Luke 7:35

“And wisdom is justified of all her children.”

Thus the proverb was clearly true. The wisdom of the Scribes had produced children suited to it, who could not agree with any but themselves. While those who have found the true wisdom and responded to Jesus have entered under His kingly Rule. Their wisdom too, received from the Master, has produced its children with their fruit.

Jesus Is Greeted By the Transformed Prostitute, Who Has Believed And Reveals It By Her Purified Love, A Picture of Restored Israel (Ezekiel 16:59) And Of The Fact That The Kingly Rule of God Is Available To All Who Seek Him and Hear Him (Luke 7:36).

One of the most vivid passages of the Old Testament is where Ezekiel speaks of Jerusalem as having become like a prostitute who has sold herself to the highest bidder (Ezekiel 16:15). Then God declares, ‘I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish with you an everlasting covenant. Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed --- I will establish my covenant with you and you shall know that I am the Lord, that you may remember and be confounded and  never open your mouth again  because of your shame,  when I forgive you all that you have done, says the Lord God.'

So when a prostitute (she had unbound hair) comes to the feet of Jesus, and  speaks never a word, but washes His feet with her tears and wipes them with the hairs of her head, did not Jesus remember these words? And do we not here have a picture of the fallen people of God and their way back to forgiveness? And the result is that the Messiah, Who introduces the everlasting covenant, the sure mercies of David (Isaiah 55:3), comes and receives her under His Kingly Rule,and  declares that she is forgiven ‘all that she has done'  (‘her sins which are many').

The incident may be analysed as follows:

a And one of the Pharisees desired Him that he would eat with him. And He entered into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to a meal (Luke 7:36).

b And behold, there was a woman who was in the city, a sinner; and when she knew that He was having a meal in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster cruse of ointment, and standing behind at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed His feet, and anointed them with the ointment (Luke 7:37).

c Now when the Pharisee who had bidden Him saw it, he spoke within himself, saying, “This man, if He were a prophet, would have perceived who and what manner of woman this is who touches Him, that she is a sinner” (Luke 7:39).

d And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he says, “Teacher, say on.” “A certain lender had two debtors, the one owed five hundred shillings, and the other fifty. When they had not wherewith to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?” (Luke 7:40).

e Simon answered and said, “He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” (Luke 7:43).

d And turning to the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered into your house, you gave me no water for My feet, but she has wetted My feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss, but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. My head with oil you did not anoint, but she has anointed My feet with ointment.”

c “For this reason I say to you, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

b And He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

a And those who sat at the meal with Him began to say within themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you, go in peace” (Luke 7:49).

Note than in ‘a' Jesus ‘sat at the meal' with the Pharisee and his guests, and in the parallel those who ‘sat at the meal' with Him gave their reactions. In ‘b' the woman comes in and reveals her loving gratitude to Jesus, and in the parallel He says, “Your sins are forgiven you.” In ‘c' the Pharisee mutters to himself that if Jesus knew what kind of woman she was He would not allow her to touch Him, and in the parallel Jesus points out that the reason he does so is because she is truly forgiven. In ‘d' Jesus asks which debtor will love the most and in the parallel reveals how the woman has loved the most. And in the centre the point is made that it is the one who is forgiven the most, who loves the most.

Perhaps before we look at the text in more detail we should consider the logic behind the story. And central to it, and clearly shown, is the fact that she was NOT forgiven because she loved Jesus. Rather she loved Jesus because she was forgiven. That is the point of the parable. Each debtor loved because he was forgiven, and the one who was forgiven the most loved the most. This is then made clear by the fact that it is her faith which has saved her. Thus her forgiveness has come through faith.

And that brings out that when Jesus saw this disreputable woman come towards Him to touch Him He knew at once the reason why. It was  because she had been listening to His preaching and had repented and had received forgiveness, and now wanted to reveal her gratitude. That is why He did not rebuke her.