Jesus Speaks to Simon While the Woman Weepsby CBPepper
7:46Luke 7:46
My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
At a supper in the house of Simon the Pharisee, the saying sets a neglected courtesy against a given devotion, that the host failed to show the customary honor of anointing the head of his guest while the woman anointed His feet with ointment. The woman is Mary Magdalene, pardoned by Jesus, and the guest so slighted is the One who had cleansed Simon himself from leprosy and sin and therefore was owed the highest honor. Spoken as Jesus teaches Simon with tact and patience, the rebuke leads him to admit that the one forgiven more loves more, and to see his own neglect, unbelief and debt. Her act expresses gratitude and love for mercy and forgiveness received and is commended, while his omission lays bare how little he felt his obligation and prized the mercy shown him. True love cannot live in a self-righteous heart, for love to God grows with a clear and humble conviction of sin, and gratitude must be shown in loving words, devoted service and honor to Christ and to those He sends.
Setting and Contrast
The scene is a feast or supper in the house of Simon, a wealthy Pharisee whose invitation Jesus accepted. He entered such gatherings among the rich and cultured to reach hearts and to reveal imperishable riches. He used the meal to let those present know His character and to teach them, and by His conduct He showed His disciples how to act among both religious and nonreligious people. His generous kindness and teaching there stood in contrast to the Pharisees, who condemned Him for acting outside their narrow ideas of salvation.
The saying sets two acts against each other: Simon omitted the customary honor and care due a guest by not anointing the head with oil, while the woman anointed the feet with ointment. His neglect is contrasted with her heartfelt act of courtesy and attention, and her act is commended. Her loving devotion expressed gratitude and love, while His gentle and patient response was aimed to help Simon recognize his neglect, unbelief, and debt to his Lord.
The woman is Mary, Mary Magdalene, whom Jesus pardoned, showing His mercy and His friendship to women. Simon neglected the proper honor due to so exalted a guest, for his Guest was the One who had cleansed him from leprosy and sin. The contrast proves Simon's small sense of obligation and lack of respect and love, rooted in self-righteousness and unbelief despite great forgiveness, and it proves Mary's prizing of pardoning mercy in gratitude and love expressed in heartfelt courtesy, which Jesus highly commends.
The saying belongs to Jesus teaching Simon in his own house, revealing truth with tact, gentleness, and patience. Under that teaching Simon admitted that the one forgiven more would love more. By that gentle, patient dealing Simon was helped to recognize his neglect, unbelief, and debt to his Lord.
Gratitude, Love, and Devotion
The omission of oil for the head and the anointing of the feet with ointment set neglect against heartfelt courtesy, for the woman's act of attention expressed gratitude and love for mercy and forgiveness received and was commended, while the failure to show the customary honor to a guest revealed how little debt was felt and how little mercy was valued. Her loving deed made visible a grateful heart, and his neglect made visible an ungrateful estimate of what had been received.
The contrast proves a small sense of obligation and a lack of respect and love on the one side and a high prizing of pardoning mercy on the other, since the host withheld due honor from so exalted a guest who had cleansed him from leprosy and sin, while Mary rendered heartfelt courtesy in gratitude and love that was highly commended. That small sense of obligation was rooted in self-righteousness and unbelief despite great forgiveness received.
Simon only thought he loved, and his supposed love broke down when a poor, sorrowful, repentant woman was esteemed above him. True love for Christ can never dwell in a self-righteous heart, for failure to see personal deformity and sinfulness is failure to see the beauty of His spotless character. The measure of love to God depends on the clearness and fullness of conviction of sin, so the more humble the view of self the more clearly Jesus is seen and the more grateful the heart is for deliverance.
Gratitude to Christ is to be expressed in loving words and deeds, as her anointing expressed it and his omission denied it. To fail to anoint the head with oil is to fail to honor Him with loving care and devotion, withholding the devotion of the heart and the service due to Him. That missed act of hospitality illustrates the record of those who reject His messengers and neglect opportunities to serve Him.
At a supper in the house of Simon the Pharisee, the saying sets a neglected courtesy against a given devotion, that the host failed to show the customary honor of anointing the head of his guest while the woman anointed His feet with ointment. The woman is Mary Magdalene, pardoned by Jesus, and the guest so slighted is the One who had cleansed Simon himself from leprosy and sin and therefore was owed the highest honor. Spoken as Jesus teaches Simon with tact and patience, the rebuke leads him to admit that the one forgiven more loves more, and to see his own neglect, unbelief and debt. Her act expresses gratitude and love for mercy and forgiveness received and is commended, while his omission lays bare how little he felt his obligation and prized the mercy shown him. True love cannot live in a self-righteous heart, for love to God grows with a clear and humble conviction of sin, and gratitude must be shown in loving words, devoted service and honor to Christ and to those He sends.
Setting and Contrast
The scene is a feast or supper in the house of Simon, a wealthy Pharisee whose invitation Jesus accepted. He entered such gatherings among the rich and cultured to reach hearts and to reveal imperishable riches. He used the meal to let those present know His character and to teach them, and by His conduct He showed His disciples how to act among both religious and nonreligious people. His generous kindness and teaching there stood in contrast to the Pharisees, who condemned Him for acting outside their narrow ideas of salvation.
The saying sets two acts against each other: Simon omitted the customary honor and care due a guest by not anointing the head with oil, while the woman anointed the feet with ointment. His neglect is contrasted with her heartfelt act of courtesy and attention, and her act is commended. Her loving devotion expressed gratitude and love, while His gentle and patient response was aimed to help Simon recognize his neglect, unbelief, and debt to his Lord.
The woman is Mary, Mary Magdalene, whom Jesus pardoned, showing His mercy and His friendship to women. Simon neglected the proper honor due to so exalted a guest, for his Guest was the One who had cleansed him from leprosy and sin. The contrast proves Simon's small sense of obligation and lack of respect and love, rooted in self-righteousness and unbelief despite great forgiveness, and it proves Mary's prizing of pardoning mercy in gratitude and love expressed in heartfelt courtesy, which Jesus highly commends.
The saying belongs to Jesus teaching Simon in his own house, revealing truth with tact, gentleness, and patience. Under that teaching Simon admitted that the one forgiven more would love more. By that gentle, patient dealing Simon was helped to recognize his neglect, unbelief, and debt to his Lord.
Gratitude, Love, and Devotion
The omission of oil for the head and the anointing of the feet with ointment set neglect against heartfelt courtesy, for the woman's act of attention expressed gratitude and love for mercy and forgiveness received and was commended, while the failure to show the customary honor to a guest revealed how little debt was felt and how little mercy was valued. Her loving deed made visible a grateful heart, and his neglect made visible an ungrateful estimate of what had been received.
The contrast proves a small sense of obligation and a lack of respect and love on the one side and a high prizing of pardoning mercy on the other, since the host withheld due honor from so exalted a guest who had cleansed him from leprosy and sin, while Mary rendered heartfelt courtesy in gratitude and love that was highly commended. That small sense of obligation was rooted in self-righteousness and unbelief despite great forgiveness received.
Simon only thought he loved, and his supposed love broke down when a poor, sorrowful, repentant woman was esteemed above him. True love for Christ can never dwell in a self-righteous heart, for failure to see personal deformity and sinfulness is failure to see the beauty of His spotless character. The measure of love to God depends on the clearness and fullness of conviction of sin, so the more humble the view of self the more clearly Jesus is seen and the more grateful the heart is for deliverance.
Gratitude to Christ is to be expressed in loving words and deeds, as her anointing expressed it and his omission denied it. To fail to anoint the head with oil is to fail to honor Him with loving care and devotion, withholding the devotion of the heart and the service due to Him. That missed act of hospitality illustrates the record of those who reject His messengers and neglect opportunities to serve Him.