Now Simon, seeing this, spoke within himself: “This man, if He were a prophet, would surely know [1] who and what kind of woman this is who toucheth Him, that she is a sinner.” Jesus, reading his thoughts, said to him: “Simon, I have something to say to thee.” But he answered: “Master, say it.” Then our Lord said: “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed him five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And whereas they had not wherewith to pay, he forgave them both. Which, therefore, of the two, loveth his master most?” Simon replied: “I suppose that he to whom he forgave most.” Jesus answered: “Thou hast judged rightly.”[2]
Then, pointing to the woman, He said: “Dost thou see this woman? I entered into thy house; thou gavest Me no water for My feet; but she hath washed My feet with tears, and dried them with her hair. Thou gavest Me no kiss [3]; but she, since she came
- ↑ Would surely know. Being full of self-satisfaction, and hard of heart, the Pharisee despised the poor sinner, and did not think it possible that a prophet of God could accept any service from such a one. And because our Lord did accept the service from her, Simon decided that He could not know she was a sinner, and could not, therefore, be either prophet or Messias. But Jesus now showed him that He was able to see into his heart, and read his most secret thoughts, and that therefore He knew perfectly well what sort of woman she was whose service of love He had accepted: at the same time He wished to show the Pharisee why He had thus accepted it.
- ↑ Judged rightly. By the debtor who owed five hundred pence (about £17 of our money) is to be understood the poor sinful woman, while our Lord intended the man who owed fifty pence to represent Simon, who considered himself ten times as good as the woman. Simon, not perceiving the gist of the parable, answered at once that that debtor would love his creditor most, to whom most had been forgiven.
- ↑ Thou gavest Me no kiss. In order to understand our Lord’s interpretation of the parable, it is necessary to know that among the Jews it was an act of common courtesy to bestow a kiss on guests and give them water to wash their feet. The heads of distinguished guests, to whom it was desirable to show special honour, were anointed with oil. Simon had paid no such honour to Jesus, and had even neglected the most common duties of hospitality, probably considering, in his pride, that an invitation to his house was, of itself, quite sufficient honour for the poor, low-born Jesus of Nazareth. Then our Lord made plain to the Pharisee his want of courtesy and respect by contrasting it with the very opposite treatment he had received from the woman. — He had withheld ordinary water; she was lavish with the water of her tears. He had bestowed no kiss on his guest’s face, but she showered countless kisses on His feet. He did not anoint Jesus’ head with even common oil; she poured the most precious ointment over His feet.
