Luke 7:50

The woman in this story was almost certainly a prostitute. She had come to Jesus while he was visiting the home of a Pharisee called Simon, and had generously poured out an expensive perfume on Jesus, kissing his feet and wiping them with her hair.

Simon the Pharisee saw this as a test case. If Jesus really was a prophet, he thought, he would identify this woman as a sinner and have nothing to do with her. But Jesus didn’t work like that. Jesus saw that the woman needed forgiveness and freely gave it to her. Jesus challenged Simon’s thinking by pointing out that when he had entered the house, Simon had neither kissed him nor washed his feet. However, this woman had gone to extraordinary lengths to welcome and honour Jesus.

Jesus then told Simon a story: “A man loaned money to two people – 500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. But neither of them could repay him, so he generously forgave them both, cancelling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that? Simon answered: ‘I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt’” (vv41-43). Jesus agreed with him, confirming that this woman had indeed sinned a great deal but that she had received total forgiveness. He then sent her on her way.

This is a wonderful illustration of how Jesus worked. Very often, Jesus was targeted by the Pharisees, who were continually trying to catch him out. In turn, he often had some very harsh and critical things to say about them. However, his love embraced everyone. He was as happy to go to Simon’s home as he had been to go to Levi’s, the tax collector, and meet with all his friends. At the heart of Jesus’ ministry was the offer of forgiveness to all who were willing to accept it. That offer still stands today.

QUESTION
What do you learn about forgiveness from this incident?

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, thank you that you are willing to forgive me and set me free to live a new life with you. Amen

Released on 12 Jun 2023