DOI Artikel:
Ratkowska, Paulina: "Ut quid perditio haec?": Ivory relief Christ in the House of Simon
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18951#0017
of Lukę: “Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went
to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city
who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s
house, brought an alabaster fiask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him
weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the
hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant
oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself,
saying, ‘This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of
woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.’ And Jesus answered and
said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ So he said, ‘Teacher, say
it.’ ‘There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred
denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he
freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him morę?’
Simon answered and said, ‘I suppose the one whom he forgave morę.’ And He
said to him, ‘You have rightly judged.’ Then He turned to the woman and said to
Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for
My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair
of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet
sińce the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman
has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are
many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same
loves little.’ Then He said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ And those who sat at the
table with Him began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’
Then He said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.’ ”6
The words of the Apostles express their amazement and recognition of Christ
as someone who is endowed with the power of absolution.
The text of Lukę includes—besides its’ historical substance—the
condemnation of the adulteress by the Pharisee, who criticizes her impurity,
shows an abhorrence for her sins and wants to warn Jesus against this contact.
This text is important, as it declares the existence of Christ’s divine power, which
can free a man from his sins. It also depicts Jesus’ goodness to the woman in
adultery, the appreciation of her salutation, which was fuli of humility.
Because only one female figurę (and not the two sisters of Lazarus—Martha
and Mary Magdalenę, mentioned by John the Evangelist7) is represented on the
relief the sources of the representation could be the chapter from the Gospel
of Lukę, ąuoted above, and the verses of the Synoptics (Matthew and Mark)
describing the Ointment of Christ in the house of Simon—not “Simon the
6Quoted from the King James Bibie.
7John 12: 2-4.
15
to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city
who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s
house, brought an alabaster fiask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him
weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the
hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant
oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself,
saying, ‘This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of
woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.’ And Jesus answered and
said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ So he said, ‘Teacher, say
it.’ ‘There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred
denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he
freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him morę?’
Simon answered and said, ‘I suppose the one whom he forgave morę.’ And He
said to him, ‘You have rightly judged.’ Then He turned to the woman and said to
Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for
My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair
of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet
sińce the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman
has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are
many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same
loves little.’ Then He said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ And those who sat at the
table with Him began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’
Then He said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.’ ”6
The words of the Apostles express their amazement and recognition of Christ
as someone who is endowed with the power of absolution.
The text of Lukę includes—besides its’ historical substance—the
condemnation of the adulteress by the Pharisee, who criticizes her impurity,
shows an abhorrence for her sins and wants to warn Jesus against this contact.
This text is important, as it declares the existence of Christ’s divine power, which
can free a man from his sins. It also depicts Jesus’ goodness to the woman in
adultery, the appreciation of her salutation, which was fuli of humility.
Because only one female figurę (and not the two sisters of Lazarus—Martha
and Mary Magdalenę, mentioned by John the Evangelist7) is represented on the
relief the sources of the representation could be the chapter from the Gospel
of Lukę, ąuoted above, and the verses of the Synoptics (Matthew and Mark)
describing the Ointment of Christ in the house of Simon—not “Simon the
6Quoted from the King James Bibie.
7John 12: 2-4.
15