Jesus told his disciples that in two days was the
feast of the Passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
Meanwhile, the chief priests, scribes and elders of the people
gathered in the palace of the high priest named Caiaphas. They
conspired that they would take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. But
they said, Not on the feast day, or else there will be an uproar among
the people.
There was a Pharisee named Simon who was a leper,
and He invited Jesus to come to his house and eat with him. Jesus went
to Simon’s home and sat down to eat, when a woman in the city, who was
a sinner, brought an alabaster box of ointment (perfume) to Simon’s
house when she heard that Jesus was eating there. She stood at His
feet behind Him weeping, and started to wash His feet with tears, then
she wiped them with her hair, kissed His feet, then anointed them with
the ointment and the house was filled with the scent of the ointment.
Judas Iscariot, who would betray him said, Why
wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred pence and given to the
poor? He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but he was a
thief, and he took care of the money matters among the Apostles.
Others also murmured about what a waste it was.
When Simon saw this, he thought to himself, This
man, if He were a prophet, would have known that this woman touching
Him is a sinner. Jesus said, Simon, I have something to say to you.
Simon said, Master, say it.
Jesus then told this parable: There was a certain
creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred pence and the
other owed fifty. When they had nothing to pay, he forgave them both.
Tell me then, which of them will love him most?
Simon answered, I suppose the one that he forgave
the most. Jesus said, You’ve judged right. Then Jesus turned to the
woman and said to Simon, Do you see this woman? I entered into your
house and you gave me no water for my feet, but she’s washed my feet
with tears, and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but
since the time I came in, this woman hasn’t stopped kissing my feet.
You didn’t anoint my head with oil, but this woman has anointed my
feet with ointment. So, I say to you, Her sins, which are many, are
forgiven; because she showed much love, but to whom little is
forgiven, they show little love.
Jesus said to the woman, Your sins are forgiven. The
people who ate with Him wondered to themselves, Who does He think He
is, forgiving sins also? Jesus said to the woman, Your faith has saved
you, go in peace.
