Debtors of Grace: A Prostitute’s Faith and a Pharisee’s Blindness
Discover how forgiveness awakens love and worship, leading to a life reconciled with God. In this blog, we uncover four key lessons from the parable of the two debtors and learn how embracing forgiveness can lead to a new way of living in the peace of Christ.
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A Sinful Woman Forgiven
36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 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. 39 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.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 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. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among[a] themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Contrasting a Prostitute vs. a Pharisee
In addition to Jesus, our Scripture passage has two primary characters. A man named Simon, a Pharisee, is very religious and would embarrass almost all of us based on how much Scripture he had memorized and his focus on keeping the law.
Then there’s a woman, who most scholars agree was a former prostitute. However, at the feet of Jesus, she breaks out in worshipping and weeping. She even begins to kiss His feet and anoint them with expensive ointment.
This story is one of contrasts. The woman adores Jesus and Simon the Pharisee not so much.
In biblical Middle Eastern times, the culture was for a host to provide water for their guests so they could wash the dust from their feet. We learn that Simon didn’t offer that basic customary greeting for Jesus.
He also didn’t greet Jesus with a kiss, a cultural norm of welcoming people by extending honor and hospitality. The Apostle Paul refers to it as a “holy kiss,” but nothing was romantic about it.
Another common characteristic was to put oil on a guest’s head. This was done to dampen the effects of dust and dirt from their arid and dusty lands.
So, we’re already seeing a contrast occurring.
Comparison of the Woman and Simon
| Her | Simon |
|---|---|
| Sins were known | Sins were hidden |
| Sins of commission | Sins of omission |
| Believes in Jesus’ righteousness | Believes in his own righteousness |
| Saw herself as needing and receiving forgiveness | Saw himself as not needing forgiveness |
| Her actions say, “I am a sinner.” | Said, “She is a sinner.” |
Simon put other people under a microscope while only putting himself under a telescope. He fails to see his sin at his own peril.
When the Apostle Paul writes about the nature of sin, he puts sin in two categories: sins of the flesh and sins of the spirit.
The woman was guilty of sins of the flesh, but Simon was guilty of sins of the spirit. Simon was satisfied with himself but judgmental of others. His critical spirit flowed from pride and a hardened heart that fueled his blindness. [READ MORE: What Did Jesus Say About Spiritual Blindness]
“Now when the Pharisee (Simon) who had invited him (Jesus) saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this who is touching him, for she is a sinner.’” Luke 7:39
The darkness of an unregenerated heart is so dark and profound that Simon not only casts judgment on the woman, but he also judges God (God in the skin of Jesus). Simon only sees the woman for her reputation. However, Jesus looked at the woman and only saw her spirit. Simon is blind to whose presence he is in, yet Jesus’ presence has awakened the woman’s life.
This brings us to a question: If you could measure all the sins you’ve committed in your life, how would you compare to other people?
That question, and the dialogue it can stir for some people, is the root problem in Simon. He believes the seriousness of a person’s sin is based on how you compare with other people. He is the poster child for “But I’m a good person.” Simon was as spiritually bankrupt as the woman, only he can’t see it.
Simon thinks he is okay because he thinks he has the right actions. He believes his right actions, which are incorrect, somehow make up for the apparent lack of love in his heart. The tragedy in Simon’s story is that he remained blind in his sins and apart from God.
Finding Peace with God
When Simon confronts Jesus about the woman washing His feet, Jesus responds with a parable.
“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[a] and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave both debts. Now, which of them will love him more?” Luke 7:41-42
Seems like a common sense question, right? So, Simon provides a common sense answer: The who has forgiven more.
However, Simon overlooks that Jesus isn’t only referencing the woman in His story. Jesus is talking about Simon. He doesn’t realize that sin has separated him from God. Simon needs forgiveness and reconciliation with the Creator, yet he remains blind to Jesus’ love because he doesn’t see his need for forgiveness.
Forgiveness received awakens love, and it also awakens worship when given by the One who has the authority to give it. Without realizing it, Simon is incapable of expressing worship because he doesn’t think he needs God.
JESUS: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus is not only offering forgiveness of sin but also an entirely new way of living, a way to walk in His peace. He’s describing a way to live in peace and be reconciled with God. Peace is a person, and His name is Jesus.
“You can’t have peace from God until you are at peace with God.”
The woman’s faith not only brought her to forgiveness and salvation, but in Luke 7:50, He says, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Jesus declares that she has been reconciled with God. Not only is she forgiven, she’s stepped into a whole new way of life.
You can’t have peace from God until you are at peace with God.
What happened with the woman is she is now at peace with God and empowered to walk in His peace. So, what can we learn from the contrasts of the woman and Simon? What can we learn from the parable? How do we reconcile forgiveness with our Creator?
Four Lessons From the Parable of the Two Debtors
1) Everyone is a Debtor
Scriptures teach that all of us have sinned. An old worship song says, “He paid a debt He did not owe / I owed a debt I could not pay / Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.” It’s easy to forget that our sin is a debt. Whether by flesh or spirit, we’re all debtors.
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—everyone—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6
2) We Are Incapable of Paying The Debt
As of 2023, the United States’ national debt is more than $32 trillion, which equates to more than $97,000 per US citizen.
However, there’s a debt you and I should be much more concerned about the debt of our sins. Whether they’re sins of the flesh or spirit, they are sins against our Creator. This is why David, when he was in a place of repentance in Psalm 51, said, “God, against you and you alone, I have sinned.”
We have a debt we cannot repay, and to understand the depth of God’s forgiveness in Jesus, we have to understand the beauty of Jesus’ debt cancellation. This is what Jesus wanted Simon to understand.
Jesus loved Simon and wanted Simon to be awakened. When we begin to comprehend that debt, we begin to understand the beauty of what God, through Jesus Christ, offers. When we understand that, much like the woman, we too will express love, appreciation, and gratitude through worship, thankfulness, and gratitude.
She wasn’t fulfilling repayment. Instead, she was saying, “Thank you, Lord. Praise you, Lord. Thank you for forgiving my sins.”
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14
Redemption means to be picked out of a dark place and put into light. That’s what happened to her when she stepped into a new life and from the forgiveness of her sins.
3) Forgiveness is Available
Forgiveness always costs something. For the moneylender in the parable, it cost 500 denarii to forgive those indebted to him, which was about a year and a half’s wages.
When God said, “I forgive you of your sin,” it cost Him something too. In forgiveness, there was suffering, pain, and the agony of Jesus on the cross. Before forgiveness, there had to be death on the cross, burial, and His resurrection; That price had to be paid. The ledger had to be clear before forgiveness could become a reality.
Dr. Karl Menninger, the famed psychiatrist, once said that if he “Could convince the patients in psychiatric hospitals that their sins were forgiven, 75 percent of them could walk out the next day.”
The final words of Jesus on the cross were, “It is finished.” In Aramaic, the word is Tetelesti (τετέλεσται). In the Roman Empire, the government would stamp Tetelesti on the bill whenever you finished paying a debt to indicate it had been paid in full.
That’s why Jesus tells the woman, “Your sins are forgiven because He had the power to do that.
4) Sinners Become Worshippers When Touched by Jesus
We can learn much from Simon and this precious woman.
Simon invited Jesus into his home for dinner, which most Pharisees didn’t do. People are capable of showing outward respect for Christ but remain unconverted. It’s possible to have a decent form of religion yet know nothing about Christ and His Gospel.
Simon couldn’t see his sin nor the need for a savior to cleanse him. It’s possible to treat Christianity with respect and still be blind. It can also happen to you. My adoration for my Savior comes in direct proportion to my awareness of my sins and my thanksgiving for forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ.
Discover Forgiveness
Two men owed money: One 500 denarii, another 50.
They both owed a lot of money, yet neither had the money to pay it back, so the lender canceled the debt of both. Which one will love him more? The one who’s forgiven little, or the one who’s forgiven much?
We, too, stand at the feet of Jesus today, owing a debt that we cannot pay. As the old hymn goes, “Jesus paid it all / All to him I owe / Sin had left a crimson stain, and he washed it white as snow.”
Don’t slip into a Simon mindset. Whether it’s sins of the flesh or it’s sins of the spirit. Believe in Him, find forgiveness, and discover walking in peace with Him.
TL;DR
Luke 7:36-50 focuses on the contrasting characters of a Pharisee named Simon and a former prostitute who worships Jesus.
Simon hides his sins and judges others, while the woman acknowledges her sins and seeks forgiveness.
Jesus tells a parable about forgiveness and highlights that all people owe a debt of sin.
Forgiveness is available through Jesus’ sacrifice, leading sinners to become worshippers.
We can find peace with God through faith in Jesus when we recognize our need for forgiveness.
Related Reading
How to Forgive Those Who’ve Hurt You by Rev. Paul Lawler
What Does Worship Look Like? by Rev. Paul Lawler
