Jesus had been invited to a feast with lots of guests. He had been treated with neglect and disrespect as a rabbinical guest. In the middle of the dinner a street prostitute seeking Jesus broke into the private dinner and began to wash Jesus’ feet with her tears and anoint his feet with sweet smelling ointment. The dinner was at a standstill and judgment was pointed at everyone.
Today we are seeking to understand the Colossians 2 lesson: Do not let the world judge you. The truth is, it will not matter what we do. The question of judging for each of us is portrayed in this Scripture from the gospels. First the honest judgments of the woman of the street and that of Jesus. Then the cruel and false judgments of the Pharisee and the unknown judgment of the dinner crowd. Then the telling and fair judgment of the Pharisee by Jesus.
First the one that created this emotional conflict was the woman on the street. She had to judge herself in need of forgiveness and in so doing came to Jesus with service and blessings. Jesus judged her as honest in her repentance and forgave her. The Pharisee judged her as not worthy to be in his house and Jesus as a fake, since he let this woman touch him, and if he were a real prophet, he would know who she is. This last is normal world judgment that we are to avoid. It is almost always wrong.