“There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” Luke 7:41–43
In this context we find two very different characters. One is Simon, a Pharisee who has invited Jesus to dine with him, the other a woman of ill repute who awkwardly interrupts the scene and bathes Jesus’ feet with ointment, tears, and kisses. While Simon reflects on this spectacle with self-righteous indignation and probably tries to ignore the woman, Jesus purposefully brings her into the light in order to teach Simon (and us) some important lessons.
Let’s start with some contrasts between the two characters. The woman had faith; Simon had doubts. Jesus tells this woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace” (v 50). Simon, however, thinks to himself, “This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him” (v 39). Someone in our generation might point out that faith alone saved this woman, but hers was the sort of faith that took action: it was Simon who did nothing, although he had the greater opportunity (vv 44–46). Simon had plenty of water and means to carry it easily, but he did not offer it, whereas this woman, who had neither, produced sufficient moisture with her tears to wash the grime from Jesus’ weary feet. Simon did not kiss the Master’s face––a sign of respect in Jewish culture––but this woman incessantly kissed His feet in reverence. Simon did not anoint Jesus’ head with common olive oil, but this woman anointed Jesus’ feet with costly myrrh. Unlike Jesus’ host, the woman realized her unworthiness. She knew she was a sinner. Everyone knew it (v 39). Simon is like the Pharisee who prayed, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men” (18:11). Could there be a sharper contrast between these two? Which one do we most identify with?
No matter how good we may think we are, we all need forgiveness. Whether we owe little or much, we cannot repay our debt (vv 41–42). All our good works cannot remit a single sin, and there is not a perfect man living (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8). Apart from Jesus there is no hope for any of us, but with Him there is hope for all of us! No matter how far you have gone into sin, Jesus will forgive. Jesus acknowledged that this woman’s sins were “many,” but they were forgiven (v 47). We also learn here that salvation comes by grace through faith, not by our own works. This does not mean that works are excluded altogether; it means that our works are worthless without God’s grace and direction. Like other Pharisees, Simon tried to justify himself through strict adherence to the Law of Moses. What he failed to see is that adherence to the law, no matter how strict, could not bring justification (Galatians 3:11). This sin-laden woman knew something that Simon didn’t know: Jesus was not only her best hope; He was her only hope.
Jesus has paid a debt for us that we could never have paid on our own, and love demands that we pay Him no less than the fullest measure of our devotion.