61 – Jesus’s Feet Anointed, Luke 7:36-50
Luke 7:36 Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to [a]dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 And there was a woman in the city who was a [b]sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, 38 and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a [c]sinner.”
40 And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he [d]replied, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred [e]denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” 44 Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. 47 For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” 49 Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say [f]to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” 50 And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Footnotes
a. Luke 7:36 Lit eat
b. Luke 7:37 I.e. an immoral woman
c. Luke 7:39 I.e. an immoral woman
d. Luke 7:40 Lit says
e. Luke 7:41 The denarius was equivalent to a day’s wages
f. Luke 7:49 Or among
Commentary
To set the scene, Jesus had been invited to Simon the Pharisee’s house, and was approached by a woman who entered the house via unknown means. “Extensive Jewish religious laws had developed in the first century to ensure moral purity. Many men suspected women of being sexually aggressive and eager to trap unsuspecting men. So Jewish men in general and teachers of the Law in particular – such as Simon and Jesus – were to have as little to do with women as possible” (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1791). Not only was she a woman, of course, but the term “sinner” in the text would have been a euphemism for a prostitute or adultress, making her that much more untouchable.
She has come prepared to see Jesus, as she has brought her expensive jar of perfume (or ointment). Alabaster, in Biblical times, referred to a type of marble that was often used to make ointment jars (The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. 1 pg. 95). Some versions refer to perfume and others to ointment, but it would likely have been heavily scented to ward off body odor, and it would have been very expensive, possibly even a family heirloom (perfumes of the day were known to maintain their scent for centuries sometimes).
She both humbles herself and honors Jesus in several ways:
- She positions herself behind Him, demonstrating her position as far less than His and unworthy for Him to look at.
- She anoints His feet. Anoint – “The English word “Messiah” is a direct transliteration of the Hebrew word “anointed.” In a literal sense the reigning king in OT times was the Messiah” (Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol 1 pg. 172). She recognizes Him as royalty.
- She forfeits all her wealth (or surely near all) to offer Jesus comfort and preference.
- She cries, demonstrating how overcome she is by the weight of her sin and the grace Jesus shows her by allowing her to touch Him.
- She wipes her tears with her hair, further humiliating herself and manifesting her sense of worthlessness and filthiness.
There is a really cool study of this passage here (https://www.desiringgod.org/labs/forgiveness-leads-to-love), and John Piper reviews one of the problems of common misinterpretation by explaining how verse 47 does not necessarily imply the woman’s sins are only forgiven because of her outward displays of affection, but that her displays of affection are evidence of her change of heart. One thing Piper does not review in the lab is the fact that the woman had not been forgiven before she already demonstrated the acts of love, whereas Jesus’s parable implies her forgiveness preceded her love. This is challenging to convey, but I wanted to present an idea regarding this issue.
- In Part 2 of Piper’s study of this passage (https://www.desiringgod.org/labs/gods-love-for-the-worst), he demonstrates there are many kinds of love and that this parable is simply an example of one kind, which may not necessarily have relevance to all in His audience.
- Piper also mentions in part 1 of the study that the debt of sin had to do with the perception of the weight of sin each one carried.
- One of the ways this woman demonstrated love to Jesus was simply to acknowledge Him as the Messiah, and this was demonstrated through her utter humility in his presence. We now know that believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord are the keys to salvation, but she would not have had assurance on entering Simon’s house, that her sins would be forgiven during this exchange with Jesus. He does not tell her that her faith saved her until afterward.
- However, the parallel Jesus makes for Simon, before He even forgives the woman, is that the weight of her perception of her sin brought her so low that her acknowledgment of Jesus resulted in acts of love, whereas Simon’s perception of his own sin did not bring him low and did not result in demonstrable affection.
- So, while Jesus did ultimately forgive sins, the parallel He draws for Simon may prove that a person’s posture when approaching Jesus is more relevant than any act of sin or righteousness that preceded it.
Jesus’s message speaks to Simon because He reveals Simon’s perception of his own sin. A Denarius was about the size of an American dime. Footnote ‘e’ says a denarius was equivalent to a day’s wages, so in Jesus’s parable, the man who was forgiven 500 denarii would have been forgiven for a year and a half of income, versus about two months of income for the man who was forgiven 50. Jesus understood Simon’s thought process, not only because He had insight from the Holy Spirit, but also because of the lack of deference Simon had shown Him as a guest. If Simon thought he was a tenth of the sinner the woman was, he didn’t even offer a tenth of the affection she did, however. Jesus’s teaching succinctly points this out.
See the next post here https://onthepath.online/2020/09/29/ministering-women/
Scripture References
Verse 36
Luke 7:35 But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”
Verse 37
Matthew 21:31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.
Matthew 26:6 While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the leper,
Matthew 26:7 a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, which she poured on His head as He reclined at the table.
Mark 14:3 While Jesus was in Bethany reclining at the table in the home of Simon the leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured it on Jesus’ head.
John 12:1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, the hometown of Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.
John 12:3 Then Mary took about a pint of expensive perfume, made of pure nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
Verse 38
John 11:2 (Mary, whose brother Lazarus was sick, would later anoint the Lord with perfume and wipe His feet with her hair.)
Verse 39
Isaiah 65:5 They say, ‘Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am holier than you!’ Such people are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all day long.
Matthew 21:11 The crowds replied, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Luke 7:16 A sense of awe swept over all of them, and they glorified God. “A great prophet has appeared among us!” they said. “God has visited His people!”
John 4:19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I see that You are a prophet.
Verse 41
Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Matthew 18:28 But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me.’
Mark 6:37 But Jesus told them, “You give them something to eat.” They asked Him, “Should we go out and spend two hundred denarii to give all of them bread to eat?”
Verse 42
Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Matthew 18:25 Since the man was unable to pay, the master ordered that he be sold to pay his debt, along with his wife and children and everything he owned.
Matthew 18:27 His master had compassion on him, forgave his debt, and released him.
Verse 43
Matthew 18:27 His master had compassion on him, forgave his debt, and released him.
Verse 44
Genesis 18:4 Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree.
Genesis 19:2 and said, “My lords, please turn aside into the house of your servant; wash your feet and spend the night. Then you can rise early and go on your way.” “No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.”
Genesis 43:24 And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys.
Judges 19:21 So he brought him to his house and fed his donkeys. And they washed their feet and ate and drank.
2 Samuel 11:8 Then he said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king followed him.
John 13:5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel that was around Him.
1 Timothy 5:10 and well known for good deeds such as bringing up children, entertaining strangers, washing the feet of the saints, imparting relief to the afflicted, and devoting herself to every good work.
Verse 45
2 Samuel 15:5 Also, when anyone approached to bow down to him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him, and kiss him.
Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Verse 46
2 Samuel 12:20 Then David got up from the ground, washed and anointed himself, changed his clothes, and went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they set food before him, and he ate.
Psalm 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Psalm 104:15 wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil that makes his face to shine and bread that sustains his heart.
Ecclesiastes 9:8 “Let your clothes always be white, and never spare the oil for your head.”
Daniel 10:3 I ate no rich food, no meat or wine entered my mouth, and I did not anoint myself with oil until the three weeks were completed.
Verse 48
Matthew 9:2 Just then, some men brought to Him a paralytic lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.”
Matthew 9:5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk?’
Mark 2:5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Mark 2:9 “Which is easier: to say to a paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’?
Luke 5:20 When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
Luke 5:23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk?’
Verse 49
Matthew 9:10 Later, as Jesus was dining at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Him and His disciples.
Luke 5:21 But the scribes and Pharisees began to contemplate this and ask, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Verse 50
1 Samuel 1:17 “Go in peace,” Eli replied, “and may the God of Israel grant the petition you have asked of Him.”
Matthew 9:22 Jesus turned and saw her. “Take courage, daughter,” He said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was cured from that very hour.
Mark 5:34 “Daughter,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free of your affliction.”
Luke 7:9 When Jesus heard this, He marveled at the centurion. Turning to the crowd following Him, He said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith!”
Luke 8:48 “Daughter,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
Luke 17:19 Then Jesus said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well!”
Luke 18:42 “Receive your sight!” Jesus replied. “Your faith has healed you.”
On The Path 
One thought on “Jesus’s Feet Anointed”