11th Sunday C 07

In the first reading we hear about an event that happened 3000 years ago. King David said to the prophet Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan replied, ‘the Lord, for his part, forgives your sin. ‘ David was repentant and admitted his sin to a man of God and was forgiven. Today we call this the sacrament of reconciliation.

The king’s sin was a grave one. He was guilty of adultery, deceit and murder. This is what happened.

His army was away fighting a war but the he stayed at home in Jerusalem. He saw a woman, the wife of one of his soldiers away fighting, and - abusing his powers - he had her brought to his palace and committed adultery with her. She conceived a child. The king, to save his own and her reputation sent a message to the commander of the army to put the husband of the woman where the fighting was fiercest and leave him there alone so that he might get killed. The man died and David married his wife.

God was displeased, in fact he was disgusted with David, and through the prophet Nathan called him to account. Nathan did not accused him directly but told him a story:

In the same town there were two men, one rich, the other poor. The rich man had flocks and herds in great abundance; the poor man had nothing but a ewe lamb, only a single little one which he had bought. He fostered it and it grew up with him and his children, eating his bread, drinking from his cup, sleeping in his arms; it was like a daughter to him. When a traveler came to stay, the rich man would not take anything from his own flock or herd to provide for the wayfarer who had come to him. Instead, he stole the poor man‘s lamb and prepared that for his guest.

Then the king flew into a rage and said, ‘this man deserves to die for having done such a thing, for having shown no pity.’ The prophet said to the king, ‘you are that man!’

This story shows how much easier it is for us to see the fault in other people’s conduct than in our own. This is why Jesus has commanded us to take the beam out of our own eye before offering to help with the speck in our brother’s eye. The Pharisee in the gospel story was critical of both Jesus and the woman who was wiping his feet, but he failed to see his own short-coming, that he was a poor host to a distinguished guest. The beauty of the depth of the woman’s repentance and the generosity of the forgiver escaped his notice.

Let us always be different from the Pharisee by being strict with ourselves and generously forgiving to others.