Luke chapter 7

vs 41

So this is the story Jesus is telling to Simon.

I've got to say, both amounts of money are pretty large. I mean, 1 denarius represents a day's wages. I wouldn't want to owe someone 50 days wages, let alone nearly 2 years wages.

vs 42

I don't know, this always seemed like a trick question. I mean, how do you measure love? What quantifies it? The amount of money someone gives you, or debt they cancel for you? I mean, it is a great example for the purpose of what Jesus uses it for (forgiveness of sin) but the whole idea of quantifying love still makes me feel uneasy.

vs 43

Perhaps Simon felt a bit odd about it to. I never noticed he said "I suppose" before. I think it's fair to take not of the wording, too. Remember, when these books, all the biblical books were written, space on parchment was at a premium. It wasn't cheap. And so every word was thought over fairly carefully. That "I suppose" isn't there for no reason. It is meant to give us an insight, however small, into the attitude of Simon.

Jesus tells him he's made the right judgment. What other answer could you give?

vs 44

The true love of hospitality is what she is showing. But instead of simply quietly bringing in a bowl and washing his feet that way, the woman is so overwhelmed that she has made the very act an incredibly powerful symbol, through the use of her tears and her own hair.

vs 45

It was normal to be greeted with a kiss. As I said, I don't know quite what the culture's attitude was towards a woman kissing a man, but her kissing of his feet, while odd, is fairly safely not sexual I would think. In fact, the feet, while unclean, are also generally seen as the vehicle which brings prophets where they go, and so they're important. And the idea of submission is obvious too.

vs 46

Oil on the head was another hospitality measure. Remember, no showers, so it made you smell nice.

vs 47

I don't think you can read the 'for' as a because clause - that is, Jesus isn't saying that her much love brought her much forgiveness. Instead, he is simply saying that her much love is an indicator of the amount of sin which has been forgiven for her. Whereas those who are forgiven little only love a little.

vs 48

Powerful words. And completely and totally inutterable by a Jew, because it is blasphemy to say that you can forgive sins. They're against God primarily, not people.

vs 49

And the other guests are shocked, but don't try and throw bread baskets at him. It could be that his teaching on this subject, even the short bit of it we get here, is so profound, that they were all in awe of the authority of his teaching. Notice they don't grumble like the other Pharisees for the crippled man. Instead, they question in awe how Jesus gets such authority.

vs 50

And Jesus next words are just as shocking, although they need a bit more thought. While I do not want to say that Judaism was a works-based religion (if you followed it closely, it wouldn't be, anyway), it certainly did have a works element which many saw as just as vital to the relational element. And that works element was discriminatory towards sinners, especially unclean women. So for Jesus to say that this woman's faith, exclusive of the work of the temple, has saved her and put her relationship with God right, then that is a mammoth change.