Luke 7:36-50 - EXEGESIS:
OVERVIEW: All four Gospels include accounts of an anointing of Jesus by a woman (see Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8). Luke's account, however, is sufficiently different that we should probably treat it as a separate incident rather than trying to harmonize it with the other accounts:
• The anointing in the other Gospels takes place very late in Jesus' ministry, and serves as anointing for Jesus' burial. In Luke's account, the anointing takes place much earlier.
• The anointing in the other Gospels takes place in Bethany of Judea. In Luke's account, the place is not named, but Jesus has recently been in Capernaum (7:1), which leads us to believe that the anointing takes place in Galilee.
• In Matthew and Mark the host is Simon the leper, while in Luke's account he is Simon the Pharisee.
While it is possible that they are the same man, it seems unlikely that Matthew and Mark would fail to note that the leper is a Pharisee and that Luke would fail to note that he is a leper. The fact that he is a Pharisee is critical to Luke's account.
• The other Gospels do not report the most provocative of the woman's behaviors, the weeping, kissing, and wiping of Jesus' feet with unbound hair. It is hard to imagine that they would fail to include such dramatic details if this were the same incident.
• The objection raised in the other Gospels has to do with stewardship of expensive ointment, whereas here it is the woman's reputation as a sinner and Jesus' failure to repudiate her actions.
• The other Gospels do not report the parable of the debtors (vv. 40-42) and do not emphasize forgiveness of sin, which is the crux of the matter in Luke's account.
It is important to remember the context:
First, this chapter has "been devoted to portraying Jesus as one greater than a prophet".
• Jesus knows the sins of the woman, which we could attribute to normal observational skills.
• He also knows the sins of his host, Simon the Pharisee, which makes him a prophet. Most people cannot see beneath Simon's veneer of respectability.
• Jesus forgives sin (v. 47), which makes him greater than a prophet.
Second, in verse 34, Luke establishes that Jesus has been criticized as "a gluttonous man, and a drunkard; a friend of tax collectors and sinners!" This story confirms that Jesus is, indeed, a friend of sinners, a recurring theme in Luke.
LUKE 7:36-39. DINNER AT THE PHARISEE'S HOUSE
36 Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37 And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, 38 and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner."
"One of the Pharisees invited him to eat with him" (v. 36a). Jesus criticizes Pharisees frequently (Matthew 23:13-29; Luke 11:39), and Pharisees are among his most determined opponents. However, the Pharisees were very religious-the defenders of the faith. While there was often tension between Jesus and the Pharisees, Luke sometimes presents the Pharisees in a favorable light:
Jesus is a young prophet of growing reputation, so it seems natural that Simon invites him to dinner. Snaring a "talk-of-the-town" dinner guest is always a coup. That does not mean that Simon endorses Jesus. His failure to extend common courtesies signals his ambivalence.
"Behold, a woman in the city...brought an alabaster jar of ointment" (v. 37). Dinners of this sort are open affairs with the principals gathered around the table and passersby welcome to come and observe from the sidelines. Observers can expect to hear erudite, animated conversation. Most people present, principals and observers alike, will be men.
"Standing behind at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment" (v. 38). The principals recline on pillows with their heads close to the table and their feet extended back from the table-thus the woman's proximity to Jesus' feet. Most likely, she had an earlier experience with Jesus where he changed her life, and her tears are tears of gratitude for her redemption. This scenario fits well with Jesus' later pronouncement, "Your sins are forgiven" (or "have been forgiven"-the Greek is perfect tense, signaling a completed action).
The woman's actions are certainly provocative, especially if she has been a prostitute:
Imaginations around the table must be running wild wondering what kind of relationship exists between this sinful woman and this young prophet. It is also possible that one or two of the men at table have known this woman professionally and are cowering in the background, fearful that she will single them out next for her attentions.
And Jesus does nothing to rebuff the woman. That is the real scandal here.
"This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what kind of woman this is who touches him, that she is a sinner" (v. 39). Simon keeps himself "pure," and expects other religious leaders to do the same. He is embarrassed at the provocative behavior of the sinful woman and is shocked that Jesus does nothing to rebuff her.
Simon must be especially offended that this woman commits her indiscretions at his dinner table. To appreciate his unhappiness, imagine hosting an elegant dinner for special guests and having the dinner interrupted by such behavior. Or imagine being accosted in public by a weeping, provocative woman. Or imagine seeing your husband accosted in this manner.
Some scholars assume that the woman must have been a prostitute, because prostitution was one of the few ways that an unmarried woman could support herself financially. However, the text does not specify the nature of her sins.
Simon determines that Jesus cannot be a prophet when he fails to rebuff this woman. Either Jesus does not know that the woman is a sinner or doesn't care. Either disqualifies him as a prophet. This goes to the heart of this part of Luke's Gospel, which is concerned to show that Jesus is not only a prophet but is greater than a prophet. Note Simon's concern with "what kind of woman this is" (7:39). Simon categorizes people and relates to them according to their station in life, but Jesus sees people as individuals and relates to them as human beings.
LUKE 7:40-47. HER SINS, WHICH ARE MANY, ARE FORGIVEN
40 And Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he replied, "Say it, Teacher." 41 "A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?" 43 Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have judged correctly." 44 Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, "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. 45 You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. 47 For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little. "Simon, I have something to tell you" (v. 40a). Simon keeps his judgment of Jesus private, but Jesus, because he is a prophet, knows Simon's heart. Note the irony here. Simon believes that Jesus is not a prophet because he does not know this woman's heart, but Jesus proves that he is a prophet by knowing Simon's heart. In verse 40b, Simon addresses Jesus as "Teacher." From that point, Jesus proceeds to teach Simon.
"A certain lender had two debtors. The one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty" (v. 41). A denarius is a day's wages for a laborer (Matthew 20:2, 13), so a debt of five hundred denarii would amount to wages for a year and a half-a crushing debt. Fifty denarii would amount to wages for two months-still significant, but manageable.
"When they couldn't pay, he forgave them both" (amphoterois echarisato - both he forgave) (v. 42a). When we first read this, we are likely to notice only the forgiven debt. However, the text says that the lender forgave them, which appears to point to a deeper forgiveness than the resolution of a simple business transaction (Hultgen, 214).
"Which of them therefore will love him most" (v. 42b). Jesus' question points to an obvious answer. The one who is forgiven a great debt is likely to be more grateful than a person who is forgiven a lesser debt-and that gratitude is likely to inspire affection, loyalty-even love.
"He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most" (v. 43a). Note the tentative nature of Simon's response. He senses that he is in trouble, but cannot find a way out. If he admits that the one who is forgiven more loves more, he loses. Jesus has only to state the obvious. The woman is grateful, having been forgiven much, while Simon is ungrateful, having been forgiven less.
Jesus asks, "Do you see this woman?" (v. 44a). Simon does not answer the question, but an honest answer would be "No." Simon sees the reputation that precedes her. He sees her unseemly behavior. He sees the interruption of his carefully planned evening. He sees the failure of the young prophet to respond appropriately. He sees many things, but he does not see the woman. He does not see her as a human being, created in God's image, and he does not see that she has changed.
"I entered into your house, and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave me no kiss, but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet. You didn't anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment" (vv. 44b-47). Jesus points out that the woman has redressed Simon's failure-his sin. As host, Simon is responsible for the courtesies of good hospitality-water, a greeting kiss, anointing. He failed to offer these, a serious deficiency.
Some scholars say that Simon's threefold negligence, while deficient, violates no essential code. However, Kenneth Bailey, a New Testament scholar who spent forty years living and teaching in the Middle East, paints a very different picture. He notes that Simon calls Jesus "Teacher," the equivalent of calling him "Rabbi" (v. 40)-thus acknowledging that Jesus is due the highest level of hospitality. He then says that Simon's failure to provide water for Jesus' feet and a greeting kiss constitutes "a marked sign of contempt, or at least a claim to a much higher social position" (Bailey, 5, quoting Tristram). He concludes, "It is clear that the accepted rituals of welcoming the guest are not merely overlooked...but have been callously omitted by a judgmental host" (Bailey, 5). At best, then, Simon's hospitality has been unenthusiastic and boorish. At worst, it constituted a deliberate snub calculated to embarrass his guest-an almost unthinkable lapse for a Middle Eastern host.
Of course, Simon's real deficiency is not his inattentiveness as a host but his spiritual pride. He works so hard to obey God's law that he no longer sees himself as a sinner. He sees the great gulf that separates him from the sinful woman, but he cannot imagine the great gulf that separates him from God. If he perceives himself in need of God's grace, he cannot imagine that he needs much of it. The woman, on the other hand, is such a spiritual wreck that Simon cannot imagine her redemption. What can God do with such a person? Why would God bother?
"Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little" (v. 47). It is easy to misunderstand this verse-to assume that the woman has been forgiven because she loves-that her forgiveness stems from her washing, kissing, and anointing Jesus' feet. In fact, the reverse is true. She loves (washes, kisses, and anoints) because she has been forgiven. That is clearly the sequence of events in Jesus' parable (vv. 41-42)-love follows forgiveness-and it is to that parable that Jesus points us with his "Therefore" at the beginning of verse 47.
The text is silent with regard to the circumstances that led to the woman's forgiveness. Did her repentance set the stage foe Jesus' to forgive her? We are told only that forgiveness preceded love-created a wellspring of love. It is likely that the full sequence was sin, call to repentance, repentance, forgiveness, gratitude, and love. Luke's Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles (also written by Luke) make it clear that repentance is a prerequisite for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 3:3; 13:3, 5; 24:47; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 5:31; 8:22;
LUKE 7:48-50. YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN
48 Then He said to her, "Your sins have been forgiven." 49 Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this man who even forgives sins?" 50 And He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
Jesus tells the woman, "Your sins are forgiven" (perfect tense, signaling a completed action)" (v. 48).
"Those who sat at the table with him began to say to themselves, 'Who is this who even forgives sins?'" (v. 49). Their point is well taken. Only God can forgive sins. Unless Jesus is acting on God's authority, he has seriously overreached. His words here are as provocative as the woman's actions at the dinner table. Some scholars believe that Jesus makes this announcement of forgiveness to reassure the woman, but others believe that he does it to communicate her new forgiven status to Simon and the others at table (Green, 313-314). They have ostracized the woman because she is a sinner, and Jesus wants them to know that she has been forgiven-is no longer guilty-is now a fit candidate for inclusion in polite company-should be restored to community in the same way that a healed leper would be restored once the priest has declared him clean. We might go so far as to say that Jesus, in announcing this woman's forgiveness, is performing the priestly function of restoring her to community.
Jesus tells the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace" (v. 50). Faith brought the woman to Jesus. Faith opened the door to forgiveness and salvation. Note that Jesus does not tell Simon that he is also forgiven. It is not that Simon needs no forgiveness, but that his heart is not open to receive it. This story is reminiscent of the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican. The Publican was too ashamed even to lift his eyes to heaven, but the Pharisee gave thanks that he was not a sinner like the Publican. Jesus said, "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 18:14). We must not imagine ourselves to be immune from this kind of spiritual pride. The danger in studying this parable is that we might find ourselves giving thanks that we are not like the full-of-pride Pharisees.
D. Jesus forgives a sinful woman.
1. (36-38) A sinful woman anoints Jesus' feet.
Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.
a. Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him: This seems to show that relations between Jesus and the religious leaders were not yet totally antagonistic. There were some Pharisees who at least wanted a closer, honest look at Jesus.
b. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner: Some suppose this was Mary Magdalene, but we have no evidence of this. In John 12:3 Mary of Bethany also anointed Jesus' feet with oil, but this was a separate incident.
i. "It ought not to astonish you that there were two persons whose intense affection thus displayed itself; the astonishment should rather be that there were not two hundred who did so, for the anointing of the feet of an honored friend...Loved as Jesus deserved to be, the marvel is that he was not oftener visited with these generous tokens of human love." (Spurgeon)
c. Who was a sinner: This tells us more than that she was a sinner in the sense that all people are. She was a particularly notorious sinner - most suppose that she was a prostitute. Her presence in the Pharisee's home showed courage and determination.
d. Brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil: Both the container and the contents show that this was an expensive gift she brought to honor Jesus. Since Jesus later announced that her sins were forgiven (Luke 7:48-50), it may be that Jesus forgave her earlier, and would soon publically declare her forgiven.
e. And stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears: We can imagine that as the woman anointed Jesus' feet with oil, she was overcome with emotion. With tears flowing from her eyes, she washed His feet with her tears, wiped them clean with her hair, and she kissed His feet repeatedly.
2. (39-40) An objection to what the woman did.
Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner." And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." So he said, "Teacher, say it."
a. When the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this: The host now became a questioner, possibly a hostile one.
b. This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner: Simon the Pharisee doubted that Jesus was a prophet because he thought that Jesus was unable to see this woman's heart. Jesus will show that He can read the heart of man by exposing Simon's heart.
c. Simon, I have something to say to you: Jesus broke the silence - probably a terribly awkward silence - by saying that He had something to say, and to say personally to Simon.
i. "When all the philosophers are dumb, and cannot give one word of help or comfort; when learning has no message to inspire or to console the heart; when sympathy hesitates to break the silence...the Lord has something to say." (Morrison)
3. (41-43) Jesus answers with a parable.
"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."
a. There was a certain creditor who had two debtors: Jesus used a simple parable to illustrate the point that the more we are forgiven, the more we should love.
b. Which of them will love him more? Simon seemed to hesitate in his response (I suppose). He probably understood that Jesus set a trap with this story.
4. (44-47) Jesus applies the parable to both Simon and the sinful woman.
Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."
a. Do you see this woman? Simon the Pharisee thought that Jesus was the one who could not see her. His thought was, "Jesus, don't you see this shameful woman associating so closely to You?" Jesus turned the thought around on Simon, saying, "Do you see this woman? Simon, do you see her love, her repentance, her devotion? That's what I see."
b. I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet: Simon the Pharisee denied Jesus the common courtesies from a host to a guest - washing the feet, a kiss for a greeting, and anointing the head with oil. Yet, he criticized the woman for giving these courtesies to Jesus.
c. I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much: She wasn't forgiven because of her great love; her great love was evidence that she had been forgiven, probably privately on a prior occasion and now publicly.
5. (48-50) Jesus assures the woman of her forgiveness from God.
Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."
a. Your sins are forgiven: If Jesus has already said that her sins are forgiven (Luke 7:47), yet He also said this directly to the woman. We need the healing power inherent in the words your sins are forgiven.
b. Who is this who even forgives sins? Jesus had the authority to forgive the woman, and He was right to do so. She displayed humility, repentance, trust, and love for Jesus.
c. Your faith has saved you: The key to her forgiveness was faith - it was her faith that saved her, because it was her faith that believed the words from Jesus your sins are forgiven. Faith enabled her to take the grace God gave to her.
d. Go in peace: The woman came to Jesus in complete humility, with the attitude that she was not worthy to even be in His presence. That was a good way for her to come to Jesus, but He did not want her to stay there. He raised her up, acknowledged her love, forgave her sin, and sent her in peace.
Forerunner Commentary
Luke 7:36-47
This woman perceived and appreciated a greatness in Jesus that motivated her to so demean herself as to weep, cleanse His feet with her tears, kiss, and anoint them! Notice her emotion, courage, devotion (oblivious of public opinion), and humility (in performing the task of a slave). We can safely guess that Jesus had turned this woman from a life of sin. She may have been among the crowds who were convicted by His messages. When she heard He was nearby, she rushed to Simon's home, ignoring the scorn of others to express her gratitude to the One who had set her aright.
Her deed expressed her love and gratitude, springing from her recognition of or faith in His greatness as contrasted to her unworthiness. She felt obligated to respond in a way so memorable that God recorded it for all humanity for all time to witness. Note that the Bible shows human lips touching Jesus only twice: here and Judas' kiss of betrayal.
In contrast, Simon the Pharisee, evidently a man of some substance and ambition, was moved to invite the popular Jesus to his home. Self-concerned and inhospitable, he did not offer Jesus even the customary services a host normally provided visitors to his home.
From the context we can assume that he felt himself to be at least Jesus' equal. His conclusion that Jesus was no prophet probably suggests he felt superior to Him, that He was no more than an interesting celebrity. This biased self-evaluation in relation to Jesus produced in him no sense of obligation and thus no corresponding gratitude, humility, or act of love-let alone common courtesies.
Had he a heart at all? The scene unfolding at his respectable table scandalized him, but God thought it so inspiring, He recorded it for our benefit. Simon judged, "She is a sinner." "No, Simon," Jesus replied, "she was a sinner." In this lies a major clue to the difference between the two people.
Simon and the woman had something in common, according to the parable: Both were debtors to the same creditor, and neither could meet His obligation.
Luke 7:36-50
The setting of the Parable of the Two Debtors is the house of Simon, a Pharisee, who had invited Jesus to eat with him. To show respect for Jesus, a woman stops in uninvited, but Simon calls her a sinner, one notoriously wicked, a prostitute (Luke 7:36-39). These three real people are reflected in the three fictitious characters of Jesus' parable (verses 41-42): a creditor, a debtor who owes 500 denarii, and another who owes 50.
The forgiving creditor represents Jesus Christ. The professedly righteous man owing 50 denarii represents Simon. The person in debt for 500 denarii represents the woman sinner.
Luke 7:36-50
Simon's pharisaic sensibilities were shocked by the sinner's action (Proverbs 26:12)-and even more by Christ's attitude toward her. He was complacent and self-absorbed, and his self-righteousness manifested itself in pleasure with his own "goodness" and "importance" (Isaiah 65:5; II Corinthians 10:12). Although he invited Jesus to eat at his house, it was not to learn from Jesus or to honor Him, as his lack of effort to supply the traditional courtesy of water to wash His feet shows. Jesus could have regarded this serious breach of etiquette as a direct insult.
Simon also shows Jesus no warmth or concern when He arrives at his house; in that day's culture, a polite kiss was appropriate in greeting. Neither does he pour oil on Jesus' head, another widespread custom among the Jews. The oil was a sweet or olive oil prepared to give off a pleasant smell, as well as to render the hair more smooth and elegant. His negligence of concern toward Jesus exposed Simon's true spiritual bankruptcy.
