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Luke 7:36: Luke tells us that one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to his house to have a meal. While Jesus was at the Pharisees table, a sinful woman heard he was there. This sinful woman brought with her an alabaster flask of ointment and went to Jesus while he was at the Pharisees table. She approached Jesus weeping, and began to wet His feet with her tears, and then wiped them with her own hair. What she was actually doing was washing Jesus feet with her tears. She then kissed Jesus feet and anointed them with the ointment. This action showed a great humbling of ones self before Jesus. Also when she kissed Jesus feet and anointed them she was showing Jesus the greatest honour!!!She was acknowledging Jesus as the King of Israel!! But when the Pharisee saw what she was doing, he said to himself can this man be a prophet, because he hasn't discerned that this woman is a sinner, who is touching him. So the Pharisees reasoning was that Jesus couldn't be a prophet of God because He didn't see that the woman was of ill repute. We are only told that she is a sinful woman. We aren't told if she was an adulteress or if she was a prostitute. All we can know is that she had a bad reputation and that everyone knew about it.
While he was thinking this, Jesus asked him a question. Jesus said a certain creditor had two debtors, one owed 500 and the other 50 dinarii. When they could not pay he forgave them both.So the question is which one of them will love the creditor more? Simon said I guess the one who owed him more, would love the creditor more. Jesus answered you have answered rightly. On the basis of Simon the Pharisees answer Jesus then plays Simon off against the sinful woman on the basis of both of their responses to Him. He says to Simon when I entered your house you never gave me water for my feet,but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair!!! When I came in you gave me no kiss,but she has not ceased to Kiss my feet. You didn't anoint my head with oil but she has anointed my feet with ointment Jesus here has clearly discerned what Simon was thinking. He then plays Simon off against the sinful woman. Jesus plays him in such a way that makes the Pharisee look sinful on the basis of his answer to Jesus question, about which debtor loved the creditor more. The Pharisees response to Jesus, shows his sinfulness and the sinful womans vindication. Jesus is showing that some who think they are in the Kingdom are in fact not. Also those who are clearly not part of the Kingdom are shown by their right response to Jesus to be people of the Kingdom. For Jesus proclaims the sinful womans forgiveness and so wipes out all her sins. But Jesus doesn't proclaim forgiveness to Simon the Pharisee because of his unbelieving response. This is made clear when Jesus says to the sinful woman your faith has saved you,go in peace!! The sinner had faith and the man who didn't have faith in Jesus but was religous failed to obtain forgiveness of His sins. So we have the case of believing Israel being forgiven and unbelieving Israel thinking they are right with God but are still in their sins without forgiveness. Clearly Jesus has made Himself the creditor and the Pharisee and sinful woman the debtors. The sinful woman owed more and the Pharisee less. Again as in other places like when the paralytic was healed, Jesus proclaims the persons sins to be forgiven . Again the person is forgiven apart from the sacrificial system in the temple. In so doing Jesus is claiming Himself to be above the temple and the sacrificial system. For those who discerned the time, saw that God was visiting Israel in Jesus His Christ. The message had been heard loud and clear all over Israel, that they needed to believe and repent for Gods Kingdom was at hand. There was an immediate challenge to all Israel to make right with God so they could stand and not fall before YHWH.The sinful woman as well as the Pharisee had clearly heard the gospel of the Kingdom. The mighty miracles Jesus was performing were been spoken of everywhere and as in Nain many recognised that God was visiting them in Jesus His Christ. However Jesus isn't negating blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. The peoples sins who were declared forgiven were still forgiven on the basis of Jesus sacrifice on the cross. One could say they were forgiven in anticipation of His sacrifice on the cross. |
