Tell me, what is more hideous, what is more terrible than a man—who is made in God’s image—becoming an animal?”
–Elmer Leonard (“The Nagual”)
“And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?”
“And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?”
–1 Corinthians 8:11 (NKJV)
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37 — And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume,
38 — and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume.
39 — Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said 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.”
40 — 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 supposed the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.”
–Luke 7:37-43, NASB
Simon, and the other guests, must have been stunned by the actions of this woman. This should not happen; this woman should not even be at the feast, yet they have just witnessed a remarkable display of love. She had begun to cry, not just a few tears, but to weep, the tears flowing onto Jesus’ feet. She then undoes her hair and wipes His feet with it, kissed His feet and poured the perfume on them.
Tension fills the room. The touch of this woman was considered contaminating and Gary Inrig explains that according to the Talmud, “a woman can be divorced for unbinding her hair in the presence of other men,” and on top of that to use her hair to wipe His feet. Appalling, to say the least.
Then Simon makes the statement, to himself, whether Jesus actually heard him or perceived what was in his heart, He answers Simon, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” Not rebuking, yet there was the tone of authority and that the person had better listen.
Jesus then proceeds to tell a short, simple parable of two men who owed a man money. One owed a debt of five hundred day’s wages the other owed fifty days. Neither had the money to pay–in this sense that both men are impoverished makes them equal. Ponder that, put it in a spiritual context. “If none of us can pay the debt of sin, it does little good to determine that someone else is a great sinner. Spiritual bankruptcy, like financial bankruptcy, is a great equalizer” (Inrig).
The moneylender did not extend the debt, nor excuse it; he forgave and ended the debt. The debt was completely canceled. Notice the wording, “he graciously forgave them both.” We see here then an act of grace. A debt is a debt whether great or small; a sin is a sin whether great or small.
The Lord then ends the parable with a question (He’s good at that), “Which of them will love him more?” Gary Inrig states that there are two implications of this question. First, “there is a link between love and forgiveness. Forgiveness precedes love.” And second, “Love is a response to pure grace, aroused by gratitude.” Gratitude is an expression of love. Which as a side-note is a good reason for us to be thankful to the Lord in all things. Both love and gratitude are shown to the forgiver.
Does Simon stutter in his response? “I suppose,” he mutters. Is this an uneasy reluctance on the part of Simon to answer Jesus? Was Jesus uncovering something that was hidden in Simon’s heart? Something to ponder until our next lesson on this parable.
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37 — And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume,
38 — and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume.
39 — Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said 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.”
40 — 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 supposed the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.”
–Luke 7:37-43, NASB
Simon, and the other guests, must have been stunned by the actions of this woman. This should not happen; this woman should not even be at the feast, yet they have just witnessed a remarkable display of love. She had begun to cry, not just a few tears, but to weep, the tears flowing onto Jesus’ feet. She then undoes her hair and wipes His feet with it, kissed His feet and poured the perfume on them.
Tension fills the room. The touch of this woman was considered contaminating and Gary Inrig explains that according to the Talmud, “a woman can be divorced for unbinding her hair in the presence of other men,” and on top of that to use her hair to wipe His feet. Appalling, to say the least.
Then Simon makes the statement, to himself, whether Jesus actually heard him or perceived what was in his heart, He answers Simon, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” Not rebuking, yet there was the tone of authority and that the person had better listen.
Jesus then proceeds to tell a short, simple parable of two men who owed a man money. One owed a debt of five hundred day’s wages the other owed fifty days. Neither had the money to pay–in this sense that both men are impoverished makes them equal. Ponder that, put it in a spiritual context. “If none of us can pay the debt of sin, it does little good to determine that someone else is a great sinner. Spiritual bankruptcy, like financial bankruptcy, is a great equalizer” (Inrig).
The moneylender did not extend the debt, nor excuse it; he forgave and ended the debt. The debt was completely canceled. Notice the wording, “he graciously forgave them both.” We see here then an act of grace. A debt is a debt whether great or small; a sin is a sin whether great or small.
The Lord then ends the parable with a question (He’s good at that), “Which of them will love him more?” Gary Inrig states that there are two implications of this question. First, “there is a link between love and forgiveness. Forgiveness precedes love.” And second, “Love is a response to pure grace, aroused by gratitude.” Gratitude is an expression of love. Which as a side-note is a good reason for us to be thankful to the Lord in all things. Both love and gratitude are shown to the forgiver.
Does Simon stutter in his response? “I suppose,” he mutters. Is this an uneasy reluctance on the part of Simon to answer Jesus? Was Jesus uncovering something that was hidden in Simon’s heart? Something to ponder until our next lesson on this parable.