Luke 7:47Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

She approached, anointed His feet with her tears, and dried them with her hair. The Redeemer, lifting her from her multitude of sins, proclaimed, "her sins are forgiven." I do not wish to delve deeply into the entirety of this narrative, but I intend to highlight one key aspect. Observe the generosity! "For His (the Savior's) sake I tell you, her many sins are forgiven as she loved much." Thus, this sinful woman was granted pardon for her numerous wrongs, while Mary, the sister of Moses, was afflicted with leprosy for a minor complaint (Num. 12:10). The Lord speaks to sinners: "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18); through repentance, He transforms darkness into light and, by the word of His goodness, alleviates countless offenses. To those who walk in truth, He warns: "If anyone says to his brother: ...fool, he is guilty of hellfire" (Matthew 5:22). For a single word, such severe judgement is declared, yet for numerous transgressions, He displays tremendous mercy. This reflects the themes of repentance and contrition, evidencing that God is prompt to save and patient in punishment. There is a remarkable account of the Lord using His response to draw a comparison between the Pharisee and the woman who received the forgiveness of her many sins. While I do not commend her past behavior, I regard her as blessed for her ultimate redemption. Indeed, she lived as a harlot and was morally lax, yet let no one judge her alongside the Pharisee. Let the Apostle Paul speak in her defense: "Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies" (Rom. 8:33). This theme of repentance also extends to Herod and John the Baptist.

Do not be swayed by the salvation of this sinner, for I have come to redeem sinners, to illuminate the blind. Just as Rahab received the spies and firmly believed in the God of her ancestors, so Joshua, acknowledging her strong faith, saved her, ensuring her name is remembered throughout generations and honored among the twelve tribes of Israel. In the same way, I have now received this woman; with unwavering faith and complete devotion, she has loved Me with all her heart and soul. I accept her as one of My chosen, and she will join the ranks of the righteous who have loved Me, and her sins will be forgiven. Her name will never be erased, and her actions will be remembered in every generation. All who hear of her act will be inspired to pursue good deeds and partake in the abundant and eternal blessings. Oh, that we might aspire to emulate her, confessing our soul's impurities, cleansing ourselves with tears, and striving to embody the holiness of the Divine! To Him be glory—both to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity! Amen.

Regarding the woman who anointed the Lord, her hands embraced His feet to receive the grace flowing from His divine nature. The Lord displayed His humanity, allowing the sinful woman to approach Him, while simultaneously manifesting His divinity to challenge the Pharisee (Luke 7:36-50). The one who mocked the tears of the sinful woman was himself mocked by her fidelity. Her tears, once hidden, were poured forth openly from a heart full of love, prompting the Lord to expose the inner thoughts of the Pharisee. For the sinful woman recognized Christ as God, as her faith attested, while Simon viewed Him merely as a man, as demonstrated by his thoughts. Thus, the Lord, judging both, shared a parable that uplifted the sinner while admonishing the Pharisee through its interpretation. The tears of the sinner fell and washed away the debt recorded against her. Her need taught her to cast aside fear in the presence of Him who does not turn away from the pleas of the needy but rejects the arrogance of the proud. Therefore, the Lord raised His voice in compassion toward the afflicted and spoke to the needy about forgiveness; those who honored Him He praised, demonstrating His appreciation for their love, while He shamed those who invited Him, disregarding their false devotion. He openly commended the faith of the woman while denouncing the inner thoughts of the Pharisee. He became the healer for those who believe, the restorer of all, and the Judge of hidden thoughts, proving that even the most obvious matters were known to Him.

Therefore, cleanse your bodies not with water but with your tears; anoint yourselves not with tranquility but with holiness. Adorn yourselves not in elaborate fabrics but with the everlasting garment of purity, so that you too may receive the same honor, giving thanks to the Lamb of God, who removes the sin of the world. To Him be glory, honor, and worship, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Our Redeemer concludes these righteous acts with a note of judgment: ‘Wherefore I say unto thee, Her many sins are forgiven because she loved.’ He clearly communicates that, as it were, ‘Though that which is hardened may be very tough, the flame of love is powerful enough to soften even the hardest of hearts.’

Consequently, the awareness of repentance weakens, resulting in a more arduous journey toward spiritual growth. When the sense of repentance is lost, an individual strays from the path of salvation and succumbs to arrogance and self-indulgence. He becomes estranged from the sacred love for God and others. The Lord stated regarding the redeemed sinner, “Her many sins are forgiven, because she loved much. But to him that little is left, he loves less.”

Simon the Pharisee, proud of his own righteousness and viewing the woman's touch as defilement, struggled to comprehend why Jesus permitted such an interaction. If Jesus were truly a prophet, Simon mused, He would realize the nature of the woman who approached Him. In response to Simon’s silent thoughts, the Lord invited him to listen and shared the parable of two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, while the other owed fifty. When neither could repay their debts, the lender graciously forgave both. Jesus then posed the question to Simon, asking which debtor would love the lender more. Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the larger debt forgiven." The Lord acknowledged Simon's answer, using it to reveal to him the state of his own hard heart, which remained unmoved by the woman's tears of love and repentance, thus justifying His gracious embrace of those who sin.

"Do you see this woman?" the Lord asked Simon. "I entered your home, yet you did not offer me the common courtesies of attention and respect. In contrast, she has continuously expressed her deep love since my arrival. Therefore, I tell you, her sins are forgiven because she has shown great love; but he who is forgiven little loves little." After addressing Simon, Jesus turned to the woman and declared, "Your sins are forgiven." This pronouncement left those present astonished, questioning among themselves, "Who can forgive sins?" But the Lord assured the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Drawing the attention of everyone present to her, as she sat modestly on the ground with her face hidden behind her hands and unbound hair, He spoke aloud to the astonished Pharisee: ‘Simon, do you see this woman? I entered your home, and you did not offer water for my feet; but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You did not greet me with a kiss; yet she has continually kissed my feet since my arrival. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.’ He then turned His words not to Simon, but to the distressed sinner, proclaiming with divine authority, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’"

All stand as sinners before Him and cannot liberate themselves from their sins. While the woman possesses a greater burden of sin, she also exhibits a deeper sense of repentance, faith, and love for the Savior than Simon does. Consequently, she receives greater forgiveness, elevating her, a sinner, above Simon, the Pharisee, in the sight of God's righteousness. This is why the Lord, who perceives the innermost secrets of the human heart and the motives behind one’s actions, permitted this sinful woman to come into contact with Him, which caused confusion for Simon and led him to mistakenly conclude that Christ was not a prophet (Luke 7:39). From this, he should realize that Christ is not merely a prophet but much more than that. "Since you have asserted that I am not a prophet because I did not recognize her as a sinner, behold, I challenge the thoughts of your heart, so that you may understand that I am aware of what lies concealed within you and even more about her, which many others also recognize."