NOW ONE OF the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
40Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41“Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
44Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”
48Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
8:1After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.
Original Meaning
SINNERS RESPONDED TO John, and they also responded to Jesus. The reasons for their response become clear in this passage, where Jesus’ approach to sinners makes a striking contrast to that of the Pharisees. This passage is also the first of two that commend the faith response of women to Jesus. Thus, the issue of faith continues to take center stage in Luke’s account.
The central themes of this account are linked to the main characters.1 The woman illustrates the gratitude, boldness, and humility of faith. The Pharisee pictures separatism confronted by Jesus. Jesus explains why sinners should be pursued with his message. He also reveals how forgiveness possesses transforming power.
Jesus is asked to dinner and accepts the invitation. Even though the Pharisees oppose him, he accepts the opportunity to visit with some of them. As was common in the ancient world, the guests recline on cushions beside the table. Since Jesus is a public figure, the door to this meal likely remains open, so that interested people can enter, sit on the edge of the room, and hear the discussion. The rebuke in verse 39 is not because the woman has come to the meal, but because she did not stay on the sidelines.
The woman says nothing in this narrative, but her actions produce a wide range of discussion.2 Her sin is not identified. Perhaps she is a prostitute or has engaged in some other promiscuity to gain her reputation. But she boldly enters into the room and anoints Jesus’ feet with a jar of expensive perfume. That act reflects great sacrifice, for such perfume was very costly. If she used nard, for example, the cost would be about 300 denarii a pound, an average person’s annual wage! Such perfume, like myrrh, was used for burial or to purify priests (Ex. 30:25–30).3 The presence of this perfume indicates that the woman treats Jesus as an important visitor. Moved by the moment, she weeps as she anoints Jesus and kisses his feet. The action reflects her humility.
But the action is shocking to Jesus’ host. Taken aback, the Pharisee begins to think to himself that Jesus must not be a prophet to allow such a woman to come into contact with him. The text uses a “contrary to fact” second class conditional clause to present the Pharisee’s remark, so that the leader clearly doubts Jesus’ prophetic credentials. Ironically, Jesus reads his mind and tells a parable that explains his actions.
The parable pictures two debtors: one with a fifty denarii debt and the other with a five hundred denarii debt (a two-month’s debt versus a twenty-month debt for a basic wage earner). The debt collector discovers that neither of them can pay. Yet unlike most collectors, who would turn up the heat, he forgives each debt. Now, Jesus asks, who would love the collector more? Simon gives an astute reply: the one who has been forgiven more. Here is the heart of Jesus’ relational ethic. Unlike the Pharisee, who can only dwell on the sinner’s past record, Jesus prefers to see the potential that love and forgiveness possess for changing a person’s heart. So he points out how the woman cared for him in a way his host has not. He mentions the washing of his feet, the greeting she gave in kissing his feet, and the anointing of his feet with perfume. None of these actions were required by the host, but the fact that the woman has engaged in them shows that she has taken extra steps to greet him.4
But there is a reason for her love—her many sins now stand forgiven (v. 47). The one who is forgiven little, on the other hand, loves little. To understand Jesus’ point, the parable and his remarks must be put together. According to the parable, the basis of love is a previously extended forgiveness that produces a response of love. So Jesus indicates that the woman’s actions reflect her experience of forgiveness from him. The Lord’s declaration to her of forgiveness of sins serves to confirm what the parable has already indicated. There also is an implied warning from Jesus to the Pharisee, who probably sees himself as a “little sinner”: “Your love may not be great, because you have not appreciated the depth of forgiveness God has made available to you. Instead, you judge this woman in order to gain a good feeling about yourself.” Jesus challenges such a way of looking at sin.
Jesus’ words of forgiveness are also significant. Earlier the Pharisee raised the question whether Jesus is a prophet (7:30; cf. also 7:16). But here he is forgiving sins, an act limited to God, as the Pharisees well know (v. 49). As in 5:24, this action gets the attention of the theological experts. They know that Jesus is appropriating to himself the ultimate level of authority. But that does not stop Jesus, who turns to the woman in the midst of the objections and tells her to go in peace because her faith has saved her.
This final comment is significant, since up to this point the issue has been the presence of love. Jesus’ remark reveals a crucial theological sequence: first an offer of forgiveness from God, then the faith that saves. Such faith evidences itself in the acts of love that she has performed for Jesus. Such is the fundamental cycle of relationship that exists between God and a believer. The possibility of establishing a healthy relationship with a sinner is why Jesus pursues and relates to sinners. He does not take the Pharisee’s more distant and critical attitude. The potential for divine transformation through forgiveness and faith compels Christ to reach out to sinners and engage them relationally (5:31–32; 15:1–31; 18:9–14).
In 8:1–3, unique to Luke, the Evangelist notes the work of three women of faith. As Jesus ministers, he draws followers who come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Mary Magdalene serves after having seven demons exorcised by Jesus. Joanna, as the wife of Herod’s steward Cuza, gives evidence that Jesus’ message has reached even into the palace. When these and other women come to faith, they immediately give of their resources to enable Jesus’ ministry to continue. This note is important, since the passage makes clear that those contributing to Jesus’ ministry span both gender diversity and the social scale. The pattern of grace received and ministry pursued emerges in the exemplary response of these women. Their ministry comes at two levels: personal involvement and the contribution of resources. Both levels of involvement are important to effective ministry.
Bridging Contexts
THE CONTRASTING ATTITUDES apparent in the text reveal a fundamental paradigm for relating to the world. The Pharisee, in his desire for purity, separates himself from fellowship with sinners. He keeps a woman like the one who approaches Jesus at great distance, thereby making it clear that her lifestyle is not endorsed. Jesus talks and preaches about sin, but he does not isolate himself from sinners. He understands that in order for light to shine in darkness, the light must engage the darkness.
This contrast is a timeless one in terms of how to view the ministry the church has in the world. The world has always had sinners in it, even notorious ones. In teaching this passage—one of my favorites in Luke—I am tempted to ask: “What if a contemporary figure like Madonna, a woman with an established reputation as a sinner, came to the Lord, how would we respond if she, in effect, came and sat at the Lord’s feet?”5 That is the hard question this text asks. Do we see sinners for who they have been or for what God can make of them? If the church believes that it has something to offer, then the church should show concern and the potential of relating in a new way to God, as Jesus did.
The theological principles at work here extend into our era. God’s fundamental way of transforming people is through his offer of grace and forgiveness. Without the opportunity to restore a broken relationship, the way back to God is blocked. Some people desire to start over again, but are not assured it can be done. Jesus shows through the example of the notorious sinner that no hole is too deep for the reach of God’s delivering, compassionate hand. This means that as we meet people whose lives are radically out of touch with God, we must be patient, realizing that without God we should not expect anything different from them. The gospel offers them not only what they need but also supplies what is lacking. We sometimes want to put the cart before the horse and make the cleanup of life take place first, whereas God promises that by his grace he will establish the relationship that cleans up a person’s life. Only as long as we keep the possibility of God’s activity in our minds will we be in a position to relate more sensitively to those who need God. It is important to recall where we were before he gave us his grace that is the ground of our transformation. It is he who makes us different, and not we ourselves. That is precisely why all of us need to come to him.
In sum, the proper way to study this passage is through the perspective of each character in the story. The Pharisee reveals how not to approach the question of sinners. Jesus rejects that perspective. The woman pictures a sinner who responds in faith boldly in an exemplary way. She represents the hope that sinners, even notorious ones, can find God. Jesus supplies the commentary, both relationally and theologically, to what has taken place.
The fundamental pattern of ministry in response to grace is the prominent theme of 8:1–3. Those who enter the community are not spectators to ministry. Rather, they use their gifts and resources in service to Jesus. Whether delivered from the power of demons or sent from the courts of the kings, these women give to make effective ministry possible. Part of their ministry is to minister to others who minister, a key role in any community. Texts like this, affirming the role of women in a first-century culture where they were either seen as property or relegated to an almost invisible role, are significant in showing that women play a major role in contributing to the ministry of the church.
The view of women today differs significantly from the first century. Many women are as educated and qualified for various roles as men, and many serve with distinction in various capacities. In light of the more traditional distinctions the church has made between the role of men and women, this text has produced much questioning about whether women can do everything in the church, including senior pastoring and eldering—offices the New Testament had limited to men. In the midst of the debate about the role of women, we should never lose sight of one thing, that we are all called to serve the Lord by serving one another. One of the great regrets in the current discussion on the role of women is that the discussion has centered on power, fueled more by cultural standards than biblical standards of service. Even those texts that affirm the headship of the male do so as a way to point to service, not to the callous exercise of raw power (e.g., Eph. 5:23–33). More attention to these themes might lessen the battles on other matters.6
Contemporary Significance
THE APPLICATIONS OF Jesus’ teaching are open-ended. Fundamentally, believers must remain open to relationships with those outside the faith. The separation that the Pharisee desired should be rejected out of hand. In fact, a question to ponder is why those outside the faith, like tax collectors and sinners, were so drawn to Jesus. What did they sense from him that made his message of interest to them? Should not the church, while upholding God’s truth and character, be equally open to outsiders?
In our era, there is much debate about “user-friendly” churches that openly seek outsiders. Important questions surface, such as whether the church should minister primarily to the saints and whether truth will have to be watered down when outsiders are let in. There are dangers here that need serious reflection.7 But we must look at Jesus’ own teaching style and consider how he carried out his mission. He used illustrations from commerce and agriculture, plugging into the very activities of life that all people, including unbelievers, experienced. We will be hard pressed to see Jesus engaging the public in technical theological jargon.
This is not to say that the church should not seek to minister to the saints or that teaching deep theological truth is not a part of the church’s call. I would not have given my life to such training if I did not think God has called the church to have such training. But we should not be harsh on those who feel called to target those who have not yet come to faith. The church needs more workers in the fields.8 To harvest grain one must not only plant but also work in the fields. Jesus’ attitude encourages such openness in reaching out with hope to those whose past might suggest they are beyond God’s reach. Strobel summarizes the importance of staying in touch this way:
Part of your hesitation in proceeding might stem from your own uncertainties about Unchurched Harry and Mary. You may wonder whether you really understand them well enough to know how to lovingly, tactfully, and powerfully bring them the Gospel. After all, it may have been quite a while since you’ve lived a secular lifestyle—if you’ve ever lived one at all.
You may have found that since you’ve become a Christian, your unbelieving friends have drifted away as you’ve become increasingly involved in the social network of the church. It has been said that within two years of becoming a Christian, the average person has already lost the significant relationships he once had with people outside the faith. Without frequent heart-to-heart conversations with unchurched people, it’s easy to forget how they think.…
Frankly … some of my best friends are, in reality, hell-bound pagans, and I am impassioned about wanting to see them transformed by the same amazing grace that radically redirected my trajectory of my own life.9
It is important to love the lost, not in their lostness, but for the hope that amazing grace might come their way.
The sinful woman in 7:36–50 illustrates some basic truths about faith and love. In terms of faith, she demonstrates an ability to overcome barriers, such as the popular perceptions about her. As a woman, even to contemplate publicly drawing near to Jesus was a risk, because women did not do such things in that culture. The fact that she was a sinner only heightened the risk, since a religious figure like Jesus might reject her. Yet her gratitude and humility were so great that drawing near to Jesus was all she cared about. She counted the cost and reckoned that Jesus would respond to her humble approach towards him. Her faith was honored. One wonders how many of us today would be so bold as to come forward and identify with Jesus in the face of known public rejection of our approaching him.
The woman expressed herself not by a loud voice but by quiet action. She speaks no words in this story, yet her actions of devotion to Jesus speak volumes. Her testimony stands on its own merit. Some perhaps misunderstood and even doubted it, but God sees her heart and declares her clean. The church needs less noise in its testimony and more heartfelt devotion and service.
Regarding the Pharisee’s response, how many believing communities are guilty of thinking about sinners and relating to them as the Pharisee did? It is so easy to wall people off subtly from God and give the impression they are beyond God’s reach, rather than trying sincerely to bring them into the sphere of God’s forgiveness. In the public debate on the great moral issues of today, the church cannot risk being right while making its case in a wrong way by using the same politics of power and pressure that the world wages. Such an attitude will not yield the fruit of forgiveness, especially if the opportunity of forgiveness and the tone of divine love that led Christ to die for sinners never surface as the church communicates its message. In pursuing moral values in our communities, we must never lose the ability to communicate the most important value of all—the love of God expressed in the offer of forgiveness. Crusading for righteousness without compassion for the sinner forgets that we all started out at the same place, in need of divine forgiveness. Our gratitude to God should translate into offering the same compassion to others he has given to us (6:27–36).
It is Jesus, not us, who has the right to forgive sin. He is the one who calls the heart to change. We as believers serve and point to him. Any righteousness we possess comes because he has worked in our lives. We have not earned it, but received it because of his grace. We are all in the position of the woman at Jesus’ feet. We must never forget that truth, so we can show to others the way to his feet.
Finally, the story of the sinful woman teaches a crucial lesson about depth of love for God. The greater our sense that God has dealt with us in mercy, the greater love we will have for him in return. If our love for God is cold, it may well be because we have come to think he owes it to us, not that he paid our debt. The gospel is like a banker walking up to us when we cannot pay our mortgage; rather than foreclosing, he writes a check that pays off the debt. If you met a banker like that, you would always be grateful to him and tell your friends about him. God is that spiritual banker, who has paid our debt of sin through Jesus. The deeper we realize that he has dealt with us out of mercy in the midst of our disobedience, the greater will be our response of love. It is dangerous to see ourselves as “little sinners” as the Pharisee did. Rather, we should see ourselves as unworthy objects of God’s rich grace, as the woman did.10
Luke 8:1–3 highlights three women for special mention who ministered with their resources. In dealing with ministry and resources, we can champion two equally dangerous imbalances. (1) We can look at ministry as simply a matter of throwing money at a need. But ministry without heart, even well-financed ministry, is not ministry in God’s eyes. A ministry can possess the best equipment, the finest quality of buildings, and the largest mailing list, and still not be doing God’s work with quality if people do not remain more important. Excellence defined by standards of appearance is not excellence in God’s eyes. I have seen organizations lose effectiveness in their testimony because they developed a reputation for caring more about programs and buildings than people. I have also been in ministries, especially in the poorer countries of the world, where the buildings and facilities leave much to be desired, but heart is in the ministry so that people are cared for as a matter of priority. Throwing money at a ministry and paying others to do the church’s work while making it look nice is not ministry in God’s sight.
(2) The opposite error is to argue that resources do not matter and are best left undiscussed. This passage, Jesus’ discussion of the widow’s mite in 21:1–4, and Paul’s discussions of resources (see 1 Cor. 16:1–4; 2 Cor. 8–9; 1 Tim. 6) show that money is an important aspect of ministerial stewardship for the believer. I am amazed at how many churches have received pastors from the same school for years but do not have that seminary on their supporting budget. These schools prepare the next generation of ministers, and the local church is the major beneficiary of such ministry. In denominations there is usually a formal way to provide for such institutions, but in independent circles such recognition and accountability often go ignored. The minister is worthy of his wage, and so are those institutions that serve the church. Those who receive grace should render grace in return (1 Cor. 9:11). Furthermore, too often a subtle attitude exists towards those in the ministry: I can expect the best for my family, but my pastor must live in a way that leaves him totally dependent on God. This subtle double standard is not biblical. All of us should be generous, and if the Old Testament is any guide, those who minister in the temple should be well provided for, so they can concentrate on the task of ministry. One of the reasons Jesus and the Twelve were so effective in their ministry was because disciples like these women stood totally behind their ministries.