How Jesus Dealt With People

We need to know how Jesus dealt with people, especially those with serious problems. that should not be hard to learn; the Bible contains many reports of Jesus' encounters with others, some of whom were troubled. Let us also note the way the religious leaders, particularly the Pharisees, dealt with people with similar problems. The contrast will be enlightening.

In the year 31 C. E., while Jesus was on a preaching tour in Galilee, "a certain one of the Pharisees kept asking [Jesus] to dine with him." Jesus was not averse to accepting the invitation. "Accordingly he entered into the house of the Pharisee and reclined at the table. And, Look! A woman who was known in the city to be a sinner learned that he was reclining at a mean in the house of the Pharisee, and she brought an alabaster case of perfumed oil, and taking a position behind at his feet, she wept and started to wet his feet with her tears and she would wipe them off with the hair of her head. Also, she tenderly kissed his feet and greased them with the perfumed oil." - Luke 7:36-38.

Can you picture that? One reference work claims: " The woman (vs.37) took advantage of the social customs that permitted needy people to visit such a banquet to receive some of the leftovers." That might explain how a person could enter uninvited. There may have been others who hoped to glean at the end of the meal. However, this woman's behavior was unusual. She did not watch from the sidelines, waiting for the dinner to break up. She had an unsavory reputation, being "a sinner" of some note, so that Jesus said he knew of "her sins, many though they {were]. - Luke 7:47.

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