READ: Luke 7:36-50: … Your faith has saved you; go in peace!
Most of the Pharisees and scribes have already shown their disapproval of Jesus (see v.34). Jesus receives an invitation to a meal at the home of a Pharisee named Simon. The Lord accepts the invitation; He does not show partiality. Simon too is a child of God’s people and needs a Saviour!
And so Jesus reclines at the table of this Simon together with the other guests. Simon has his doubts, for he shows little respect for Jesus. He does not give Him a kiss, nor are His feet washed.
But then a woman enters the house. She does not come for Simon, but for the Lord Jesus. She has also brought something especially for Him: an alabaster flask of fragrant oil. She comes and stands behind Him, bends down toward His feet, and begins to weep profusely. Then she quickly lets down her hair and dries Jesus’ wet feet with it. She kisses His feet fervently with her lips and anoints them with the oil from her flask.
Simon’s conclusion: Jesus simply allows this woman, who is known for her sins, to carry on; therefore He cannot be a prophet. What a great difference between Simon and the woman! Simon does not see himself as a sinner, detests other sinful people, and has no need of Jesus. But the woman sees her own sins and wants to go to Jesus, who can forgive her sins. With Him she can be saved now that she has reached the end of herself. She runs the risk of being sent away, yet she goes and falls down at His feet.
What a difference from Simon! With him there is no awareness of sin and no faith. He does not realize that he needs a Savior.
The Lord sees all this in his heart and makes this comparison. There are two people, one of whom has a very large debt and the other a small debt, and the creditor forgives the debts of both. In this way Jesus makes Simon think. The Lord’s decisive question is: Who of these two will then love the creditor and be grateful to him the most?
Simon apparently does not take into account a gracious God and his own sins. Therefore he cannot show the love that the woman does! But Jesus forgives the woman’s sins. She may now depart in peace with God.
Do we recognize anything of Simon in ourselves?
Sing: Ps. 51:6