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Nike had the foresight to see that rank, place, or judges’ comments don’t have any determination on what makes someone great. Believe it or not, there’s biblical precedence for this. In several Gospels, the story is recounted of a prostitute who learned where Jesus was having dinner with his disciples and some of the Pharisees.

Already, you can see a storm brewing—prostitute, Pharisees, disciples, Jesus. Hang on tight.

The woman learned where Jesus was, showed up with an alabaster jar of perfume, began anointing His feet with it, and wiped them with her hair. What a moment this must have been! First, this was no discount store perfume. This type of “ointment,” as it is called in the book of Matthew, could have cost around 300 pence. At the time, a day’s wage was about one pence, give or take. So, this woman was using almost an entire year’s salary to anoint Jesus.

Matthew 26:8-9 (ESV) says, “And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, ‘Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.’” Just for context, the very next scene is Judas asking the chief priests how much they would give him for turning Jesus in. 

Back to dinner. The Pharisees and the disciples found nothing great about what this woman was doing. They were eager to dole out criticisms and judgment. In Mark’s account, the clapbacks are even harsher. 

“Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor. And they scolded her” (Mark 14:4-5, ESV).

Jesus’ response is epic. “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me” (Mark 6:6, ESV).

Luke records Jesus using a hypothetical. He asks the men if two people owe a debt to a moneylender and both debts are canceled, who will love the lender more—the one with the larger or smaller debt?

“Simon answered, ‘The one, I suppose, for whom he canceled the larger debt.’ And He said to him, ‘You have judged rightly’” (Luke 7:43, ESV). 

Jesus then walked them through the logic: 

“Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in, she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little loves little” (Luke 7:44-47, ESV). 

Jesus then forgave the woman, to which everyone responded with shock asking who this man was that He would forgive sins. They didn’t even know who Jesus was—but she did. 

The bottom line is this: This woman did a great thing. The people around her chose not to see it. In the end, however, it was Jesus’ decision, Jesus’ judgment that not only mattered, but it was also correct. 

It’s far too easy to judge other people based on pretty much anything and everything. Social media has ballooned the business of gossip to unprecedented proportions. Most people would rather sit behind a screen, doling out judgment on others who are doing something, but here’s the truth—great people don’t have time to gossip. I love a quote that’s often attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt: “Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” 

People of greatness don’t have time to gossip.