Perfume Anointing

One of the Pharisees, a man named Simon, invited Jesus to eat with him at his home. And Jesus entered Simon's house and reclined at the table. A sinful woman from that town learned that Jesus was dining at Simon's house. And so, she came to the house and brought with her an alabaster jar of perfume. The woman stood behind Jesus and began weeping. She wet Jesus' feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. After that, she kissed his feet and anointed them with the perfume.

When Simon saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who this is and what kind of woman is touching Him—for she is a sinner!”

But Jesus knew what Simon was thinking, and answered him: “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, Teacher,” Simon said.

Jesus told Simon a story: “Two men were debtors to a certain moneylender. One man owed the moneylender five hundred denarii (Roman silver coins), and the other man owed the moneylender fifty denarii. But when they were unable to repay him, the moneylender forgave both of them. Which one, then, will love the moneylender more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who was forgiven more.”

Jesus said, “You have judged correctly.”

Jesus then turned toward the woman. He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you--My host--did not give Me water for My feet, but she wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You--My host--did not greet Me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing My feet since I arrived. You--My host--did not anoint My head with oil, but she has anointed My feet with perfume. Therefore I tell you, because she has been forgiven her many sins, she has loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

But the guests at the table began to say to each other, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

And Jesus told the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

(See Luke 7:36-50)

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