§16 Jesus Ministers to Some Women (Luke 7:36–8:3)
7:36–50 / The episode of the sinful woman who anoints the feet of Jesus bears some interesting similarities to the accounts of Jesus’ anointing just prior to his arrest and crucifixion (see Matt. 26:6–13; Mark 14:3–9; John 12:1–8). Since Luke does not have a later anointing episode and since there are several specific parallels between the Lucan episode and the other Gospel accounts (see Fitzmyer, pp. 684–85), some commentators suggest that Luke 7:36–50 is nothing more than a variation of Jesus’ anointing during passion week. There are, however, numerous differences (in Galilee instead of Judea; feet anointed instead of head; in the presence of a Pharisee instead of disciples). This suggests that Luke saw this episode as distinct from the one he would have seen in Mark 14:3–9. It also suggests that some of the Marcan details may have influenced Luke’s account, while his tendency to avoid repetition may explain why there is no anointing episode later, during passion week (for further discussion see Marshall, pp. 306–7).
There are certain curious aspects about Jesus’ visit to the house of Simon the Pharisee. That Jesus would be invited to a dinner and then be denied customary courtesies seems odd. How the sinful woman managed to enter the dining area of a Pharisee’s house seems odder still. But these and other questions that might be raised need not detain us.
In the previous section Jesus referred to himself as one who “ate and drank” and as one who is a “friend of sinners” (v. 34). It may be, then, that Luke understood this episode to be an illustration of this description, for in this episode Jesus is seen eating and drinking and in the company of a sinner (Talbert, p. 85). For Luke the main issue emerges in the Pharisee’s comment in v. 39: If this man [Jesus] were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner. The Pharisee assumes that Jesus, as a holy man not wishing to be defiled, would shrink back from her and perhaps order her away. It can only be, so he reasons, that Jesus must not be aware of the true character of the woman (see note below). He concludes, then, that this Galilean preacher may not be a prophet after all. Jesus’ response evidences his prophetic capacity, for he has perceived his host’s thoughts. Simon’s address to Jesus as teacher may indicate newly found respect for Jesus (see note below). Jesus next tells the parable of the moneylender who canceled the debts of the two debtors (vv. 41–42), and then he applies it to the love that the woman has shown for him. This stands in vivid contrast to the minimal respect that Simon has shown. Because the woman has experienced forgiveness for her many sins (it is likely that the woman had experienced forgiveness prior to her coming to Simon’s house), she shows great love and gratitude. But self-righteous people like Simon, who believe that their sins are few and therefore have been forgiven little, have only a little love (vv. 44–47).
A second issue is raised in vv. 48–50 when Jesus assures the woman: “Your sins are forgiven.” The other guests react, wondering who Jesus could be to forgive sins. Jesus’ further words to the woman in v. 50 show that her faith was what made forgiveness and salvation possible. In these last three verses Luke brings his readers back to his major concern, and that is that Jesus has the authority to forgive sins, and this authority must be accepted in faith (see Luke 5:20–26).
8:1–3 / One of the astonishing features in Jesus’ ministry was the presence of women disciples and associates among his followers. Women accompanying Jesus and his disciples would have been completely contrary to Jewish customs (see Tannehill, pp. 137–39). In this brief section Luke identifies by name three of the women who traveled through Galilee with the Twelve (see note below). He also notes that there were many others who were helping to support them out of their own means (v. 3). Luke probably had three reasons for mentioning these women: (1) to show that the women who witnessed the crucifixion (Luke 23:49) and the empty tomb (24:10, 22, 24) had been with Jesus from the time of his Galilean ministry (which in effect meets the qualifications for apostleship in Acts 1:21–22); (2) to show that women may (and will) have influential roles in the church (see Acts 1:14; 8:12; 16:13–15; 17:4, 12; 18:24–26); and (3) to show that financial liberality is a mark of discipleship and is essential for the continuation of the ministry.
7:36–50 / Brodie (pp. 176–89) suggests that the Lucan version of this story has been influenced by the story of the Shunammite woman and Elisha’s ministry to her in 2 Kings 4:8–37. He believes that the theme common to both passages is that of receiving new life from God’s prophet (as Jesus is called in Luke 7:39).
7:37 / a woman who had lived a sinful life: Lit. “a woman who was a sinner.” It is likely this woman had been a prostitute, although adultery could be in view. Matthew Black (An Aramaic Approach to the Gospels and Acts, 3rd ed. [Oxford: Clarendon, 1967], pp. 181–83), however, has suggested that the Greek has misunderstood the original Aramaic which had described the woman as a “debtor.” If he is correct, then the Parable of the Two Debtors (7:41–42) fits the context better. Leaney (p. 147) is correct in noting that there is no evidence that the sinful woman was Mary Magdalene (see also Tiede, pp. 164–65).
7:40 / teacher: To be called “teacher” (usually understood as the equivalent of “rabbi,” see John 1:38) was a mark of reverence and respect.
7:41 / denarii: The singular form is denarius. A denarius is a Roman coin worth a day’s wage. Even the smaller debt of the parable is significant, but the larger debt represented an almost unimaginable sum to the average Palestinian peasant in the first century.
8:2 / Mary, called Magdalene: She is so named because she is from the town of Magdala (possibly meaning the “city of the tower”). She figures prominently in the Gospel tradition, particularly at the crucifixion and resurrection (Matt. 27:56, 61; 28:1; Mark 15:40, 47; 16:1, [9]; Luke 24:10; John 19:25; 20:1, 11, 16, 18). Only Luke mentions that seven demons had come out of this woman (the later ending affixed to the Gospel of Mark repeats the Lucan statement [Mark 16:9]). The number of demons indicates the severity of the possession (Ellis, p. 128; Fitzmyer, p. 698). According to a rabbinic tradition the Angel of Death “said to his messenger, ‘Go, bring me Miriam [Mary] the Women’s hairdresser!’ He went and brought him Miriam” (b. Hagiga 4b). “Hairdresser” is megaddela, which could be a pun with Magdalene. The wider context of this rabbinic tradition reveals that Magdalene has been confused with Mary the mother of Jesus.
8:3 / Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s house hold: The reference to Herod is to Herod Antipas. Fitzmyer (p. 698) thinks that her husband should be understood as a manager of Herod’s estate. That the wife of such a person was a follower of Jesus suggests that not all of Jesus’ followers were of humble means and origin. Outside of this verse and Luke 24:10 there is no mention of this woman anywhere else.
Susanna: Besides this reference in Luke, nothing is known of this woman. This is the name of the beautiful heroine of one part of the apocryphal additions to Daniel.
their own means: Lit. “from their own possessions.” The word translated “possessions” occurs frequently in Luke (11:21; 12:15, 33, 44; 14:33; 16:1; 19:8; Acts 4:32) and reflects the Lucan concern with wealth and the proper attitude toward it.