Second Sunday in Lent

Lent was originally a season for new converts to Christianity to learn and prepare for their baptism on Easter. During that time, they would study what was central to Jesus’ life and ministry: God’s mercy, radical welcome, love for neighbor, care for the vulnerable, nourishment for the hungry, and nonviolence in the face of injustice. At the heart of Jesus’ teachings, we find liberation, love, mercy, and grace—good news for us and for all people. This week we hear how Simon and some Pharisees host a dinner for Jesus. An unexpected guest arrives: a woman from the city who kneels at Jesus’ feet and washes him with expensive perfume. Simon scoffs, but Jesus reorients his focus, recognizing her extravagant love. When we care for the hungry, the naked, the imprisoned— each of whom are created in the image of God—we are showing love for God, too.