What is the quintessence of Christianity?

The answer can be found in the delightful, but often overlooked Bible story of the sinful woman of Luke 7:36-50.

Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him (Jesus) to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume.

Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.”

And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” “A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.”

Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.”

Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

There is no indication from these Bible verses that she had any theological education or training—in fact, she may have been illiterate. In addition, this simple unilateral gesture on her part was conferred with no expectation of reward. And yet, Jesus forgave her sins.

Christianity is primarily about the heart and not the head. What good are intellectuals if you can’t ultimately trust them in a Free Crown environment? Rather, the God of the Bible is seeking those who have an interdependency towards angelic love.

Bottom line, if there is a God and we are inside his Anonymity Biosphere, everyone is involuntarily auditioning for his Upper Tier, aka Heaven. For all practical purposes, the judgment falls on whether one thinks angelic love is fun or not. Either way, it will show.

Luke 7 snapshots from the movie Jesus of Nazareth. Sinful woman kissing the feet of Jesus

These Luke 7 snapshots are from the movie Jesus of Nazareth.

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