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.” 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.” — Luke 7:40-50, NASB

The setting for the parable finds Jesus continuing to establish His messianic credentials throughout Galilee. Moving south toward Judea through Capernaum and Nain with the disciples, He has attracted growing crowds, performed healings, cast out demons, and resurrected a widow’s only son as part of the ongoing testimony of His magnificent identity.

Word of these events has spread throughout the region, and a Pharisee identified as Simon invites Jesus to his home for a meal. While He is reclined at the table, a woman “who was a sinner” shows up and proceeds to anoint His feet with her own tears and a bottle of perfume, and repeatedly kisses them and wipes them with her hair. Observing this, Simon thinks to himself that if Jesus were a true prophet, He would know this woman and her immorality; the idea is that if He knew how sinful she was, He wouldn’t allow her to touch Him (vv. 36-39). Knowing Simon’s thoughts, Jesus tells the parable, which contrasts the woman’s and Simon’s treatment of Him, and by extension a forgiven sinner’s love and appreciation for God’s saving grace with the ingratitude and spiritual blindness of the Pharisees.

This wasn’t the only time Jesus was invited to a meal by the Pharisees. His growing influence made Him a threat to their power and position as Israel’s religious leaders, and they were continually looking for opportunities to brand him as a blasphemer and heretic. Simon’s particular interest in Jesus’s treatment of the woman and subsequent conclusion that He wasn’t a true prophet was just another example of their ongoing efforts to discredit Him.

The Pharisees saw things only from their self-righteous perspective. Consequently they were intolerant of anyone they felt was beneath their inflated moral and spiritual standards, which certainly included known sinners such as this woman. There was no way in their minds that the Jewish Messiah would ever accept somebody like this, and Jesus’s ongoing practice of sorting with such reprobates of society just galvanizes their unbelief.

The parable itself is very brief, describing two debtors to a king, one who owes 50 denarii and one who owes 500. The denarius was roughly equivalent to the daily wage for laborers, so the debt of 500 denarii would be considered extremely hefty. The amount comes due and neither debtor has the means to pay it back, yet the king graciously forgives them. Jesus then asks Simon which debtor will love the king more, to which the Pharisee carefully gives the correct answer, the one owing 500 denarii.

Jesus points out the woman and her actions, noting that while she has gone to great lengths to show Him love and respect, Simon did not extend even normal hospitality to Him. The woman’s behavior is indicative of someone who knows exactly who Jesus is, and truly understands the extent to which they have been forgiven. Simon has no love for Jesus because he has received no such forgiveness. He had never sought to have his sin debt expunged because as a fervent legalist he didn’t think he had one.

Jesus tells Simon in so many words that the woman’s sins have been forgiven, a remarkably plain statement in light of the fact that the Lord always couched His truths in parables to obscure them from unbelievers. He is evangelizing here, confirming the woman’s redemption by His authority. Twice he tells her (vv. 48, 50) in Simon’s presence. Perhaps it affected the Pharisee. While the other guests at the table clearly miss the point, we don’t know if Simon ever came around to the faith. He disappears from scripture after the encounter and one can only hope he saw the light.

Those who know they have received the King’s forgiveness will have a love for Him that is reminiscent of the woman at the dinner. There is nothing that any can do to better their sinful condition. No amount of Pharisaic conformity and human works can remove that convicting stain and reconcile one to a holy God.

Only faith in Jesus can remove the burden. He absorbed all of humanity’s transgressions, past, present, and future, atoning for all who will come to Him in repentance. He did this because He loves us and is the only One who can save us. What kind of love do you have for Jesus? Does it reflect the joy and gratitude of a person who knows that His sacrifice erased their insurmountable debt of sin, a debt that would otherwise condemn them eternally? Consider your ways.