Luke 7:36 – 50 (NLT) ³⁶One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat.

³⁷When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume.

³⁸Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.

³⁹When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself,“Ifthis man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”

⁴⁰Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee,“Ihave something to say to you.”“Goahead, Teacher,” Simon replied. ⁴¹Then Jesus told him this story:“Aman loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other.

⁴²But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”

⁴³Simon answered,“Isuppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”

“That’sright,” Jesus said. ⁴⁴Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

⁴⁵You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.

⁴⁷“Itell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”

⁴⁸Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

⁴⁹The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?”⁵⁰And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Why Did Jesus Tell This Parable?

Jesus told the parable, possibly, to do several things at once.

• To demonstrate, that as God incarnate, He knew:

Her sin. Her repentance. Her faith. Her love. Simon’s thoughts. Simon’s pride. Simon’s lack of love. Simon’s lack of hospitality.

• To demonstrate, that as God incarnate, He exposed Simon’s spiritual blindness Jesus says: Luke 7:44 KJV “Seest thou this woman?”

• To demonstrate, that as God incarnate, He alone can forgive our sins:

Luke 7:49-50 ⁴⁹The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?” ⁵⁰And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Psalm 103:12“Asfar as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”Isaiah 43:25“I,even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.”

Micah 7:18 – 19 (NLT) ¹⁸ Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. ¹⁹ Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!

Definitions: “Forgiven”—Greek: apheōntai

Meaning to send away, release, remit, cancel, pardon, absolve.

“God incarnate” —-Latin: in flesh. This is Jesus Christ—God the Son who became human while remaining fully God. (John 1:1, 14; 1 Tim. 3:16; Col. 2:9)