Many assumptions and judgments are made throughout this reading. The first question that pops into my mind is what is meant by a "sinful woman". And secondly, why emphasise that the woman was sinful at all and not just focus on the act of anointing?
Some who have interpreted these readings in the past have claimed that this woman was a prostitute. Perhaps she was. However, we cannot know this for certain. It is of course also possible that she had multiple partners or that she even loved another woman and was in an openly intimate relationship with her?
Whatever the case may be, she was obviously closer to the spirit of Jesus than any other person in that particular setting. This tells me that she was in touch with her true self. She knew quite well who she was and she had no intention of displaying herself to the outside world as anyone other than her true self. And she knew well that her God loved her no matter what. Does that mean that she would deliberately do wrong? No, I wouldn’t think so. It means that she – like many of us aim to do – did all in her power to make the best of whatever her circumstances happen to be.
In fact, her being so in touch with her true self – the living God within – is why, I believe, she was able to connect in such a deep way with Jesus. Scholars tell us that the anointing can be seen as the preparation for Jesus’ burial. How amazing is that? Whether the woman was aware of this or not is irrelevant to the fact that she had a strong urge to follow her heart and did not hesitate to wash, kiss and anoint Jesus’ feet, knowing all too well that she would be mocked by those around her. She was after all used to this in her life. To me her actions are very much a sign of prophecy which make her a true and authentic human being.
What can this all possibly mean for us today? In the Spirituality Revolution, David Tacey explains that "authenticity means doing what the spirit wants us to do, and to find out what that could be, we need to develop the skills of prophecy and discernment, and not take flight into convention". What’s the point of having our own thoughts if all we do is act in the way we think others expect us to? How much energy do we waste in assuming what others are thinking when we would be far better off listening to ourselves and discerning where it is our spirit is leading us? This takes courage and trust. Like the woman in the reading we need to follow our own path which means that, because ultimately we are all unique, we will be mapping out our own rather than taking the road that already exists.
Prophecy is not about predicting what will happen in the future; it is a way of speaking and acting in the face of powerful, oppressive interests. It leads to conversion and renewal pointing out what remedies need to be put in place to make our Earth a better place for all. What makes this particular woman a true prophet is that she followed her heart in the face of adversity and in doing so is living more authentically than those who are only able to view what lies on the surface. To be in touch with true Love one must be able to penetrate beneath the obvious, pushing assumptions and judgments aside to reach clarity and truth deep within.