Simon the Pharisee, a strict Jew, once invited Jesus to come to his home to eat a meal with him, and Jesus accepted the invitation. A woman lived in that city who was so sinful she was notorious around town. When she knew that Jesus was at the Pharisee’s house, she brought a very expensive bottle of precious ointment and stood at His feet behind Him weeping. As was the local custom at the time, Jesus was probably lying down on His side at a low table. Suddenly this sinful woman leaned over and began to wash Jesus’ feet with her tears, and wipe them with her own hair. She kissed His feet, and poured her expensive ointment over His feet.
Simon the Pharisee was horrified that his Guest would allow such a sinful woman to touch Him. And he thought to himself: “This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him. She is a sinner!”
Jesus, the master of men’s hearts, answered Simon’s thought before he expressed it aloud with a simple story: “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Go ahead, Teacher.”
“There was a certain lender who had two debtors. One owed 500 pence, and the other 50. When they had nothing to pay, he freely forgave them both. Tell me, Simon, which of them do you think will love him most?”
Simon answered, “I suppose it would be the one for whom the lender forgave the greatest debt.”
Jesus said to him, “You’ve judged correctly.”
Now Jesus turned to the woman and said to Simon, “See this woman? I came into your house, you gave me no water to wash my feet: but she has washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave me no kiss: but this woman since the moment I came in has not stopped kissing my feet. My head with oil you did not anoint: but this woman has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
And Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Those who were siting with Jesus at the table began to complain quietly, “Who is this Man who even forgives sins? Who does He think He is?”
And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace!”
Dear friend, Jesus, the Son of God, is the most amazing Man who ever lived! You and I are filthy sinners in God’s sight, but this Man Jesus forgave sins while He was on earth, and He still does the same today! After He lived a perfect life, sinless and pure, He offered Himself to die on a cross, taking the judgment of God on Himself for the sins of all who would believe in Him. Then He was buried in a borrowed grave, and after three days rose again from the dead. God was pleased with Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself on the cross. His saving work was done. I know you were born in this world a sinner like me, and maybe your breaking of God’s perfect Law has dragged your life into a pit of misery and hopeless confusion. The wages of sin is death. Sin only has one result: death. Agonizing fear of death now, and eternal separation from God in death after this life. But this amazing Man Jesus died and rose again, and now God freely forgives the sins of all who repent of their sins and believe in Jesus! Believe me, if God forgives you, you will be like that weeping woman who snuck into Simon’s house! You’ll want to love on Jesus and praise Jesus. And you will go in peace, to serve Him the rest of your days! Have you confessed your sins to Jesus? Has He forgiven you your sins?
—This story is a paraphrase of Luke 7:36-50 in the Bible.—