THE PARABLE OF THE TWO DEBTORS (Luke 7:36-50)

36 Now one of the Pharisees[1] invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.
37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume,
38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is – that she is a sinner.”
40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41 “Two men owed money to a certain moneylender.  One owed him five hundred denarii[2], and the other fifty.
42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.
46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.
47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

SUMMARY OF THE PARABLE

Luke alone records the incident that led to this parable and the parable itself.  This is a story about how God’s forgiveness makes people loving.  Jesus teaches that the more people are forgiven, the more they will love.  That is, love is one evidence of forgiveness.  The woman, a well-known sinner, was overwhelmed with love for Jesus who could meet her need, so she received forgiveness.  The love she showed Jesus sprang from her faith in him (50).  Unfortunately, it is also a story of a religious man without love.  Simon the Pharisee was conscious of no need and so received no forgiveness and therefore felt no love.  Perhaps the greatest of sins is to be unaware of sin.

A PARABLE OF CONTRASTS

This parable is a story of contrasts between the two debtors, the amount of debt, the forgiveness of the debts, and the contrasting gratitude of the debtors.  In this story God or Christ, is the creditor, humanity is the debtors, and our sins the debts (Matthew 6:12).  The two debtors represent the woman and Simon.  The woman, “who had lived a sinful life”, owed 500 denarii and Simon, the comparatively upright Pharisee, owed 50 denarii.  These were large debts as one denarius was worth a day’s wages.  The proportion of the two debts represents the different views that Simon and the woman had towards their own sinfulness. 

Although the sums vary in the proportion of ten to one, there is no calculable difference between the sins that one person and another person commit against God.  Both Simon and the woman were sinners and both were bankrupt and could not pay their debt to God, only Simon did not realize it.  Her sins were known whereas Simon’s sins were hidden to everyone except Jesus.  Simon’s pride and indifference to Jesus were in sharp contrast to the humility and affection of the woman towards Jesus.  Whereas the woman was guilty of sins of commission, Simon was guilty of sins of omission.

EASTERN CUSTOMS OF HOSPITALITY

Jesus had been invited to the home of a Pharisee for a meal.  The sandals were removed at meals and the guests reclined on their elbows with their feet stretched out behind them (38) instead of sitting on chairs.  When a rabbi was at a public meal in an open courtyard, it was accepted that all kinds of people were free to attend also.  That explains the presence of the woman, although women were not usually invited to a public meal.  Usually the rabbis of that time never talked with a woman in public if they could help it, and if they did, their conduct was exceptional (John 4:27).  Moreover, a woman of this type would not be welcome in the house of a Pharisee. 

When a guest entered a house three things were always done: the host gave him a kiss of peace as a mark of respect; water was poured over his sandaled feet to cleanse them; and olive oil was placed on his head.  Good manners required that these things were done, but in this case not one of them was done for Jesus.

SIMON THE PHARISEE: PROUD, UNFORGIVEN AND UNLOVING

The critical Simon showed no love to Jesus.  Simon was the typical Pharisee, very sure of what the Law required of him and incapable of seeing that there were circumstances where the law of love, “Love your neighbour as yourself”, was more important than his own religious rules and regulations.  He probably invited Jesus only because he was a celebrity or perhaps he was curious about Jesus.  However, he gave him none of the attention that a guest usually received. 

Simon received Jesus with formal politeness.  Did Simon think he was too good to treat Jesus as an equal?  He judged Jesus by his own rules and despised Jesus for not pushing the woman away as he thought a touch by a sinner brought ceremonial uncleanness (39).  Simon was publicly embarrassed by the way Jesus accepted the respect of a prostitute.  His attitude of superiority and smug self-righteousness cut him off from receiving forgiveness or showing love.  Simon judged entirely by appearances.  His major problem was blindness (44); he could not see himself, the woman or Jesus.  While he could say, “She is a sinner” (39), he could not say, “I am a sinner.”

Simon answered Jesus correctly (43) that gratitude is usually in proportion to benefits received.  But forgiveness for Simon was a legalistic transaction between a person and God.  His sins were of a subtler kind, sins of the mind and spirit rather than the flesh – religious pride, discourtesy, self-conceit and contempt for other people.  He was like that other Pharisee who went up to the temple to pray (Luke 18: 9-14). 

THE UNNAMED WOMAN: REPENTANT, FORGIVEN AND LOVING

Unlike Simon the broken woman, who was probably a prostitute, knew she was a sinner.  She followed Jesus and gate-crashed the party because previously he had not only revealed her sin, but also offered her acceptance.  That Jesus could so forgive and love filled her with a love that overflowed in passionate gratitude.  For a Jewish woman to appear in public with her hair unbound was very immodest.  It was a sign of respect to pour oil or perfume on someone’s head.  Perhaps she felt unworthy to anoint Jesus’ head, so she anointed his feet with perfume that was possibly bought with her immoral earnings.  This act was a costly outlay for the woman was not wealthy.  She constantly kissed his feet as a sign of respect, affection and submission. 

Her actions and the devotion she lavished on Jesus, all show the effects of forgiveness.  She loved Jesus too much to care what people thought.  The important point of the parable is that the woman’s actions did not earn forgiveness for her; it was the spontaneous love of a person who was aware of being forgiven.

THE FORGIVING SAVIOUR

Jesus understood what was happening and he made his point to Simon with a parable.  Too polite to expose him at his own table, Jesus like Nathan with King David used a parable[3], and made him pronounce both the woman’s approval and his own condemnation.  In this incident, it is the generous prostitute who receives forgiveness, not the mean-spirited Pharisee.  Everything that Simon neglected to do, the woman did, and she did it better (44-46).  There is a double contrast between his not anointing the head and her anointing the feet; and between his withholding common olive oil for the higher purpose, and her using the precious perfume for the humbler purpose.

Jesus knew the history of this woman.  He made it clear that it was her faith that saved her (50) for good works are not able to save us (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7).  Her tears and the gift of costly ointment were the evidence of her faith.  Faith plus works do not save us; we are saved by a faith that results in works (James 2:14-26).  This unnamed woman illustrates Galatians 5:6, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love”.

To make verse 47 consistent with the rest of the parable we must assume that the woman had previously repented, and received an assurance of forgiveness, hence her love and gratitude.  Verse 47 does not teach justification by works; she was not forgiven because of her love; her love was the evidence of a repentant heart and the forgiveness she had received.

CONCLUSION: LOVE IS THE TEST OF FORGIVENESS

Forgiveness is a gift of God’s grace; Jesus Christ paid the debt of sin in full (Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19).  However much difference there is among people, all of us need the forgiving mercy of God.  Respectable Simon must be saved on the same terms as this still despised woman.  Forgiveness of sin comes to those who have ceased to trust in their own righteousness and have placed their faith in the mercy of God in Christ.

Jesus showed that the one who realizes the depth of her/his own sin, and the greatness of God’s mercy, should love as this woman did.  Jesus contrasted Simon’s lack of courtesy with the devotion of this woman, and implied that Simon had not experienced a deep forgiveness.  Love for God is weak where consciousness of sin is weak.  Her love resulted from her forgiveness.  Faith allowed her to receive forgiveness (50), and the realization of forgiveness was expressed in thankful love.  “Saved” (50) can mean “made whole” either in a physical or in a spiritual sense.  The latter meaning is intended here.  The main idea of salvation is deliverance.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

• Am I aware of the generosity of God’s mercy?  Am I grateful for God’s forgiveness or am I a religious and legalistic person without the love of God?
• How deep is my sense of sin and my sense of God’s forgiveness?
• What sins of commission and sins of omission am I guilty of?
• The woman accepted God’s free offer of salvation in Christ.  If you have never accepted God’s pardon, now is the time to believe and be saved for “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
• “There is an encouragement, in our Lord’s amazing mercy and compassion to this woman, to anyone, however bad he may be, to come to Him for pardon and forgiveness.  Never, never need anyone despair of salvation if he will only come to Christ.” (J. C. Ryle)
• If we would raise the fallen we must be willing to ‘touch’ them, and to be ‘touched’ by them.  We must come into warm, loving, personal contact with them.  If Jesus received sinners, what right have we to be unfriendly and unapproachable to them?

SOMETHING TO PRAY

Lord Jesus, make us sensitive to sin, give us a deeper sense of sin and a thankful awareness of what it cost you to redeem us to yourself.

Jim Peacock M A (Hons), Diploma of Teaching.