The Contrast of the Sinner and the Saint
A sinner, forbidden to you but being saved in me? You let her enter your house—for the house is yours and not mine, full of reproach—she did not give water to my feet, feet which were dusty because of you, which endured toil so that I might free those who toil and are burdened. You brought half the price, marveling at the things above but not healing the things below.
But while you did not give water to my feet, she, by leaving springs of tears from her eyelids, washed away the filth of her sin. You did not give me a kiss, lest you be like Judas who accomplished the betrayal through a kiss; but she, from the moment she entered, did not cease kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, for a sinner's oil should not anoint my headw could you honor the head while neglecting the feet?
But she also anointed my feet prophetically with myrrh; for myrrh, she says, empties its name for you; emptied, not poured out. Since the vessel of the Jewish mindset was shallow, therefore from your alabaster jar the myrrh was emptied into my feet, so that through me grace might participate in the fragrance among the Gentiles. For this reason I say to you: her many sins are forgiven; for while you, receiving me as an equal, neither honored me with a kiss nor healed me with ointment, she, receiving remission of many evils, honored me with tears and myrrh, like a vessel of two natures joined together.
Let us therefore bless the woman who covered the evils of Eve, the sinner, the fornicatress, the enemy of good things, who showed a way of repentance and stripped bare the law of philanthropy, having had the judge himself as her advocate, who conquered the wailing of judgment with tears. Therefore, all of you who are present, zeal for what you have heard, and do not imitate the pleasure of the fornicatress, but imitate the throne. For pleasure produced the throne, but the throne brought forth the solution to evils.
Wash not your bodies with water, but with tears; anoint not with ointments, but your members with purity. Clothe yourselves not in the fabrics of Tyre, but in the incorruptible garment of sobriety, so that you may share in that same glory, returning thanks to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, to whom belongs the glory and the honor, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Greek
ἁμαρτωλόν, τήν σοι μὲν ἀπηγορευμένην, ἐμοὶ δὲ σῳζομένην; Εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου–σὸς γὰρ ὁ οἶκος καὶ οὐκ ἐμός, ὁ λοιδορίας μεστός–ὕδωρ ἐπὶ τοὺς πόδας μου οὐκ ἔδωκας, πόδας τοὺς διά σε κονισθέντας, τοὺς κόπον ὑπομείναντας ἵνα κόπων τοὺς κοπιῶντας καὶ πεφορτισμένους ἐλευθερώσω. Ἐξ ἡμισείας τὴν τιμὴν προσήνεγκας τὰ μὲν ἄνωθεν θαυμάσας, τὰ δὲ κάτωθεν μὴ θεραπεύσας. Ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν ὕδωρ εἰς τοὺς πόδας μου οὐκ ἔδωκας, αὕτη δὲ πηγὰς δακρύων ἐκ τῶν βλεφάρων ἀφεῖσα τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῆς τὸν ῥύπον ἀπέσμηξε. Σύ μοι φίλημα οὐκ ἔδωκας, ὡς εἴθε μή τε Ἰούδας ὁ φιλήματι τὴν προδοσίαν ἐργασάμενος· αὕτη δὲ ἀφ' ἧς εἰσῆλθεν οὐ διέλειπε καταφιλοῦσά μου τοὺς πόδας. Ἐλαίῳ τὴν κεφαλήν μου οὐκ ἤλειψας, ἔλαιον γὰρ ἁμαρτωλοῦ μὴ λιπανάτω τὴν κεφαλήν μου. Πῶς γὰρ εἶχες τὴν κεφαλὴν τιμῆσαι ὁ ποδῶν ἀμελήσας; Αὕτη δὲ καὶ τοὺς πόδας μου προφητικῶς ἤλειψε μύρῳ· Μύρον γάρ, φησίν, ἐκκενωθὲν ὄνομά σοι· ἐκκενωθέν, οὐκ ἐκχυθέν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸ σκεῦος τῆς Ἰουδαϊκῆς γνώμης ὑπόσαθρον ἦν, διὰ τοῦτο ἐκ τῆς ἀλαβαστροθήκης ὑμῶν ἐν τοῖς ποσί μου ἐξεκενώθη τὸ μύρον, ἵνα δι' ἐμοῦ εἰς τὰ ἔθνη μετοχετευθῇ τῆς εὐωδίας ἡ χάρις. Οὗ χάριν λέγω σοι· Ἀφέωνται αὐτῆς αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αἱ πολλαί· ὅτι σὺ μὲν ὁμορρόφιόν με δεξάμενος οὐδὲ φιλήματί με ἐτίμησας οὐδὲ ἀλείμματί με ἐθεράπευσας, αὕτη δὲ πολλῶν κακῶν ἀμνηστίαν λαβοῦσα ἐτίμησέ με ἐκ δακρύων καὶ μύρων οἱονεὶ διφυῆ κρατῆρα κερασαμένη. Μακαρίσωμεν οὖν τὴν ἄνθρωπον τὴν τὰ τῆς Εὔας καλύψασαν κακά, τὴν ἁμαρτωλόν, τὴν πόρνην, τὴν πρόξενον τῶν ἀγαθῶν, τὴν δείξασαν μετανοίας τρόπον καὶ γυμνώσασαν φιλανθρωπίας νόμον, τὴν αὐτὸν τὸν κριτὴν συνήγορον ἐσχηκυῖαν, τὴν δάκρυσι νικήσασαν τὸν τῆς κρίσεως ὀδυρμόν. Ὅσοι οὖν πάρεστε, ζηλώσατε ἅπερ ἠκούσατε καὶ τῆς πόρνης μὴ τὴν 7 ἡδονήν, ἀλλὰ τὸν θρῆνον μιμήσασθε. Ἡ ἡδονὴ μὲν γὰρ τὸν θρῆνον ἐγέννησεν, ὁ θρῆνος δὲ τῶν κακῶν τὴν λύσιν προεξένη σε. Λούσατε οὖν ὑμῶν μὴ ὕδασιν, ἀλλὰ δάκρυσι τὸ σῶμα· ἀλείψατε μὴ μύροις, ἀλλ' ἁγνείᾳ τὰ μέλη. Ἐνδύσασθε μὴ τὰ Σηρῶν ὑφάσματα, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἄφθαρτον τῆς σωφροσύνης ἱμάτιον, ἵνα τῆς αὐτῆς τύχητε δόξης, χάριν ἀναπέμποντες τῷ ἀμνῷ τοῦ θεοῦ τῷ αἴροντι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ ἡ τιμή, σὺν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεί, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. 8
About this text
A bishop explores how Christ's presence transforms sin into joy, using the story of a sinful woman and a Pharisee.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 39 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.