Luke 7:36 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”…49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”
There is a Pharisee whose life is set apart to reveal himself as a good man — he’s the host. There is a woman apparently known to nearly everyone as a “sinner.” She’s the mystery guest. There is an itinerant teacher named Jesus. There are so many unanswered questions about this scene. Why did Jesus agree to go? I wonder if He was the “celebrity” guest the “good” man had invited to his dinner to intrigue the other guests. How did this sinful woman get in there? Why wasn’t she thrown out immediately? This event was probably planned by Jesus Himself so everyone in attendance, had a chance to evaluate Him firsthand and He could teach them one of His biggest truths about sin and forgiveness.
“Say it Teacher” was the good man’s odd response response when Jesus asks to speak. He’s just seen this exchange between Jesus and the mystery woman and suspects Jesus is unfit to teach anybody. The sinful woman’s extreme act of love had become the lesson Jesus needed to illustrate His story and prompt them to question. …“Who is this, who even forgives sins?” This is Jesus, the one who by the power of God has the authority to forgive sin of any size so the heart can learn to love God freely and without the obligation of debt.
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