers by his word; he restored strength to the limbs of the paralyzed. For the blind man, afflicted and weary, he opened his eyes, and he saw the light. And for two others who begged him, he opened their eyes at once. As for me, this is how I heard the fame of the man from far away; and I invited him to bless my possessions, and to bless all my flocks and herds.” [e] Satan answered Simon after he had spoken: “Do not praise a man at his beginning, until you learn his end. So far this man is sober, and his soul takes no pleasure in wine. If he leaves your house and has not spoken with a prostitute, then he is a righteous man and no friend of those who do wickedness.” Such things Satan said to Simon in his craftiness. Then he came near and stood at a distance, to see what would happen.

The sinful woman, full of transgressions, stood clinging to the door. She clasped her arms in prayer and spoke these words of entreaty: “Blessed Son, who came down to earth for the sake of man’s redemption, do not close your door in my face; for you have called me, and look, I am coming. I know that you have not rejected me. Open the door of your mercy for me, so that I may come in, my Lord, and find refuge in you from the Evil One and his hosts. I was a sparrow, and the hawk chased me, and I have fled and taken refuge in your nest. I was a heifer, and the yoke chafed me, and I will turn my wanderings back to you. Lay the shoulder of your yoke on me, so that I may take it up and work with your oxen.” So the prostitute spoke at the door, with much weeping. The master of the house looked and saw her, and the color of his face changed, and he began to speak to the prostitute with these opening words: “Get away from here, prostitute! This man who is staying in our house is a righteous man, and those who are his companions are blameless. Is it not enough for you, prostitute, that you have corrupted the whole town? You have corrupted the chaste without shame. You have robbed the orphans and did not blush. You have plundered the merchants’ goods, and your face is not ashamed. Your heart and soul labor to take something from him, but your net takes no spoil from him. For this man is truly righteous, and those of his company are blameless.” [f]

The sinful woman answered Simon when he had finished: “Surely you are the keeper of the door, you who know the things that are secret! I will propose the matter at the feast, and you will be free of blame. And if there is anyone who wants me to come in, he will invite me, and I will come in.” Simon ran and shut the door, and came near and stood at a distance. He waited a long time and did not put the matter to the feast. But he who knows what is secret beckoned to Simon and said to him: “Come here, Simon, I bid you. Is anyone standing at the door? Whoever it is, open to him so that he may come in; let him receive what he needs, and go. If he is hungry and hungers for bread, look, the table of life is in your house. If he is thirsty and thirsts for water, look, the blessed fountain is in your dwelling. And if he is sick and asks for healing, look, the great Physician is in your house. Let sinners look on me, for it was for their sakes that I humbled myself. I will not go up to heaven, to the dwelling from which I came down, until I carry back the sheep that wandered from its Father’s house, and lift it onto my shoulders and carry it up to heaven.” Simon answered Jesus when he had finished speaking: “My Lord, this woman who stands in the doorway is a prostitute. She is loose-living and not freeborn, defiled from her childhood. And you, my Lord, are a righteous man, and everyone is eager to see you. If people see you talking with the prostitute, everyone will run from your side, and no one will greet you.” Jesus answered Simon when he had finished speaking: “Whoever it is, open for him to come in, and you will be free of blame. Though his offenses are many, I bid you receive him without rebuke.” [g]

Simon came and opened the door, and began to speak like this: “Come, go in, and do what you wish to him who is just like you.” The sinful woman, full of transgressions, went forward and stood at his feet, and clasped her arms in prayer, and spoke these words: “My eyes have become channels of water that never stop watering the fields, and today they wash the feet of the one who follows after sinners. This hair, thick with locks from my childhood to this day, do not be displeased that it wipes this holy body. The mouth that has kissed the lewd, do not forbid it to kiss the body that forgives transgressions and sins.” These things the prostitute said to Jesus, with much weeping. And Simon stood at a distance to see what he would do to her. But he who knows the things that are secret beckoned to Simon and said to him: “Look, I will tell you, Simon, what you are thinking about the prostitute. In your mind you imagine, and in your soul you said, ‘I called this man righteous, but look, the prostitute is kissing him. I invited him to bless my possessions, and look, the prostitute is embracing him.’ Simon, there were two debtors who had only one creditor. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other owed fifty. When the creditor saw that neither of the two had anything, he pardoned them both and forgave them their debt. Which of them ought to give the greater thanks: the one who was forgiven five hundred, or the one who was forgiven fifty?” Simon answered Jesus when he had finished speaking: “The one who was forgiven five hundred ought to give the greater thanks.” Jesus answered, and said: “You are the one who owes five hundred, and this woman owes fifty. Look, I came into your house, Simon, and you did not bring water for my feet; but this woman, whom you called a prostitute, defiled from her childhood, has washed my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. Ought I to send her away, Simon, without forgiveness? Truly, truly, I tell you, I will write about her in the Gospel. Go, woman: your sins are forgiven you, and all your transgression is covered, from now on and to the end of the world.” [h]

May our Lord count us worthy to hear this word of his: “Come in, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom made ready for all who do my will and keep all my commandments.” To him be glory; on us be mercy; at all times. Amen! Amen!