By Peter Amsterdam
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The parable of the two debtors, or as it’s sometimes referred to, the parable of the Pharisee and the sinful woman, is a beautiful story of love, mercy, and thanksgiving. The parable portion of the story is very short, only two verses sandwiched in the center of the action and dialogue surrounding Jesus’ visit and meal at the house of Simon the Pharisee. Brief though the parable is, it sheds a bright light on God’s forgiveness and the proper response to it.
The story, which is told in the gospel of Luke (Luke 7:41–42), begins with: “Now one of the Pharisees was requesting [Jesus] to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table” (Luke 7:36).
While this seems like a fairly straightforward account of events, it’s what didn’t happen here that is one of the central aspects of the story. The custom at the time dictated that when a guest entered a home, the host would greet the visitor with a kiss, either on the cheek or hand. Next, water and olive oil would be brought to wash the guest’s hands and feet, and in some instances the host would anoint the guest’s head with the oil. None of these courtesies were extended to Jesus by Simon, which would have been considered a deliberate breach of protocol and manners.
Later in the story Simon calls Jesus “teacher.” According to early Jewish writings, to host a teacher or scholar in one’s home was considered an honor. Having been invited to Simon’s house, the least Jesus could have expected was a kiss of greeting, some water for His feet, and olive oil to use in washing His hands. But none of these were offered.
At this point Jesus could have rightfully said, “I am not welcome here,” and left in anger. But He didn’t. Though Simon’s lack of hospitality would have been considered an affront, Jesus absorbed the insult and reclined at the table, with unwashed hands and feet.
The next scene of the story now unfolds: “And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that [Jesus] was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him 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 7:37–38).
The woman, whom we are told is known to be a sinner, learned that Jesus was going to be eating at Simon’s house that day, so she was present when Jesus arrived. The most widely accepted interpretation is that the woman was likely a prostitute. How is it that this woman was allowed to attend the meal at Simon’s house? One author explains:
At traditional Middle Eastern village meals, the outcasts of the community are not shut out. They sit quietly on the floor against the wall, and at the end of the meal are fed. Their presence is a compliment to the host, who is thereby seen as so noble that he even feeds the outcasts of the community. The rabbis insisted that the door be open when a meal was in progress lest you ‘lack of food’ (i.e., lest you shut out the blessings of God).1
Apparently the woman was there not as an invited guest, but as one of those who were allowed to observe the meal. But why was she there? In all likelihood, she was there because she had heard Jesus speak earlier and was transformed by the encounter. While this isn’t specifically stated in the Bible, it is inferred, and it becomes clear as the story develops. Later in the story we hear Jesus tell Simon, “From the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet,” which shows that she was there before Jesus, or that she had arrived in time to witness the discourteous reception Jesus had received upon His arrival.
The woman may have heard of Jesus’ willingness to mix with sinners and heard Him speak about forgiveness of sins, that God loved her and those like her, and that His grace was available to her even though she was sinful. She was joyful that her sins were forgiven and came to the house to show her gratitude to the one who had shared this good news with her.
We are told that she brought an alabaster flask of ointment. Alabaster is a soft stone which was crafted into small vials to hold fragrant oil, which was very expensive at the time. The woman came prepared with the perfumed oil to anoint Jesus’ feet as an expression of gratitude for what Jesus had done for her.
However, witnessing the cold and rather insulting reception that Jesus received by Simon deeply saddened her. Simon hadn’t washed Jesus’ feet, a sure sign that he considered Him inferior. He hadn’t even made water available for Jesus to wash His own feet. No kiss of greeting was given. Upon seeing this, the woman weeps. What could she do to make up for the obvious lack of hospitality shown to the man who had changed her life?
Looking at Jesus’ unwashed feet as He reclined at the meal, she decided to do what Simon had not done. She used her tears to wet His feet. She didn’t have a towel to wipe and dry them, so she let down her hair and used it to dry His feet. She then kissed His feet. The Greek word used for “kiss” in this instance means to kiss again and again; in other words, she showered kisses upon Jesus’ feet. Since He had received no kiss of greeting, she would kiss His feet over and over, a public sign of deep humility, devotion, and gratitude.
The dinner guests are shocked by this display! They would see this as wrong on a number of levels. A woman letting her hair down is an intimate gesture which would never be done in front of anyone other than her husband. To make matters worse, she was touching a man who was not a relative, something no moral woman would do.
Her actions are seen as scandalous by those in attendance, just what they would expect from an immoral woman. They have no idea that she has been forgiven; they see her only as an unworthy sinner. They can’t believe that Jesus is allowing a woman of such ill repute to do these things to Him.
The story continues: “Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner’” (Luke 7:39).
Despite having been shown up for his failures as a host, Simon is silently criticizing Christ. Having heard Him preach and teach, Simon was probably wondering if Jesus was a true prophet or not. He seems to be rejecting any idea that He might be, because in Simon’s mind, if Jesus were a prophet, He would know that the woman touching Him was immoral and was thus defiling Him.
Perhaps Simon’s intention in inviting Jesus to a meal was to test Him to see if He truly was a prophet. After viewing this display and mentally noting what he felt was a deep lack of discernment on Jesus’ part, Simon was probably convinced that Jesus didn’t meet the spiritual standard for a prophet of God.
But Simon is wrong. Jesus does know the spiritual state of the woman, for He later states that “her sins are many.” He also knows that she has been forgiven for her sins because she believed by faith the words about God’s forgiveness that she had heard Him speak earlier. Besides that, Jesus shows He is a prophet by discerning Simon’s thoughts. Though Simon hasn’t verbalized his thoughts, Jesus nevertheless responds to him.
“And Jesus answering said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ And he answered, ‘Say it, Teacher’” (Luke 7:40).
The phrase “I have something to say to you” is a classical Middle Eastern idiom that introduces blunt speech that the listener may not want to hear. It’s at this point in the story that Jesus tells the short parable of the two debtors.
“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” (Luke 7:41-42).
One denarius was an ordinary day’s pay for a day’s work. Therefore, one debtor in the parable owed the moneylender the equivalent of 500 days’ pay, the other debtor 50 days’ pay—clearly a major difference. The moneylender generously cancels both debts when the borrowers are unable to pay.
Throughout the New Testament the verb “to forgive” is used both as a financial term, as in forgiving a debt, and as a religious term, as in forgiving sins. Jesus was speaking in terms of financial debt in the parable, but as we will see, the creditor/debtor language is being used in reference to God and His forgiveness of sin.
To the question of who will most love the one who forgave the debt. Simon answered, “‘The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.’ And [Jesus] said to him, ‘You have judged rightly’” (Luke 7:43).
Simon, realizing that the parable is somewhat of a verbal trap that he has been caught in, answers rather weakly, with “I suppose.” The point of the parable is that love is the correct response to grace, to undeserved favor; that the one who has been forgiven the greater debt would love the most and would show the most gratitude. Having made that point, Jesus then delivers a blunt speech to Simon.
“Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little’” (Luke 7:44–47).
These words were spoken to Simon, but Jesus turned to face the woman as He spoke them. When He asks, “Simon, do you see this woman?” He was trying to get Simon to look at her as a person, not as a sinner but as someone who has been forgiven for much and who therefore loves much and demonstrates her love and gratitude by her actions. Jesus wanted Simon to realize and accept that her sins had been forgiven and she could be welcomed back into the community, no longer as a sinner, but as a child of God.
Jesus verbalized Simon’s failures, and contrasted his omissions with the woman’s noble actions—actions that went far beyond what Simon should have done, but didn’t. Jesus then linked her great love to the multitude of her sins that had been forgiven.
“And [Jesus] said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven’” (Luke 7:48).
Jesus wasn’t saying that He was forgiving her sins right then, but rather that her sins were already forgiven. The love she showed and her emotional outpouring of gratitude was in response to the forgiveness she had already received upon hearing Jesus speak earlier. Learning that God graciously forgives sin even when the person needing forgiveness is not worthy brought her great joy and freedom.
The other guests at the table missed the point completely. They were focused on the wrong thing and misinterpreted what Jesus said. “Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this, who even forgives sins?’” (Luke 7:49).
Though Jesus did forgive people’s sins throughout the Gospels—something the religious leaders felt was blasphemous—He wasn’t forgiving the woman’s sins at that moment; they were already forgiven.
“And he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace’” (Luke 7:50).
Her faith saved her. She believed in God’s grace; she accepted it. She knew she didn’t deserve it. Her sins were many, and there was nothing she could do to merit salvation. She believed and accepted what the Lord had told her—that her faith, belief, and acceptance were sufficient.
That’s how the story ends. There is no indication of Simon’s response. Did he get the point? Did Simon understand that he was a debtor as well—a sinner in need of God’s love and forgiveness? Did he accept that the woman was forgiven and changed, and would he accept her back into the community? These questions aren’t answered; instead, we who read the story are left to ponder and to draw our own conclusions.
When thinking about what transpired in Simon’s house, it raises questions for application in our own lives as to how we respond to the Lord and how we treat others. Do we still respond with thankfulness and gratitude at our own salvation and praise and thank God for our redemption? Do we remind ourselves of what it cost Jesus to take the punishment of our sins? Have we lost the joy and wonder of our salvation?
Do we look at others in the manner that Jesus did, recognizing that He died for them and wants them to receive His gift of salvation? In gratefulness for our forgiven debt, are we motivated to help others find that same forgiveness?—To love them, to speak to them, to give of ourselves, our time, effort, and energy to bring them to salvation, no matter who they are?—The poor, the rich, the young, the old, the unlearned, the intellectual, the unlovely, the lovely, the sinners, the pious, the outcasts, the accepted? Jesus seeks to save them. Are we doing our part to make that happen?
We have all been forgiven for much. May we in turn love much and share that love with others.
Originally published July 2013. Adapted and republished April 2026. Read by Jon Marc.
1 Kenneth E. Bailey, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes (InterVarsity Press, 2008), 246 footnote 15.
