2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13/ Galatians 2:16, 19-21/ Luke 7:36-50
A good number of us present here should be going for yearly medical checkups or yearly health screening.
The obvious reason is that as we get older, it would be good and necessary for us to maintain our health, or whatever that is left of it.
But as much as it is good for us, and even necessary, we tend to delay it and even try to avoid it.
Because we like to think that as long as there is no severe pain and that we can eat and sleep and do everything else in between, then there is nothing really seriously wrong with us.
And our cars seem to get a better treatment. We send our cars for regular servicing, car wash, car polishing, etc.
Actually a medical checkup is not that troublesome, nor is it that painful.
It just requires a bit of fasting and that is for the blood test.
Well, there is this joke about a boy who went for his first medical checkup.
As he was waiting for his turn to see the doctor, he met his classmate, who seemed to be crying and clutching his finger in pain.
When he asked what happened, his classmate told him that he just had his blood test. The doctor took a big needle and poked it into his finger and drew out a lot of blood. And it was so painful.
When the boy heard this, his eyes grew big and then he jumped up and ran out.
But the nurse caught hold of him and asked him where he was going.
With a frightened voice, the boy said: If the doctor poked the finger for the blood test, then where will he poke for the urine test?
Well, pain is real, although some other kinds of pain may just be imaginary.
But painful or otherwise, a blood test and a urine test will show us what is really happening inside of us and also the state of our health.
Whatever it is, a test is necessary in order to get some results that will tell us the truth.
Today’s gospel began with Simon the Pharisee inviting Jesus to a meal at his house.
Simon the Pharisee had some respect for Jesus as a prophet, so maybe that was why he invited Him.
And then when they were at table, a woman with a reputation, came in with an alabaster jar of ointment, and we heard what she did to Jesus.
Simon the Pharisee began thinking. “What’s happening?!?! That woman is touching Jesus like that!!! If Jesus were a prophet, then He should know what kind of woman she is. Hmmm …Jesus cannot be a prophet then. Maybe both of them are the same kind.”
So in the mind of Simon the Pharisee, he had made a judgement on Jesus and on the woman. Just that he was not saying it.
But what Simon didn’t know was that he was in the presence of the Divine Doctor who knows what is in the heart of a man.
And Jesus, the Divine Doctor, was about to give Simon a spiritual checkup.
Jesus told Simon a parable of two men in debt, one owing a much larger sum than the other.
Both of them were unable to pay, but they were pardoned. So which of the two would be more grateful and thankful?
The answer was obvious and Simon got it right.
So the test was conducted and the results were out and put before Simon.
It was quite clear to Simon that he had judged the woman as well as Jesus.
And now, from his own mouth, he had proclaimed a judgement on himself. Can he still deny it?
How Simon reacted or responded to Jesus, we were not told.
But reading between the lines of the gospel, comes a lingering question: Are we like Simon the Pharisee?
We scrutinize others to see what they are thinking and what they are doing, and yet we don’t examine our own conscience.
There is a story about a turtle family that decided to go on a picnic.
Turtles, being naturally slow about things, took a long time to prepare for their outing. Finally the turtle family left home looking for a suitable place.
After more than a year of their journey, they found a place ideal for them. So they cleaned up the area, unpacked the picnic basket, and completed the arrangements. Then they discovered they had forgotten the salt. Now a picnic without salt would be a disaster, and they all agreed.
After a lengthy discussion, the youngest turtle was chosen to retrieve the salt from home. Although he was the fastest of the slow moving turtles, the little turtle whined, cried, and wobbled in his shell. But he agreed to go on one condition: that no one would eat until he returned. The family consented and the little turtle left.
A year passed and the little turtle had not returned. Then two years … three years… then on the third year of his absence, the oldest turtle could no longer contain his hunger. He announced that he was going to eat and began to unwrap a sandwich.
At that point, the little turtle suddenly popped out from behind a tree shouting, “Ah ha! See! I knew you wouldn’t wait. Now I am not going to go get the salt”.
The point of the story is that we waste our time scrutinizing others and forming judgements on them.
We seemed to be concerned about what others are doing and they wrong they had done, but we don’t examine ourselves and the wrong that is in us.
But Jesus our Divine Doctor and Healer wants us to go through a spiritual checkup and to be healed of our sinfulness.
Jesus wants to forgive all our sins, and heal us with His love, so that we can love God, love others, and love ourselves.
Let us ask for this forgiveness and healing, for ourselves, as well as for others.