[Bratch]

I’ve always found the end of that story to be very interesting. She didn't ask for forgiveness, but he gave it to her anyway. He did that a few times in the Gospels. Why? Isn't it a tenant of Christianity that we must ask for His forgiveness?

I've never interpreted it as granting forgiveness.

Jesus simply declined to condemn her, though he was the one person that would have been justified in pronouncing such judgement.

The most important part of the whole story, IMO, was the command to sin no more. It's one thing to decline to pass judgement; that doesn't give you the right to pretend no sin was committed.

But that seems to be the popular thing to do nowadays.

[Future Snake Eater]

I've never interpreted it as granting forgiveness.

I suppose one could be neither forgiven nor condemned, though that really seems to be splitting hairs, and that doesn't explain Matthew 9:2 either.