1

The First and Franklin Presbyterian Church Baltimore, MD June 16, 2013 How well do you see?

Alison Halsey Luke 7:36-8:3 Pentecost 4

Bob and Margaret were members of North Presbyterian Church when I was the Interim Senior Pastor. It was a large 800 member, suburban congregation made up mostly of upper middle class families. I first met Bob and Margaret the second Sunday I was there. They stood out. While the rest of the church wore nice Sunday go to meeting clothes, drove fairly nice cars, and just acted very suburban, this couple didnt. Bob came to church wearing flannel shirts and old pants, Margaret in basic house dresses. They were in their seventies but seemed to fit in with all the younger folk. Instantly I decided they were most likely the remaining farmers in this quickly growing community. About three months later Margaret was hospitalized for a minor ailment and I went to visit her. I was surprised her husband wasnt there and she explained to me that he was in Turkey delivering a paper to an international medical convention on the care of children. Oh, I said, somewhat surprised, What is his paper on? She went on to explain to me that it was about his invention of the K test given to newborns to detect milk allergies. Bob was a medical research doctor and when their oldest son was born and drank milk he developed a major reaction which resulted in mental retardation. Bob spent the next few years researching this and developing the simple prick to the heal given to all newborns to determine the likelihood of a childs reaction. Every child born in the US now receives the test as a matter of course. Other countries are following suit. He was quickly becoming world famous. Oh my, farmer Bob suddenly became someone other. So much for thinking I had this wonderful older couple figured out. Simon has a similar problem in being too quick to judge. He was a Pharisee and had invited Jesus to an elegant dinner party. He was out to impress. One senses Simon had everything ready the meal was done just right, the table set, the wine was poured, and the oil lamps lit, as they sat down to break bread together. Over the course of the meal while they were eating a woman from the city crept into the room and knelt at the feet of Jesus. Quietly, as unobtrusively as possible, she began to weep, her tears dripping on his feet. She undid her hair and began to dry his damp feet with her very hair. The host was watching her out of the corner of his eye and was becoming more and more uncomfortable with her actions. Furthermore his guest didnt seem to mind the attention. Simons carefully planned dinner party was not going as he planned. He was upset yet didnt quite know how to proceed. Jesus obviously knew

this and I have a sense that he was watching Simon to see his reaction as he let the woman continue to wash his feet with her tears and dry them with her hair. Just imagine if such a scene took place at a meal in your home. Then turning toward the woman, Jesus asked Simon, Do you see this woman? Now what type of question was that? Why of course he had seen this woman. He was unnerved by her presence from the time she first entered the home. How could he have possibly missed her, her low mournful weeping, her tears streaking the dust on his feet, letting her hair cascade down and then using it to wipe away the tears and the soil of the road, opening her bottle of ointment, its scent overpowering the room, pouring it out, and messaging it into his feet and then kissing them? If he wasnt so aroused at this sensuous, intimate act, he would have thrown her out before it got to this point. How could he not have seen her? Embarrassed and angry, upset and probably a bit jealous, he just looked at Jesus, sighed and rolled his eyes. There was a moment of quiet and Jesus calmly asked him; Have you really seen this woman or have you only seen what you wanted to see? If he had really seen her he would have realized what she had done was to do what Simon had failed to do. She offered him basic hospitality, washing his feet, anointing them, and giving him a kiss of welcome. All the things he hadnt done. Furthermore, this woman who Simon was quick to judge as a sinner was a person who was truly repentant and recognized Jesus as the Christ. Simon watched her with his heart and mind closed shut, lost in his own preconceived notions. How many times a day, or hour do we fail to see another person? We are so quick to see someone known or unknown and quickly assess the person, label them, not get to know them, and move on. A druggie, homeless, geek, tea party conservative, bleeding heart liberal, gay, square, the crazy person who goes to our church, a hurting person, _________ whatever. It is terrible but we all do it. I can remember a friend who was walking her three year old son to the playground when she noticed a couple walking across the street with a large dog. In an effort to point out the dog she said to him, Look at the African American man and woman and their dog. Her son looked at her inquisitively and then looked back across the street. She was horrified to realize that she just introduced her son to the concept of race. Oh how quickly we see, judge and label. It certainly makes it easier on us, doesnt it? No need to take the time necessary to really get to know the other, when we already can assume we know. Why take the risk? They may need something of us or make demands of our time.

However, in not giving the other their due we are not being fair or loving. Most of us have been on the receiving end of anothers assumptions and know it is not a good place to be. Didnt Jesus proclaim You shall love your neighbor as yourself.? This morning I would like to end this sermon with a video from the Cleveland Clinic. A few weeks ago I included it in my weekly email for you to watch. If you have seen it before, I invite you to watch it again. It is one of the best sermons I have seen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl2_knlv_xw Cant we hear Jesus saying Have you seen them? Have you really seen them?