We All Need Repentance

It is always telling to see groups and societies list why it's "Their" fault I'm unhappy or "oppressed" or poor. The demand for power or revenge is always driven by ego, pride, and fear.

OK, I confess, I do get amused usually, but sometimes it’s annoying to see the shallow political ideologies of the day insist Jesus is “on our side.”

This is especially comical when I see violently anti-religious political ideologues insist we Christians aren’t following Jesus as we should.

How would they know? “We reject any moral standards, but you Christians are supposed to be nice to us as we call you Nazis and racists and homophobes.”

The crushing ignorance among the elite about the Faith is embarrassing!

But it is also amazing to see political ideologies that have become “pseudo-religious” cults across the spectrum of political beliefs attempt to co-opt Jesus and highlight this or that quote from Jesus as “proof.” “Our side” is good! This gets so absurd as to suggest one politician is “anointed” by God to win the election. Seriously?

The Lord’s love for those who are marginalized and His resounding rebuke of those who claim to be super pious is an opportunity for us to smash the delusionary shallow thinking of our modern politicized society.

Look at our lesson today in Luke 7:36-50:

At that time, one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house, and took his place at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now 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 sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “What is it, Teacher?” “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he forgave them both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, to whom he forgave more.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward 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 wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

You cannot read the Gospels and not notice that Jesus has a love and compassion for those society has sent to the shadows. This focus on the marginalized in the Gospel is unmistakable. But the reason for this isn’t because He is dismissing their behavior. He shows us that we are all “marginalized” by our shallow rebellion against wisdom!

He eats and drinks with “sinners” and “tax collectors” and even speaks with and ministers to women in a society that relegated women to “property” in all too many cases. And you cannot ignore that Jesus reserves His strongest rebukes for the “religious leaders” who were supposed to be the champions of the poor and forgotten. This isn’t a disputable reality.

But if this is so obvious, why so much controversy?

Because we settle for shallow understandings and respond based on immature emotions rather than sober maturity.

The Truth is that Jesus has always and will always focus on how we treat the poor and marginalized around us. The truth is that Jesus always tells us, “Go and sin no more.” He didn’t love the poor because they were poor or marginalized. He loved them, as He loves all people because they bear His image as persons. And He confronts all of us to embrace repentance as the way of salvation—rich and poor alike!

This is what is so valuable in today's lesson. Jesus is at the home of a religious leader, and a marginalized woman comes in and bathes the Lord’s feet with her tears.

The shallow understanding would say the Pharisee is the “bad” guy, and the woman of ill repute is the “good” guy in the story. As usual, that’s too small! Simon, the Pharisee, is confronted lovingly with his need for repentance, and the woman has already begun mending her life THROUGH repentance. Both characters need repentance, and the willingness to repent makes the difference.

The great heroine of the Orthodox Faith, Euphemia, is remembered today for her pious life and witness to Christ’s resurrection. She was one of a long line of virgin martyrs who refused to be moved from her faith even in the face of torture. She contested for Christ in the early 4th century and gave her life as a witness to the truth of Christ. Her holy relics were discovered during the 4th Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD. This was a time of great doctrinal controversy between the Orthodox and those who denied the mystery of Christ being Fully God AND Fully Man. The Patriarch of Constantinople (the Roman Empire’s capital), Anatolius, suggested they give the great saint a voice in this dispute. They wrote the Orthodox teaching on one scroll and the heterodox teaching on another, placing them both on the saint’s chest. They sealed her tomb and posted a guard to make the coffin secure. For three days, they all fasted and prayed to God to reveal the truth. When they opened Euphemia’s tomb, she held the Orthodox scroll in her hand over her heart, and the heterodox scroll was at her feet. The Council judged the matter accordingly.

Today, our busy society seems gripped by shallow thinking and actions. We Orthodox are called to a higher place of true spiritual insight and humility. We cannot keep allowing the shallow narratives of the day to drown our children in a sea of perpetual immaturity. We MUST learn to live a Normal Orthodox life!

P.S. O Euphemia, Christ's comely virgin, you filled the Orthodox with gladness and covered with shame all the heretics, for at the holy Fourth Council in Chalcedon, you confirmed what the Fathers decreed aright. O all-glorious Great Martyr, entreat Christ God that His great mercy may be granted unto us.

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Fr. Barnabas Powell is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA. He is also the founder of Faith Encouraged Ministries and produces the Faith Encouraged Daily Devotional on Substack.