The Setup

If you don't like someone, do you invite them into your home?

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. - Luke 7:36-37

Today's Gospel story begins with a strange encounter and quickly follows up with another, even stranger.

Jesus is invited to dinner by someone we would expect to want to trip him up, a Pharisee.  This was someone who strictly observes the law, someone who would be in a position to judge Jesus and his actions.

So, Jesus decides to go.  He must have known he would be giving his host an opportunity to make him look bad.

And then something crazy happens.  A woman, known to be a sinner, enters the house.

What?

Why would the Pharisee allow that? 

I can't help but think this was a setup.  How would the woman find out about the invitation? 

The way Luke tells the story, we can see that the Pharisee was puzzled.  A true prophet would have known the woman was a sinner, he says, so maybe he had set it up.  Maybe he intended to embarrass Jesus before all who attended.

Jesus had to know it was coming.  The Pharisee wouldn't have invited him otherwise.

So, what is the lesson here for us?  If it all about Jesus turning the tables on the Pharisee, what benefit does that have for us?

Maybe Jesus is offering advice and a warning.

There will be those who would like to trick and trap us, to use our faith and compassion against us, making us look foolish or worse.  They may even set it up so we look bad in front of others, just to discredit us.

There is no indication why the Pharisee does this, and we will probably never know what motives others to attack us, but we should be prepared for it, and stand our ground when it happens.

As we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we should be aware and be confident that God is with us.

With God on our side, who cares what others think?

Of course that is the real trap, isn't it?  We could worry about how we are perceived by everyone else, rather than remain strong in our convictions and our faith.

So, I guess we should be prepared for the trials that will come.  We should know there are people looking to take us down, and we should be careful what invitations we accept, because we may not be as strong as Jesus when we are challenged.

More to come...