The Fourth Sunday: The greatest gift for all humankind is the forgiveness of sins

God the Father’s fourth meeting with humankind in His Son Jesus is fulfilled in Simon the Pharisee’s home, where the Lord met with sinners in the form of the sinful woman and even Simon himself, to give them the greatest gift. The golden rule is: He who loves more, God forgives more, for the greatest commandment that God left for the church in the second Sunday, is the golden key to God’s gifts.

The miracles of healing in both the vespers and matins gospel, along with the raising of the dead in the praxis of the vespers, point to the salvation and the victory of Christ over the last enemy, which is death. The connection between salvation and the raising of the dead is revealed in the son of the widow of Nain – as observed on the fourth Sunday of the Coptic month of Babah. We see the connections of Christ’s meetings between the Coptic month of Tout and the Coptic month of Babah, that encompass miracles which explain the work of salvation.

During vespers we notice that the first meeting was with the woman who was bleeding, which bears the image of humanity bleeding for its life with Christ, and for the feeling of uncleanliness of sin as it approaches from behind to touch Christ. “But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.” (Matthew 9:22) And then the raising of Jairus’ daughter, “But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.” (Matthew 9:25) Also in the praxis, St. Peter raises Tabitha from death, and the vespers psalm states, “The earth, O LORD, is full of Your mercy…” (Psalm 119:64)

In matins, the Canaanite woman who symbolises the nations who are awaiting the Lord’s salvation, she met with Christ and she cast all her hope in Him, as the Psalm mentions, “Our soul waits for the Lord…” (Psalm 33:20)

The Pauline Epistle: “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 1:5) The practical part of the Catholic epistle is, “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8) The work of the devil, which the Son of God has overruled by His manifestation, is corruption which entered into the world through sin, illness, and death.

The Psalm: “The Lord is their strength, And He is the saving refuge of His anointed. Save Your people, And bless Your inheritance…” (Psalm 28:8-8) The topic of salvation covers the readings of the Coptic month of Tout.

The Gospel: “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 flask 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 hundreddenarii, 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 more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” 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 nowater for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.You gave Me nokiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since 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.”” (Luke 37:36-50) The one whom he forgave little did not see the truth of his sins, due to his shallow love – therefore, the more we love God, the more we will discover the extent of His forgiveness.

God does not hold back His gifts, however, we will only be able to obtain these gifts according to the magnitude of our love. The hindering factor that delays God’s gifts, is the deficiency in our love for God. The greatest of gifts is the forgiveness of sins which we obtain through God’s love, and which prepares us for holiness and for the eternal life. In this we see the wonderful connection between the four readings of the Coptic month of Tout, as it presents to us a single spiritual and theological prospectus that is complete with the readings of the Coptic month of Babah.