One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to dinner, and as He sat down to eat, something unexpected happened. A woman, known for her sinful reputation, entered the house carrying an alabaster jar of perfume. Overcome with emotion, she knelt at Jesus’ feet, weeping. Her tears fell onto His feet, and she wiped them away with her hair. Then, in an act of deep reverence, she kissed His feet and anointed them with perfume. (See Luke 7:36-38 NIV.)
This moment stunned everyone in the room. A Pharisee hosting Jesus might have already been controversial enough, but now an uninvited guest—a woman with a reputation—was disrupting the evening.
Before This Moment
To understand the depth of this scene, we have to look at what happened earlier that day:
- In Capernaum, Jesus healed a Roman centurion’s servant and declared that the centurion had greater faith than anyone in Israel. (See Luke 7:9 NIV.)
- In Nain, He interrupted a funeral procession and raised a widow’s only son from the dead. (See Luke 7:15 NIV.)
- He taught about John the Baptist, calling him the greatest man ever born—but then saying that even the least in God’s kingdom is greater than John. (See Luke 7:28, NIV.)
Jesus’ actions shook the very foundation of religious expectations, and now, at this dinner, He was about to do it again.
Simon’s Silent Judgment
As this woman wept at Jesus’ feet, Simon, the Pharisee hosting the dinner, watched in disbelief. He thought to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him—she’s a sinner!” (Luke 7:39 NLT).
Simon had invited Jesus to dinner, perhaps out of curiosity or to test Him, but in his heart, he still doubted. He assumed that if Jesus were truly a prophet, He would never allow such a woman to approach Him, let alone touch Him.
But Jesus wasn’t just a prophet—
He was the Savior.
Without Simon saying a word, Jesus responded to Simon’s thoughts. “Simon, I have something to say to you” (Luke 7:40 NIV).
Simon didn’t realize he was about to be drawn into a life-altering conversation. Jesus told him a story about two people who owed a debt—one owed 500 denarii, the other 50 denarii. (In Jesus day, one coin equaled about a day’s pay or $50 today.) Neither debtor could repay, so their lender forgave them both.
Then Jesus asked: “Now, which of them will love him more?”
Simon answered, perhaps reluctantly, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven” (Luke 7:43 NIV).
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. But Simon had missed the deeper truth: he was just as much in need of grace as this woman was.
The Heart of the Matter
Then Jesus turned toward the woman but kept speaking to Simon. He compared their actions:
- Simon had not offered water for Jesus’ feet, but the woman washed them with her tears.
- Simon had not greeted Jesus with a kiss, but the woman had not stopped kissing His feet.
- Simon had not anointed Jesus with oil, but the woman poured out expensive perfume.
Jesus was making something very clear: her love was a response to the grace she had received. He said, “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little” (Luke 7:47 NIV.).
Then, in a moment that would have sent shockwaves through the room, Jesus said directly to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven” (Luke 7:48 NIV).
The Pharisees gasped. Who does this man think He is, forgiving sins?
But Jesus wasn’t just making a statement—He was offering salvation. “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:50 NIV).
What About Us?
This story challenges us to ask: Do we see ourselves as Simon or as the woman?
Simon believed he had little to be forgiven for, so his love for Jesus was small.
The woman knew she had been forgiven much, and her love overflowed because of it.
We may not want to admit it, but sometimes we are more like Simon than we’d like to think. We get caught up in judging others or comparing our acts of goodness, forgetting that all of us are in desperate need of grace.
We all have a debt we cannot repay.
But Jesus, in His mercy, has already paid it in full.
How Will You Respond?
Would you be like the woman, kneeling in gratitude, knowing how much you’ve been forgiven? Or would you be like Simon, standing back, skeptical, and unmoved?
Jesus invites us to come to Him, just as we are. Whether our past is filled with failures, or we’ve tried to live a “good” life on our own, His grace covers it all.
“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love… then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind” (Philippians 2:1-2 NIV).
Today’s One Thing
Take a moment to reflect on your own response to Jesus. Have you truly grasped the depth of His forgiveness?
