36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with
him. And he entered into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to
meat. 37 And behold, a woman who was in the city, a sinner; and
when she knew that he was sitting at meat in the Pharisee’s house,
she brought an alabaster cruse of ointment, 38 and standing behind
at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears,
and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and
anointed them with ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee that had
bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if
he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what manner of
woman this is that toucheth him, that she is a sinner. 40 And
Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto
thee. And he saith, Teacher, say on. 41 A certain lender had two
debtors: the one owed five hundred shillings, and the other fifty.
42 When they had not _wherewith_ to pay, he forgave them both.
Which of them therefore will love him most? 43 Simon answered and
said, He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most. And he said unto
him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44 And turning to the woman, he
said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thy house,
thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath wetted my feet
with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. 45 Thou gavest me no
kiss: but she, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss
my feet. 46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but she hath
anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her
sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to
whom little is forgiven, _the same_ loveth little. 48 And he said
unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49 And they that sat at meat with
him began to say within themselves, Who is this that even
forgiveth sins? 50 And he said unto the woman, Thy faith hath
saved thee; go in peace.
The Gospel of Luke appears to place special emphasis upon the grace and
forgiveness manifested by Jesus. It alone records his sympathy with the
sorrowing widow of Nain, and it is also alone in expressing the sympathy
which Jesus felt for the sinful woman who anointed his feet in the house
of Simon, the Pharisee. It is a picture, however, not only of the loving
mercy of our Lord, but of the unbounded gratitude felt by one who truly
appreciated the priceless gift of his pardoning grace.
By an unfortunate error of interpretation this woman has been confused
with Mary of Magdala or with Mary of Bethany. These three persons should
be, however, absolutely distinct. It is true that Jesus delivered the
first of these from demoniac possession, and that the second, like the
woman in this story, anointed his feet with perfume, but there is every
reason for believing that of the three only this woman was reputed to be a
sinner. She seems to have met Jesus on some previous occasion, to have
repented of her sins, and to have received from the Lord his word of
forgiveness.
It was her gratitude which gave her courage to enter unbidden into the
house of Simon, where Jesus was being entertained as a guest. She had come
to anoint his feet but as she beheld him, she thought again of her sins
and her hot tears of penitence fell upon the feet of her Lord. She hastily
unbound her hair and with it dried his feet and then poured upon them a
flask of fragrant ointment. No truer expression could have been given to
her gratitude and passionate devotion. The fact that Jesus allowed a woman
of such notorious character to express her love for him made Simon
conclude that Jesus could not be a prophet, for otherwise he would have
been able to discern the nature of so depraved a woman.
By his reply Jesus showed his ability to read even the secret thoughts of
his host. The words of Jesus not only answered the silent criticism of
Simon but also rebuked him for his own impenitence and lack of faith.
Jesus proposed to his host a parable of two forgiven debtors, illustrating
the fact that gratitude depends upon the realization of the amount which
has been forgiven, and then he applied this principle to Simon and to the
woman whom Simon had been regarding with scorn. Jesus showed how keenly he
had felt the lack of love shown him by his host, and he contrasted it with
the affection shown by the woman. When he had entered the house Simon had
neglected the customary service of providing a bath for his feet; the
woman had washed his feet with her tears. Simon had withheld the kiss with
which a host usually welcomed his guests; the woman had passionately
kissed his feet. Simon had not furnished the perfume with which it was
usual to anoint an honored guest; the woman had come to the house with the
special purpose of pouring fragrant oil upon the feet of her Lord.
In view of the parable the message of Jesus is plain, “Wherefore I say
unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much; but
to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” Jesus did not mean to
say that until now she had not been pardoned, nor yet that her pardon was
conditioned upon her love. He meant that her love resulted from her
pardon, and his words have been rightfully interpreted thus: “I say unto
thee that her many sins are forgiven, as thou mayest infer from this
exhibition of her love.” The remainder of the sentence was devoted to
Simon, “To whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” The words do
not prove that Simon had been pardoned; they rather indicate that his lack
of love had proved his lack of penitence and so of forgiveness. Jesus then
turned to the woman with a word of benediction: “Thy sins are forgiven.”
He thus assured her of the pardon previously granted, but still more he
vindicated her in the eyes of the guests and assured them of the new life
upon which the woman already had entered. They marveled as they heard him
pronouncing pardon. That is a divine function; but the ideal Man whose
sympathy Luke records was likewise the Son of God. Last of all, Jesus
turned to the woman with the final word of blessing: “Thy faith hath saved
thee; go in peace.” This is a clear statement of the fact that faith had
secured pardon and pardon had awakened gratitude and gratitude had been
expressed by a deed of devoted love. Such a penitent can rightfully go
away “into peace,” that is, to its present and continual enjoyment.