The story of a plot twist…
Dan Harper
October 09, 2025
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Luke 7: 44–50 (NIV)
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Do you like Piña Colada, or getting caught in the rain? These are the very memorable lyrics of a 1979 hit by Rupert Holmes. The song is called ‘Escape’ and it tells the story of a couple who both look to cheat on each other via dating adverts in the newspaper. They end up unwittingly answering each other’s ads and actually going on a blind date with each other. It is a great song with a ridiculous plot twist. But plot twists are a fabulous narrative device, when sung or spoken, and they cause us to stop and engage with the cognitive dissonance before us.
In our reading Simon thought he knew the story, thought he knew what was going to happen. A respectable host, with respectable guests, and they were going to share with Jesus in respectable conversation. But this is not what happened, Jesus rewrote the script. A woman stepped in who broke the rules, and Jesus praised her love. Suddenly, in that moment where the plot twists, Simon is not the hero of his own story, he’s the one who must learn and change.
The Kingdom of God is a place where we are reminded that our story might not be the main story after all. It is a place where God is always writing grace into the margins, twisting the plot to bring more people into his loving embrace.
Prayer:
Dear God, At your table, help us to see beyond our own story and share the story of your forgiving love with those on and beyond the margins of society. Amen.
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