kely administer a
rebuke to the woman for presuming to intrude upon the presence of Him,
a spiritual teacher.

But the woman still pressed forward toward Him, and at last, bending
down low, her head touching His feet, she burst into tears. She had
heard the Master preach some time before, and the seeds of His
teaching had taken root and had now blossomed within her heart; and
she had come to acknowledge her allegiance and to render an offering
to Him whom she revered. The coming into His presence was her token of
a spiritual regeneration and a desire to begin a new life. Her tears
flowed over His feet, and she dried them off with her long hair. Then
she kissed His feet, as a token of her allegiance and worship.

From her neck hung a chain holding a little box filled with precious
perfumed oil, which she esteemed highly, as did all the people of her
race. The oil was of the nature of attar of roses and was the
essential oil extracted from fragrant blossoms. She broke the seal and
poured the fragrant oil over the hands and feet of the Master, who
rebuked her not, but who accepted the tribute even from such a source.
The host began to indulge in thoughts not flattering to the
intelligence of his guest, and a scarcely concealed sneer appeared on
his lips.

Then Jesus turned to His host and with a smile said to him: "Simon, in
thy mind thou thinkest these words: 'If this man be indeed a prophet,
would he not know what manner of woman this be who toucheth him, and
would he not rebuke her and drive her from him?'" And the Pharisee was
sorely confused, for the Master had read his thought word for word by
the method known to occultists as telepathy. And then in gentle
raillery the Master called his host's attention to the fact that the
woman had performed the service which he, the host, had neglected to
observe. Had she not bathed and dried His feet, as the Pharisee would
have done had his guest been deemed worthy of honor? Had she not
anointed Him with precious oil, as the host would have anointed an
honored guest? Had she not impressed upon even His feet the kiss that
etiquette required the host to impress upon the cheek of the esteemed
visitor to his house? And as for the character of the woman, it had
been fully recognized and forgiven. "Much hath been forgiven her, for
she hath loved greatly." And, turning to the woman, He added, "Go in
peace, for thy sins are forgiven thee." And the woman departed with a
new expression