Luke 7:36–50 – Forgiven much, loves much

We cannot read the account of the act of that sinful woman without feeling her deep gratitude towards Jesus. She did not just bathe Jesus’s feet with her tears but also wipe them dry with her hair. More than that, she also anointed them with the costly perfume from her alabaster box. It’s a true response from a heart that’s overflowing with gratitude.  With that act of expressing her gratitude, the whole drama in Simon’s house immediately switched. For in verse 39, we are told that Simon mused, saying to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.” That thought not only showed his estimate of Jesus but also his evaluation of Jesus.

Simon of course had over-priced his own righteousness. He would have preferred to toss that repentant woman out to the street and back into prostitution. He read the act of repentance and devotion as sinful. His heart was dead cold and frozen, and absolutely without grace. Jesus of course could discern everything. He knew the heart of that woman and certainly that of Simon. So He turned to him and said, “I have something to say to you.” Simon was obviously unaware of what’s coming. So he responded by asking him to just say it. So Jesus began by telling him the parable of the debtors. He told of two debtors. Each owed a money lender a debt. One owed him 500 denarii and the other 50. One denari is equivalent to the wage of a common worker for one day. For the one with a bigger debt, it would take approximately one year and three months of working days to clear his debt. For the other it would take about one and a half months to do so. But in the parable, both were unable to discharge their debts. The money lender forgave both of them and wiped out their debts. So Jesus asked Simon which of the two would love the money lender more.  Simon’s response was spot on. The person with the bigger debt would certainly love more.

The implication is this: the woman was a “500 sinner” and Simon the “50 sinner.” Outwardly, the woman was a bigger sinner than Simon. She was ten times more sinful.  What Simon did not factor into the equation was that both could not discharge the debt by themselves. Whether a moralist or a downright sinner, both owed a debt that they could not pay. Both could not wipe out their status as debtors or sinners. If one cannot pay, no matter how huge the debt may be, one remains a debtor. Period!  This is the problem of the whole human race, rich or poor. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  No one could be good enough to stand before God, because sin had invaded every area of everyone’s life, regardless. Simon was blinded to his need by his self-righteousness. But the woman was enlightened by her sin and the need for forgiveness.

Pointing to her act, Jesus told Simon his flaw. He was unconscious of his own sin, whereas the woman realized hers. This is the starting point to a life of liberty. One cannot be freed from the guilt of sin unless one becomes aware of one’s sinful status. The depth of love one will show to the Lord is often determined by one’s ability to see how one had been forgiven. The starting point in life with God is to realize our personal inadequacy and that Christ alone can see us through. It is His more than sufficient grace that will see us through. But we must also know that our spiritual health rest on the knowledge that no matter how much we have grown spiritually, we are still in constant need of His grace. We will never reach a point when we have no need of God’s grace. Are we like the woman? Or are we like Simon? The one who is forgiven much, always loves much. Is our love for him growing? This is the barometer of our spiritual health and life.