An article written by my father, the Rev. C. Thomas Paige, as it appeared in the Tri-State Defender on the date shown.
“And behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, she knew that Jesus sat at meal in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping and began to wash His feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed His feet and anointed them with ointment.” — Luke 7:37-38
THE UNNAMED HEROES
Nothing has made such an impact upon history as the unnamed heroes that have passed along its highways. As one reads history books and the Bible, he is astonished at the countless number of people who have contributed so much, unnoticed and unnamed. Time and time again we run across the statement in the Bible, “a certain man…” or “a certain woman…” This is all that we know about them. No name is given, only the history-making event that they did has warranted being mentioned.
One day, Jesus saw an unnamed woman come up and drop two pence. When her deeds were questioned by a bystander, Jesus remarked that she had done more than all the rest because she gave all she had.
Elijah, hungry and thirsty, was sent by God to a certain widow’s house to get bread. “A certain man had two sons…” “A certain woman sitting on a well” was asked of Jesus to give Him a drink.
But who were these people? Only God knows.
PUBLICITY WANTED
These unnamed persons performed their noble deeds years ago and moved on. What a far cry that is from deeds performed today. We want our names blazed upon the newspapers, on radio, or on television. We want the whole world to know that someone has done something unusual and want it associated with our names.
What a terrible world ours would be if history had associated every deed with a name. But this is not so and many of the people who have labored to the achievement of noble ends have do so unnamed.
Here this woman saw Jesus’ feet and noticed that the guests had not even extended Him the common courtesy of washing His feet. The circumstances were so heart-rending to her that she wept. But her weeping did not help. She used the tears that were streaming from her eyes and washed the feet of Jesus. Then, when no towel was at hand, she used her hair to dry them. But even then her task was not complete. She took the much cherished contents of her alabaster box and anointed the feet of Jesus.
A NOBLE ACT
When asked for an appraisal of her actions, Jesus told Peter that this woman had done more than all the rest. She was a sympathetic heart. She had been labeled “a sinner” by all the folks of the community. Many had stated that she was incapable of doing anything worthwhile. But when she say Jesus her whole outlook on life changed.
Periodically something should happen to each of us to change our outlook on life. Something should change our very motives. No longer should we think in terms of doing something for the glory and fame attached but for the sake of the good that we are going to render to others.
Whether it is a matter of giving our two pence when it might represent our all, giving the last meal in the barrel that a hungry man might be fed, or giving something that we cherish most that those about is should catch a new vision of life, we should do it and do it nobly.
If our actions are motivated by rewards, we should think in terms of the intangible rewards that will last long after we have passed off of the scene.
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VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 