52 Weeks at the Table – Week 39

A man named Simon invited Jesus to dinner at his home; a devout man known as a Pharisee. While they were reclining at the table, a local woman known for her sin began to weep at Jesus’ feet, and anoint them with perfume, and wipe them with her hair. Simon kept his thoughts to himself, but Jesus knew them anyway, and answered him with a riddle about debt and love. When Simon responded correctly, the Lord then turned to the woman, but continued to speak to Simon.

When Jesus entered Simon’s home, no servant had washed His feet; no traditional kiss of greeting graced His face; no gift of cooling oil was offered His head. She supplied all this out of gratitude for His power to forgive, and Jesus freely gave it. He said to her the words each of us yearns to hear: “Your sins are forgiven.”

A Prayer Over the Bread

Righteous and holy God, we greet our Lord as the host of this table with tears for our sin, and through grace bring this bread to our lips. As He was served hospitality by a sinner, we are served salvation by the sinless One. You have forgiven us much through the free giving of His body, and for us the answer to the question “Who is this who even forgives sins?” is clearly seen in this bread. He is Jesus, Your Son, crucified, resurrected, before us and among us and within us. Bless us, we pray, in the sharing of this bread. Amen.

A Prayer Over the Cup

This cup, our Father, we recognize as containing something more precious than any alabaster perfume box; it holds the blood of Your only Son. We owe more than we can pay in debt for our sin, yet this cup holds what forgives that debt. In our gratitude for it, we can only weep at His feet transfixed by the nails. Forgive us, God, as we share in this cup. Amen.