If there was anything Jesus despised, it was stinginess, especially the holding back of oneself. If there was anything he admired, it was extravagance, especially the extravagance of love.

There are really only two ways to live. You can live as if this is the last drop, and there won't be anymore; or you can live as if there is more where this came from. We can live out of scarcity, or we can live out of abundance. In the story from Luke's Gospel, we see these two approaches in conflict.

My Bible has this caption above the story, "A Sinful Woman Forgiven." But that's only half of the story. The story could also be labeled, "A Religious Man All Wrapped Up In Himself." This is one of the most beautiful stories in the New Testament. It's one of my personal favorites. It asks us to consider whether the cup of life is half empty or half full. The Pharisee views life as basically in limited supply. The woman, on the other hand, is a living example of the extravagance of love. We see in her the extent to which love will go, given the right circumstances.

Underneath it all, Simon — that's the name of the Pharisee — is really very stingy. He has gone to great lengths to cover it up. Even to the extent of throwing a banquet for a traveling rabbi named Jesus. It was common practice back then for important people to entertain other important people. I guess it still is today. Simon invites Jesus to his home for dinner. The invitation is not so much to enjoy Jesus' company as it is for Simon to look good in the eyes of the town. If Simon really wanted Jesus to be there because he wanted to learn more about what Jesus had to say, he would have observed the customary marks of hospitality and good manners current at the time. He would have washed Jesus' feet, given him a kiss when he arrived, and anointed his head with oil or perfume. Good manners dictated that these three be done for a guest. Streets were dusty and sandals let in the dirt and grit. It was simply good manners to see that a guest's feet were taken care of after the journey to the host's home. Providing water to calm and cool the feet was the thing to do. Traditionally, the host would place his hand on the shoulder of the guest as he came into the family residence, and give the guest a kiss as he did it. In most cases, especially on special occasions like the one in this story, a pinch of incense or a drop of rose perfume on the head would not only make the guest feel welcome and relaxed, but perhaps even special.

But Simon the Pharisee has other things on his mind. He's not interested in Jesus. He's only interested in the praise he will receive from his other guests as they congratulate him on opening his home to them so that they can get to know the traveling celebrity better.

That also explains why Jesus was there. It was not a trap as some have supposed. At this juncture, Jesus is still on relatively good terms with his opposition. No, it was not a trap, but more to show Jesus off and make Simon look good that accounts for Jesus' presence at the banquet.

There was an aunt who was very proud of her nephew who was in divinity school. So much so that she invited him to an outing to show him off to some of her new friends. She couldn't wait for the new doctor in town to meet her nephew who was studying for the ministry at a prestigious school. It didn't work, for the nephew rebelled at being used. It was not an enjoyable afternoon for either the doctor or her nephew. And it certainly didn't bring much glory to the school. The doctor probably went home thinking, "How did that fellow ever get into that school?"

Something like that, I think, explains Jesus' presence at the dinner. Once Jesus was there, Simon forgot about him and went on to other things. It was not so much what Simon did that was the problem, but what he did not do. He didn't even have the courtesy to observe basic good manners.

But the woman, a sinner at that, is another matter all together. Far from observing the customary social protocols, she throws caution to the wind and gives it everything she has. It's as if she has completely forgotten that there is anyone else there but her and Jesus. She didn't just say a couple of polite "Thank yous," and leave it at that. No, her actions were over the top.

Now remember that this woman is repudiated to be a sinner. Not even Jesus disputes that. The fact that she has her long hair down is a tip-off that she's a prostitute. In ancient Israel, Jewish brides bound their hair up at the wedding and never wore it down in public ever again.

But it's this woman who showers an abundance of love on Jesus that overflows to the point of being nothing but extravagant. Her generous actions cannot help but be contrasted with the inaction of Simon's stinginess. Simon is so wrapped up in himself that he can't see what's going on before his eyes.

We seem to know why Jesus was there, but why was the woman there? How do we explain her presence? It's difficult enough to explain why Jesus was at the dinner, but it's even harder to explain her presence. Again, if it were the custom for important people to invite other important people into their homes for a meal, it was also customary at the time to allow "whosoever would" to come and go at will. This gave the townspeople an opportunity to get their questions answered from the new budding teacher. It was kind of a Q & A session sprinkled throughout the meal. The homes of local, wealthy residents were especially set up for this. There would have been an open courtyard where people could come and go all evening long as time permitted. Even such a questionable person as the woman in the story would have had access to Jesus to ask him the burning questions on her heart.

But, of course, she was way beyond getting her questions answered. That had already taken place when she listened to Jesus preach to the crowds. We're not sure just what it was that Jesus had said that had meant so much to her, but whatever it was, she felt herself loved and forgiven. "Imagine, a person like me, a sinner, and one of the worst at that, a prostitute, is not beyond redemption, not beyond the realm of God's love." In fact, Jesus seemed to be saying that people like her were the very ones God was most concerned about. God was seeking and calling them back home.

Those like Simon, on the other hand, were beyond help. They didn't need God or anyone else, so assured were they in their own righteousness. "Those who are well have no need of a physician," is the way Jesus described them (Luke 5:31).

If Simon failed by what he did not do, this woman excelled in what she did. Jesus pointed out the difference to Simon, but first to press the truth home, Jesus told a little story about two debtors. One owed 500 denarii, the wages for about 500 days of work. The other owed 50 denarii, or the equivalent of fifty days of work. In a strange stroke of good fortune, when the creditor found that neither could pay, he cancelled both debts. Speaking directly to Simon, Jesus asks, "Now which one will love the creditor more?" (Luke 7:42b).

You can almost hear the agitation in Simon's voice when he replies. "I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt" (Luke 7:43). Jesus says, "You got it, Simon."

If that were not enough, Jesus does not stop with this. He seizes the opportunity to apply the lesson in light of what the sinful woman has done in their presence. He says to Simon, "Do you see this woman? (That is, ‘Can you see what she has done?') I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet; but she has bathed my feet with tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment" (Luke 7:44-46). The precious ointment was probably from a phial, called an alabaster, which hung from around her neck, a common fashion at the time.

Jesus then goes on to drive his point home: "Therefore I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little." Then he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven" (Luke 7:47-48).

After this little lecture by Jesus, we do not hear another word from Simon. Simon has been put in his place and he knows it. And justly so. But you have to say this for Simon, at least now he has the good manners not to publicly disagree with Jesus and to call his authority into question. Simon is not going to risk embarrassing himself by insulting the honored guest any more than he already has.

But those around the table were not so hesitant or silent. They began to ask among themselves a question. "Who is this who even forgives sins?" (Luke 7:49b). If these guests weren't ready to answer that question with their words, there was one in their midst who had already answered it by her actions. She had poured out her love and affection to Jesus for telling her that God loved her, too. She could not stop showing Jesus how grateful she was. Even Jesus had to take notice of how incessant her affection and gratitude was. It had gone on from the moment she arrived till the party was over — so extravagant was her love.

I'm sure we've all have had times when we have either been on the receiving end or the giving end of similar acts of love. As I was planning for my sabbatical in England, my wife, Susan, and I were trying to figure out just how much it was going to cost to live for almost three months in Cambridge. Even with the generous grant, things are expensive there. Added to that is the high exchange rate. At the time the U.K. exchange rate was about double that of the U.S. As we did our planning, it looked like we had enough money for everything we wanted to do except for a digital, single lens reflex camera that I had my heart set on. I resigned myself to using my old camera, which was certainly adequate enough, just not technologically up-to-date. Right before I was to leave for England, in an advance celebration of my birthday, which would take place while I was away, my wife surprised me with the camera. It was more than she should have done, and almost more than I could accept. It had been a long time since I had been showered with such a lavish, tangible display of love and affection. Her only remark as she gave it to me was this: "I didn't want you to go to England without it." I will cherish the gift for the extravagant love with which it was given.

To close, I say to you, as Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace" (Luke 7:50).