39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
Simon seems to be stating the obvious as though it were a profound truth. This woman was not an invited guest. In those days men and women did not eat together. The women and children ate together, and the men ate together. The rare exception was a feast like Passover which was a family meal. Not only was she not an invited guest, but she is at his feet. As we in the West learned when Saddam’s statue was pulled down following his defeat, putting the bottom of the feet toward someone is an insult in the Middle East. The recent shoe throwing again illustrated that point. Those of us who have flown in a helicopter over this area know that they don’t like us to dangle our feet out of the helicopters. They take seeing the bottom of our feet as an insult. But here is this woman at Jesus’ feet. She is not invited. She is not one of the servants performing the welcoming courtesy of providing a refreshing washing of the feet when entering the house. She is at His feet weeping. Definitely not a guest! What guest would cry at another guest’s feet? And as she cries her tears fall on His feet. She doesn’t use a cloth to wipe up his tears. She doesn’t have access to a cloth; she is not a guest. She instead uses her hair. Can any woman today think of using her hair to wipe the newly created mud off someone’s feet using her hair? Not with the price of shampoos and conditioners today. Hair ends up in the mouth as it dangles around the face. But this woman doesn’t seem to care. She is doing the most humble of tasks in a way that seems to degrade her, and yet it doesn’t seem to affect her one bit. The text goes on to complete the story, a story of forgiveness and restoration. All this happened because she knew her lowly position, her undeserving lifestyle and choices, and she was willing to come to Jesus.
The Arnold Journey 