Church Fathers Commentary Luke 7:36-50

"And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he entered into the Pharisee`s house, and sat down to meat. And behold, a woman who was in the city, a sinner; and when she knew that he was sitting at meat in the Pharisee`s house, she brought an alabaster cruse of ointment, and standing behind 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. Now when the Pharisee that had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him, that she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Teacher, say on. A certain lender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred shillings, and the other fifty. When they had not [wherewith] to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most? Simon answered and said, He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And turning to the woman, he said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thy house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath wetted my feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. Thou gavest me no kiss: but she, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but she hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, [the same] loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that even forgiveth sins? And he said unto the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." — Luke 7:36-50 (ASV)

The Venerable Bede: Having just said, “And the people that heard him justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John,” the same Evangelist now demonstrates in action what he had proposed in words—namely, that wisdom is justified by the righteous and the penitent—by saying, “And one of the Pharisees desired him...”

Gregory of Nyssa: This account is full of precious instruction. For there are many who justify themselves, puffed up by the delusions of an idle imagination. Before the time of Judgment comes, they separate themselves as lambs from the flocks, unwilling even to eat with the multitude, and hardly even with those who do not go to extremes but keep the middle path in life.

St. Luke, a physician of souls more than of bodies, therefore represents our Lord and Savior most mercifully visiting others, as it follows: And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. He did this not so that He would share in any of the Pharisee's faults, but so that He might impart something of His own righteousness.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: A woman of corrupt life, yet demonstrating her faithful affection, comes to Christ, recognizing that He has the power to release her from every fault and to grant her pardon for the crimes she had committed. For it follows, And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner... brought an alabaster box of ointment.

The Venerable Bede: Alabaster is a kind of white marble, tinged with various colors, which is generally used for vessels holding ointment because it is said to be the best material for keeping the ointment fresh.

St. Gregory the Great: For this woman, seeing the stains of her shame, ran to wash them at the fountain of mercy. She did not blush at seeing the guests, for since she was courageously ashamed of herself inwardly, she thought there was nothing that could shame her outwardly. Observe with what sorrow she is gripped, who is not ashamed to weep even in the midst of a feast!

Gregory of Nyssa: But to show her own unworthiness, she stands behind with downcast eyes and, with her hair unbound, embraces His feet. Washing them with her tears, she signified a mind distressed at her state and imploring pardon. For it follows, And standing behind, she began to wash his feet with her tears.

St. Gregory the Great: The very eyes that once coveted earthly things, she now wore out with penitential weeping. The hair she once displayed to adorn her face, she now used to wipe away her tears, as it follows: And she wiped them with the hairs of her head. The mouth that once uttered proud things, she now pressed to the feet of the Lord, kissing the footsteps of her Redeemer. The ointment she once used to perfume her body, she now commendably offered to God, as it is written: And she anointed them with the ointment. She devised as many offerings from herself as she once had sinful pleasures. She converted the number of her faults into an equal number of virtues, so that every part of her that had despised God in her sin might now wholly serve God in her penitence.

St. John Chrysostom: Thus the harlot became, at that moment, more honorable than the virgins. For as soon as she was inflamed with penitence, she burst forth in love for Christ. And while these things just described were done outwardly, the thoughts her mind pondered inwardly were much more fervent. God alone saw them.

St. Gregory the Great: But the Pharisee, seeing these things, despises them and finds fault not only with the sinful woman but also with the Lord who received her, as it follows: Now when the Pharisee who had bidden him saw it, he spoke within himself, saying, “This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is who touches him.” We see the Pharisee is truly proud in himself and hypocritically righteous, blaming the sick woman for her sickness and the physician for his aid.

Surely, if this woman had come to the Pharisee's feet, she would have been spurned. For he would have thought himself polluted by another's sin, not having enough true righteousness of his own to be secure. In the same way, some who hold the office of a priest, if they happen to have done some small, outward act of justice, immediately despise those under their care and look with disdain on sinners among the people.

But when we see sinners, we must first lament our own state because of their calamity, since we ourselves have perhaps had, and are certainly liable to, a similar fall. However, we must distinguish carefully: we are bound to make a distinction in vices, but we must have compassion on our shared human nature. For if we must discipline the sinner, we must cherish the brother. But when, through penance, he has punished his own deed, our brother is no longer a sinner in that regard, for he has punished in himself what divine justice condemned.

The Physician was between two sick people, but one preserved her senses in the fever, while the other lost his mental perception. For she wept for what she had done; but the Pharisee, puffed up by a false sense of righteousness, overestimated the strength of his own health.

Titus of Bostra: But the Lord, not hearing his words but perceiving his thoughts, showed that He was the Lord of Prophets, as it follows: And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

Glossa Ordinaria: And indeed, He spoke this in answer to the Pharisee's thoughts. The Pharisee was made more attentive by these words from our Lord, as it is said: And he said, “Master, say on.”

St. Gregory the Great: A parable concerning two debtors is presented to him, one of whom owed more and the other less, as it follows: There was a certain creditor who had two debtors... and so on.

Titus of Bostra: It is as if He said, “You are not without debts either. So what? If you are involved in fewer debts, do not boast, for you are still in need of pardon.” Then He goes on to speak of pardon: And when they had nothing to pay, he freely forgave them both.

Glossa Ordinaria: For no one can escape the debt of sin on his own, but only by obtaining pardon through the grace of God.

St. Gregory the Great: With both debtors forgiven, the Pharisee is asked which one would love the forgiver more, as it follows: “Who then will love him most?” To this he at once answers, “I suppose, that he to whom he forgave most.” And here we must remark that while the Pharisee is convicted on his own terms, this fool carries the very rope by which he will be bound. For Jesus replies, as it follows: But he said to him, “You have rightly judged.”

The good deeds of the sinful woman are then listed for him and contrasted with the failures of the supposedly righteous man, as it follows: And he turned to the woman, and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered into your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has washed my feet with her tears.”

Titus of Bostra: It is as if He said, “To provide water is easy; to pour out tears is not. You did not provide even what was readily available, but she has poured out what was not. By washing my feet with her tears, she washed away her own stains.” She wiped them with her hair so that she might draw the sacred moisture to herself, and with the very thing she once used to entice youth to sin, she might now attract holiness to herself.

St. John Chrysostom: Just as a calm follows the breaking of a violent storm, so when tears have burst forth, there is peace, and gloomy thoughts vanish. And just as we are made clean by water and the Spirit, so too are we made clean by tears and confession. Hence it follows, “Wherefore I say to you, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much.” For those who have plunged violently into evil will, in time, also eagerly follow after good, being conscious of the great debts they have incurred.

St. Gregory the Great: Therefore, the more the heart of the sinner is burned up by the great fire of love, the more the rust of sin is consumed.

Titus of Bostra: But it more frequently happens that the one who has sinned much is purified by confession, while the one who has sinned little refuses out of pride to come and be healed by it. Hence it follows, “But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

St. John Chrysostom: We need, then, a fervent spirit, for nothing prevents a person from becoming great. Therefore, let no sinner despair, and no virtuous person become complacent. Let the one not be self-confident, for often the harlot shall go before him; nor the other be distrustful, for he may even surpass the foremost. Hence it is also added here, And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

St. Gregory the Great: Behold, she who had come sick to the Physician was healed, but because of her healing, others remain sick, for it follows: And they that sat at meat began to say within themselves, “Who is this that forgives sins also?” But the heavenly Physician pays no mind to those who are made even sicker by His remedy. Instead, He encourages the one He had healed by mentioning her own faith, as it follows: But he said to the woman, “Your faith has made you whole.” For in truth, she did not doubt that she would receive what she sought.

Theophylact of Ohrid: But after forgiving her sins, He does not stop there but adds the call to good works, as it follows: “Go in peace.” This means, “Go in righteousness,” for righteousness is the reconciliation of humanity to God, just as sin is the enmity between God and humanity. It is as if He said, “Do all things that lead you to the peace of God.”

St. Ambrose of Milan: Now at this point, many seem to be perplexed by the question of whether the Evangelists appear to have differed in their accounts.

Greek Expositors: Since all four Evangelists relate that Christ was anointed with ointment by a woman, I believe there were three different women, distinguished by their character, their actions, and the timing of the events. John, for example, relates that Mary, the sister of Lazarus, anointed the feet of Jesus in her own house six days before the Passover. Matthew, however, after the Lord had said, “You know that after two days the Passover will take place,” adds that in Bethany, at the house of Simon the leper, a woman poured ointment on our Lord's head, but did not anoint His feet as Mary did. Mark says the same as Matthew, but Luke gives his account not near the time of the Passover, but in the middle of his Gospel. Chrysostom explains that there were two different women: one described by John, and another mentioned by the other three.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Matthew introduces this woman as pouring ointment on Christ's head and was therefore unwilling to call her a sinner, for the sinner, according to Luke, poured ointment on Christ's feet. Therefore, she cannot be the same woman, otherwise the Evangelists would seem to contradict one another. The difficulty can also be resolved by the difference in merit and time, so that the first woman may have still been a sinner, while the latter was by then more perfect.

St. Augustine of Hippo: For I think we must understand that the same Mary did this twice. The first time was as Luke has related, when, coming at first with humility and weeping, she was considered worthy to receive the forgiveness of sins. Hence John, when he began to speak of the resurrection of Lazarus, before he came to Bethany, says, It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Mary, therefore, had already done this. What she did again in Bethany is another event, which does not belong to Luke's account but is told by the other three Evangelists.

St. Gregory the Great: Now in a mystical sense, the Pharisee, presuming upon his pretended righteousness, represents the Jewish people. The woman who was a sinner, but who came and wept at our Lord’s feet, represents the conversion of the Gentiles.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Or, the leper is the prince of this world; the house of Simon the leper is the earth. The Lord, therefore, descended from the higher realms to this earth, for this woman, who is a figure of the soul or the Church, could not have been healed had Christ not come to earth. She rightly represents the figure of a sinner, for Christ also took the form of a sinner.

If, then, you cause your soul to approach God in faith—not with foul and shameful sins, but by piously obeying the word of God and with the confidence of unspotted purity—it ascends to the very head of Christ. But the head of Christ is God. Let the one who does not hold to the head of Christ, hold to His feet. The sinner is at the feet, the just at the head; nevertheless, she who sinned also has ointment.

St. Gregory the Great: What else is expressed by the ointment but the sweet aroma of a good reputation? If, then, we do good works by which we may sprinkle the Church with the sweet odor of a good reputation, what else are we doing but pouring ointment on the body of our Lord? The woman stood by His feet, for we once stood opposed to the feet of the Lord when, still in our sins, we resisted His ways. But if we are converted from our sins to true repentance, we now stand by His feet again, for we follow the footsteps of Him whom we previously opposed.

St. Ambrose of Milan: You also must bring repentance after sin. Wherever you hear the name of Christ, go there quickly; into whatever house you know Jesus has entered, hasten there. When you find wisdom or justice sitting in any inner room, run to its feet—that is, seek even the most humble part of wisdom. Confess your sins with tears. Perhaps Christ did not wash His own feet so that we might wash them with our tears. Blessed are the tears that can not only wash away our own sin but also water the footsteps of the heavenly Word, so that His ways may abound in us. Blessed are the tears in which there is not only the redemption of sinners but also the refreshing of the righteous.

St. Gregory the Great: For we water the feet of our Lord with tears if we are moved with compassion for any of His members, even the lowliest. We wipe our Lord’s feet with our hair when we show pity to His saints (with whom we suffer in love) by sacrificing those things we have in abundance.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Let down your hair; scatter before Him all the graces of your body. The hair that can wash the feet of Christ is not to be despised.

St. Gregory the Great: The woman kisses the feet she has wiped. We do this fully when we ardently love those whom we support with our generosity. The feet can also be understood as the mystery of the Incarnation itself. We kiss the feet of the Redeemer, then, when we love the mystery of the Incarnation with our whole heart. We anoint the feet with ointment when we proclaim the power of His humanity with the good news of holy eloquence.

But the Pharisee also sees this and resents it, for when the Jewish people perceive that the Gentiles preach God, they are consumed by their own malice. The Pharisee is repulsed in this way so that, through him, that false people might be revealed. For in truth, that unbelieving people never offered to the Lord even those things that were external to them, but the converted Gentiles poured out not only their substance but also their blood.

Hence He says to the Pharisee, “You gave me no water for my feet, but she has washed my feet with her tears.” For water is external to us, but the moisture of tears is from within us. That unfaithful people also gave no kiss to the Lord, for they were unwilling to embrace out of love the one whom they obeyed only out of fear (for the kiss is the sign of love). But the Gentiles, having been called, do not cease to kiss the feet of their Redeemer, for they live and breathe in His love.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But she is of no small merit, of whom it is said, “From the time that she entered has not ceased to kiss my feet,” so that she knew not how to speak anything but wisdom, to love anything but Justice, to touch anything but chastity, or to kiss anything but modesty.

St. Gregory the Great: But it is said to the Pharisee, “My head with oil you did not anoint.” For the Jewish people neglected to celebrate with due praise the very power of His Divinity, in which they professed to believe. “But she has anointed my feet with ointment.” For while the Gentile people believed the mystery of His incarnation, they also proclaimed His most humble powers with the highest praise.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Blessed is he who can anoint the feet of Christ with oil, but more blessed is he who anoints them with ointment, for the essence of many flowers blended into one scatters the sweet fragrance of various odors. And perhaps no one but the Church alone can bring that ointment, which has innumerable flowers of different perfumes. Therefore, no one can love as much as she, who loves through many individuals.

In the Pharisee’s house—that is, in the house of the Law and the Prophets—it is not the Pharisee but the Church who is justified. For the Pharisee did not believe, but the Church believed. The Law has no mystery by which secret faults are cleansed, and therefore what is lacking in the Law is supplied by the Gospel.

The two debtors are the two nations who are responsible for payment to the creditor of the heavenly treasury. But we do not owe this creditor material money, but rather the currency of our good deeds, the coin of our virtues, the merits of which are measured by the weight of our sorrow, the stamp of righteousness, and the sound of our confession.

That denarius on which the king's image is found is of no small value. Woe to me if I do not have what I received! Or, because there is hardly anyone who can pay the whole debt to the creditor, woe to me if I do not seek to have the debt forgiven.

But what nation owes the most, if not we, to whom the most has been lent? To the Jews were entrusted the oracles of God; to us is entrusted the Virgin’s offspring, Immanuel (that is, God with us), the cross of our Lord, His death, and His resurrection. It cannot be doubted, then, that he who receives most, owes most.

Among men, perhaps he who is most in debt offends the most. But by the Lord's mercy, the case is reversed, so that he who owes most, loves most—if indeed he obtains grace. And therefore, since there is nothing we can worthily return to the Lord, woe to me also if I have not loved. Let us then offer our love in place of the debt, for he loves most to whom most is forgiven.