Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-22

influence OF good fellowship that Is pres
ent at social functions was realized b,
our Lord. The Masters methods wer'
in marked contrast with John the Baptist
as we learned last week. We have NJ
| means Of knowing whether this supper
followed chronologically Chrfst's eulog.
are not recorded. Although 1t is evident
that Jesus hesitated to accept the re
peated invitation to dine with Simon, the
Pharisee, Jesus never failed to use every
opportunity presented to win a lost soul
The acceptance of Simon's offer OF hos
pitaIity was not because Jesus sought the
favor of the Pharisee. whose rank. repu.
tation and riches gave him an influential
position in the unnamed town.
The great motive of saving some stray
ing soul prompted the Master to enter
the home, and with the other guests
reclined with His head resting on His left
elbow at the table, with His feet stretch
ed out toward the wall and His body
resting on the divan: over n which Which .,s rug
motive in asking Jesus, the popular
preacher may well be questioned In view
of his apparent neglect of the conven-
tional ceremony Of washing his guest s
feet and amounting the Masters head
with oil.
The opportunity that Jesus sought to
save a soul soon presented itself The
entrance OF the unveiled woman cast a
shadow over the Pharisees because oil
her we'll known reputation as sinner.
There is not the privacy In the east that
we have In our social and home life. the
woman may have been. as Bruce sug-
gests. a guest at Matthews banquet, es-
pecially II the conjecture that this feast
was given in Capernaum Is correct She
sought Christ with a purpose, because
Jesus had filled her soul with the pos
sibilities Of living a new life He had
thrilled her by His message with the as
piration to be righteous in spite of her
n hor nd
with devotion to Him. SO that when she
saw how they were treating her Lord
she began unconsciously to wet the
Masters feet with her tears The quick,
preciating the difference in the attitude
OF Jesus toward her and that shown by
others, commenced to wipe the tears with
her hair. Then. not satisfied. she breaks
the alabaster box OF perfume and fills
the room with its scent.
That simple act of the penitent woman
caused Simon to secretly reason that the
failure of Jesus to take the conventional
attitude OF society. that would have
crushed the hope Of this woman, who
what the Pharisees considered to be
scandalous action, showed Jesus was not
a prophet. Simon had never seen a
prophet unless 1t was John the Baptist
evidently he had considered that possibly
Jesus might have been. would separate
himself from sinners. II Christ were
prophet, he reasoned then He would have
seen the character Of this woman, The
Master permitted this sinner. who was a
woman, to touch Him. Simon considered
that this established that Jesus was either
q bad man or no prophet. In this atti-
tude Simon represents his class. that have
always stood In the way OF the reformer
who has sought to lift UP humanity.
Protested followers Of the Christ have
taken the attitude of Simon and not that
Of Christ to the class represented by the
penitent woman. Jesus by His attitude
toward this woman not only gave hope
to the sinner. but He established the
rights of woman. Christ has not a.
double standard, that condones mems ar
tions while 1t condemns those OF women
The lesson reveals an element in the
character OF each of the three principals
in this supper scene, that reveals forgive
ness, failure and faith.