The Sinful Woman is Forgiven

Introduce the Story

Bring a bowl of warm water and a large towel to class. One helper sits while you wash her feet.  As you do this, talk about how people used to walk outside wearing sandals. Talk about dusty or muddy streets where animals walked. People always washed their hands and their feet before they ate.  People used to lay down on cushions around low tables so sometimes you sat very close to people’s feet. Who would want to eat with someone’s stinky feet nearby? If I invited you to my house to eat, the very first thing I would do is give you a kiss on the cheek. Then I would either give you water to wash your feet, ask a servant to do it, or if you were an important guest, I might even wash your feet for you. Then I would give you some perfumed ointment to put on your head in case you were hot and sweaty. In today’s story Jesus was invited to someone’s house for a meal. Let’s find out what happened...

One day Jesus was invited to eat at the home of a Pharisee.  Who knows what the word Pharisee means?  Pharisees were religious men who liked to obey lots of rules. They obeyed all the rules in the Old Testament Law. Not only that, they obeyed all the rules that other religious people made up. Pharisees talked so much about obeying rules that they forgot to think about God. They thought all the rules were more important than God.  They did not like anyone who did not obey rules just like them.

Jesus met a Pharisee named Simon. Simon invited Jesus to his house to eat. When Jesus arrived at Simon’s house Simon did not give him a kiss. Simon did not give Jesus water to wash his feet with. Simon did not offer Jesus perfumed oil to put on his head. Jesus reclined on the cushion anyway. Other very important guests were eating with Simon also.

Someone else came to Simon’s house. But Simon had not invited her. The person that came in was not someone who liked to obey rules like Simon. This was a woman who had been very bad. Everyone knew that this was a sinful woman. Why do you think she was there?

The sinful woman did not come to see Simon. She knew Simon would not help her. She was sorry for the bad things and she had done. She believed that Jesus could forgive her of her sins.

While everyone was eating, the woman came and knelt on the floor behind Jesus. She was so sorry for her sins that she began to cry. When she saw that Jesus’ feet had not been washed, she used her tears to wash his feet. She did not have a towel but she used her long hair to dry Jesus’ feet. Then she took her jar of perfume and put it on Jesus feet.

Simon could not believe what he was seeing! He thought to himself, “How dare this woman come into my house! How dare Jesus let her touch him, much less wash his feet? Didn’t Jesus know about following rules? Jesus must not be a true teacher.” But Simon did not say one word out loud. He only thought these things to himself.

Jesus could read Simon’s mind. He decided to tell Simon a story. “Simon,” Jesus said, “once two men borrowed money. One borrowed 500 denarii (denarii is a kind of money - pretend it’s 50 dollars) and the other fifty denarii (pretend it’s 5 dollars). After a while, the lender told the men that they did not have to pay him back. They could keep the money. Which of those men do you think loved the money lender the most?

Simon, “The man who owed the most money would be the happiest. He would love the money lender the most.”  Jesus said, “you’re right.  See this woman?  She is like the man who owed 500 denarii - or $50. She has done many bad things.  She loves me so much that she kissed my feet and washed them, and put oil on them.  She loves me so much because I forgave her so much….  Simon, you are like the man who owed only $5.  You asked me to your house but you did not kiss my cheek or wash my feet or give me oil for my head.  You only love me a little, because you were only forgiven a little.”  

Then he told the woman, “I forgive you of all of the sins you have done. Now you can go in peace.”

Group Activity

(get a cross big enough to hold several sticky notes)

We want to show you, by using this cross, how is it that this woman loved Jesus so much?  Wasn’t she bad?  How could someone who is bad love Jesus?

Let’s see.  Let’s pretend we can count her sins.  For each sin, we'll put a sticky note on the cross - then you can all see it. (Ask children to put the notes on the cross as you write them)

 

1. When she played a game, she cheated.

2. Before she ate, she did not wash her hands.

3. She did not obey her mom. 

4. She did not obey her dad.

5. She didn’t work hard.  She let other people do all the work.

6. She made fun of other people.

So what did Jesus do with her sins?  Doesn’t she have to be punished for them?  No, Jesus decided to take her punishment.  He hung on a cross - he took those sins with him on the cross.    Jesus took her punishment. How many sins did Jesus take from this woman?  6

Let’s see how many sins Simon has.  Simon was good.  He doesn’t think he has any sins.  Does anyone know what sin that is??  Pride.

1. Simon didn’t think he had any sins.  How many sins is that? 1

Jesus said, he forgave both people.  Let’s put Simon’s sin on the cross too.

Do you see why the woman loved him more?  It was because she had more sins! 

When she was washing his feet, she was saying thank you.  She said thank you at least 6 times. 

Jesus loves to save people .  He wants to save people that are really bad, because they will love him a lot. 

Art Activity

You could make a cross with two pieces of paper.  Cut them out, and glue them.

Then you can take crepe paper or thin paper and scrunch it up to show your sins. See if you can think of a sin you have done. The more sins you can think of, the more you will love Jesus! Jesus took all your sins on the cross. Those sins do not count anymore. He loves you. You can love him, too.