Luc. 7, 36-50.
But one of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. And behold, there was a woman in the city who was a sinner. When she heard that he was sitting at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought a jar of ointments, and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wet his feet with tears, and to dry them with the hair of her head, and to kiss his feet, and to anoint them with ointments. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he spoke to himself and said, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Simon, I have a word to say unto thee. And he said, Master, tell. A usurer had two debtors. One owed five hundred pennies, the other fifty. Since they did not have to pay, he gave to both of them. Tell me, which of them will love him the most? Simon answered and said: I will give the one to whom he has given the most. And he said unto him, Thou hast judged rightly. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I came into thy house, and thou gavest me no water at my feet: but this woman hath wetted my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, after she came in, did not stop kissing my feet. Thou hast not anointed my head with oil; but she hath anointed my feet with ointments. Therefore I say unto thee: Her sins are forgiven much, because she loved much; but to whom little is forgiven, he loves little. And he said unto her, Thy sins be forgiven thee. Then they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves: Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And he said unto the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee: go in peace.
This is an excellent history, which should be preached in the church on a special day every year. For it sets before us the two most noble pieces of Christian doctrine, what is right repentance and how one should come to the forgiveness of sins.
(2) But anyone who would only look at such history with carnal eyes and judge it by outward appearances would not only see nothing special here, but would also have good reason to be annoyed by it, like the Pharisees here, and to dislike the whole business. For it is very bad for a woman to run into other people's houses, and especially to run over honest, brave people. That is why the Pharisee here was offended by this woman, and is so offended because, since he had previously considered Christ a prophet, he now thinks that he is not as good as a prophet. For if he were a prophet, he would know the infamous woman, reject her, and not suffer that she approached him without shyness and touched him in front of brave, honest people in a strange house. But
Whoever wants to judge this story rightly and know this woman well, should not only look at her outward actions, but should also look into her heart, where she will take on a far different form with her conduct.
But how can we see into her heart? She is silent as a stone. If she said something, it would be safe to take so much from the words that one would know what she had in mind. But trade does not need many words, just look diligently at her works. These are not silent works, but they speak and show very finely what kind of heart she has. For the fact that she steps behind the Lord, lies down at his feet, and weeps so bitterly is an indication that she is not safe nor careless, but is most grieved in her heart. For such hot weeping does not come from forwardness and a cheerful heart. Anger, sorrow, anxiety, fear, terror and heavy concerns are the right well from which to draw such water of the heart. This is the first thing we should see, that she weeps so bitterly.
4 She does not say what the cause of this sorrowful heart is. But the Lord Christ understands it very well, and says it finely with round words twice: first, when he says to Simon, "Many sins are forgiven her"; and then, when he says to her, "Your sins are forgiven you. Now this is the request that she does not leave at home, but it drives her out among the people, knowing that she will find Christ. She does not ask anything about it, other people judge and think what they want about it; everything is important to her that she can come to Christ and hear this gracious word from him: "Your sins are forgiven. This is the first thing that pleases the Lord Christ about the woman, that she is not safe like the Pharisees; she recognizes her sin and desires to be freed from it with all her heart. This is not spoken in words, but her weeping shows it, as Christ himself understands and interprets it.
5 The other part is that she does not know how to be friendly enough to the Lord Christ, and how to discover and reveal her love for him. For the fact that she lies at his feet, wets his feet with her spikes, dries them with her hair, kisses them, and pours delicious water over them; all this is an indication that she is not hostile to the Lord Christ. This is the other virtue that pleases the Lord Christ; for this reason, he wants the woman to be unpunished and unblamed by her host, and he approaches him over the table in front of everyone, reads him a chapter, and teaches him how he should have kept such a guest.
(6) I, saith he, am come in unto thee; yea, that thou hadst given me bad water to wash my feet (for this was the custom of the Jews, as is seen in the Histories, Gen. 18:19). But what does this woman do? She washes my feet with the water of her heart. You have not given me a kiss (for this is how the Jews used to kiss one friend another, the host his guests, as a sign of a friendly heart and that they were welcome); but this woman cannot refrain from kissing my feet. You have not anointed my head with. Oil; but this female
has anointed my feet with delicious water. In sum, the Lord will not and cannot suffer the Pharisee to punish and wrong this woman. For he, our dear Lord Christ, looked at the heart; because it was so righteous and noble, he could not dislike the work. Again, the Pharisee looked only at the outward appearance and knew nothing of the heart; therefore he could not let himself like it.
(7) This is the history which the evangelist has prescribed for us, that we should learn from this woman, and that we should also be so disposed: that we should first weep with her, that is, do righteous repentance; then put our trust in the Lord Christ, that through Him we may have forgiveness of sins. In the papacy, they also preached and taught about repentance: that repentance is to think about the sins one has committed, and with such thoughts to repent of them and to feel sorrow; then to confess them; and finally to do enough for them by one's own works. But such a doctrine is basically wrong and a pure poison of the souls. Therefore we may learn here from this example what true repentance is; then we know that we cannot fail. For what pleases Christ our dear Lord must be righteous.
The evangelist does not mention this poor woman by name, although some think she is Mary Magdalene, since the evangelist reports in the following chapter that the Lord cast out seven devils from her and that she followed the Lord wherever he preached. But whatever her name is, it is true that she was a poor sinner and let the devil lead her into fornication, adultery and other sins. For what such a few sins have caused to the soul, body and property is unnecessary to tell here; it is seen every day. She got into such mischief, and perhaps lay in it for many years. Since our dear Lord Christ allows himself to be seen with miraculous signs and heard with preaching, the poor woman also comes to the sermon, and her heart is so moved that she beats within herself, confesses herself, and says to herself, "You wretched man, what have you wronged yourself with, that you have sinned against the Lord?
Have you lived by God's commandment, fornicating, dragging others with you into your body and soul? If God now came with His judgment, how would your fornication turn out? Instead of shameful joy and pleasure, eternal suffering and damnation would come. O God, be merciful, forgive me my sin, do not condemn me, I want to repent, let go of my shameful debauchery, and improve my life etc.
(9) This is a true repentance, that first the heart is frightened by God's wrath because of its sin, and desires from the heart to be rid of it, and to begin to desist from it; then another life will finally have to follow. For it is impossible, if repentance is right in your heart, and you are sorry that you have sinned against God so far, that you should willingly give yourself up to such sin again.
(10) Such repentance a man will not be able to make for himself when he wants; it is the work of the Holy Spirit, which he does in us through the word of God, which first reveals sin, and then also shows the punishment of sins, eternal death. This is such a punishment, which cannot be despised, but penetrates and drives the heart to such an extent that it does not know where to end, and can almost no longer breathe because of anguish. Hence the poor woman's heartfelt weeping and righteous change of her whole life, so that she no longer runs after the young fellows, no longer teases with her eyes as before, no longer hopes with her hair; but all this is needed so that one must see that she is heartily displeased with her former life, and now wants to improve herself and become more pious.
(11) Here also we are to begin repentance, not to be sure, but to watch diligently every man in his station; and where we have lived contrary to the word of God, that we may soon cease from it, confess our iniquity unto God, and pray that we may beware of it another time, and become more godly. This is the first thing we should learn from this woman, if we want to begin to repent.
12. but this does not complete the atonement, for it does not make your sins
forgive her, that you may be sorry for her. It is also necessary that you run with this woman to the Lord Christ and ask him for forgiveness; yes, that you have the heart and trust in him that he will help you from sins without any merit, only by grace. This is the right thing, by which repentance becomes complete and we obtain forgiveness of sins.
(13) And this woman has no advantage over us in this respect. For though we cannot come to the Lord Christ in person, and see and hear him as she has seen and heard him, yet our Lord Christ has left his command and word here on earth, that sins should be forgiven on his account and in his name. And not only is the ministry of preaching and absolution ordained for this, but also the holy sacraments, baptism and the Lord's supper. For to this we are baptized, that through Christ we should be freed from sins and be children of God. For this reason, in such temptation and fear, we should hold on to holy baptism, so that we consider what God has promised us in it. The Lord has also instituted the Last Supper for us as an assurance that through the death and dying of the Lord Christ we shall certainly believe in the forgiveness of sins. Therefore, whoever has a troubled conscience because of his sins and desires comfort, let him come here to the Lord's supper, remembering his baptism, seeking absolution from an ecclesiastic or other Christian, and he will find the Lord Christ, who will speak to him just as he spoke to this sinner, saying, "Your sins are forgiven. As the words of the Lord Christ clearly say: "He who hears you," he says, "hears me.
14 The pope preaches nothing of such a thing, but instead of our Lord Christ and faith, he puts the merit of our own works, that we should put away sin with our works. But how does this rhyme with the example of this sinner? If she had wanted to repent after the priest's sermon, she would have had to go to the priests and confess her sin there. After that, she would have had to undertake special works and, after such obedience, first of all
If such obedience had been enough, she would have waited for forgiveness of sins, but she would have had to doubt it forever.
But this is a seductive, heretical teaching. Confessing to the priests, that is, telling the sin, as is customary in the priesthood, is not what God told you to do. And even if someone called you, do not think that you would consider such a confession as if God would forgive your sin. It is considered humility and an indication of true repentance when a person goes and tells from one thing to another what he has done wrong. But because God has not commanded or commanded it, one should not command or require such in the church. It is especially contrary to Scripture to consider such confession as serving for the forgiveness of sins. But it is Christian and useful that young people and the common people be held to it and admonished to receive absolution from an ecclesiastic if they are troubled in their consciences and desire consolation; and especially if they wish to go to the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, that they first be shown, interrogated and instructed.
(16) But such instruction may well be given and received without the recital of sins which the pope has commanded. All ranks are to help that the youth be properly instructed: the church servants, father and mother, schoolmasters, and the like. But let no one be so foolish as to place the forgiveness of sins neither on confession nor on instruction, as the pope did with his confession, since there was no proper instruction.
(17) For this reason we have been urged to reject such confession, and to instruct people, if they wish to confess properly, to lament their sin to God in heaven with all their heart, and to take comfort in the forgiveness promised by the gospel for Christ's sake, and to strengthen such faith, also to hear the verbal absolution commanded by Christ to the church; and besides, to see that they are really serious, that they will henceforth forsake sin and flee. Where there is such earnestness, there can be no lack of it.
then another life will be found. For your heart is ever so set as to be hostile to evil works, and desires not only to forbear the same, but also to practice good works, as you have hitherto practiced evil works.
18 But beware again, lest you take such a change to mean that your sins are forgiven. For forgiveness of sins comes to you only through faith in Christ, that you come to him with this woman, with heartfelt trust that he has taken your sin from you, borne it, and paid for it with his death on the trunk of the cross and done enough.
(19) These are the right things that make a difference between Christians and unbelievers. For Christians and unbelievers are alike in this, that they are both sinners, that is, they have a sinful nature and cannot keep themselves from sinning; though one more than the other follows the devil and his sinful nature and evil inclination. But after that the difference is found, it is excellent and great. A Christian does not live so rough and safe, he knows that his nature and inclination is evil; therefore he is in good guard, and where he has followed such a sinful nature and the devil's inspiration and done wrong, he is sorry, admits himself guilty before God, and desires mercy. On the other hand, he hopes for grace and does not doubt that grace will come to him through Christ. On the other hand, the unbelievers are sure as if they had not committed any sin, always follow their desire and will, and fear nothing in doing so; therefore they do not ask how they can be freed from sins.
(20) So the Pharisees sit here, and especially Simon the host, who thinks himself pious, and does not think that it requires the Lord Christ to forgive his sins. He thinks of it as the Jews and Turks still do today: if they have sinned, they want to put away that sin themselves through repentance or their own works. Therefore you do not see that they have wet eyes, like the poor woman here, or that they are very concerned about the Lord Christ. They hold him like a
other people, and much less than themselves. For they are such saints, who would not willingly let a sinner woman deal with them before men, as the Lord Christ lets this woman deal with him.
(21) We should diligently guard against such naughtiness, for it is impossible to love God and our Lord Christ properly. But those who recognize their sin, and see what an awful burden and heavy judgment they have upon themselves, cannot refrain from it; they must love such a gracious God with all their hearts, thank Him, have His will and His word before their eyes, and follow it; as the Lord indicates in the parable of the two debtors. For this is the way of nature, that we love and value him whom we have enjoyed and who has done us good; just as we become enemies of him who has done us harm. Therefore Simon answers, "To whomsoever is most given, he shall love most." Whoever does not believe that God has forgiven all his sins by grace and has abolished the punishment of sins, eternal death, will say with his mouth that he loves God, but it is impossible for this to be true in his heart.
22 Therefore the Lord makes a very fine judgment between the poor sinner and the holy Pharisee, his host. "To whom much is given," he says, "he loves much. The Lord proves this with the parable of the two sinners; then he concludes, "This woman has loved much. He proves this with her works, that she has netted his feet with her spikes, dried them with her hair, kissed them with her mouth and anointed them with delicious water. Again he says to the host, "You do not love me, for you have not done to me what this woman has done.
(23) What then will be the conclusion of this syllogism? Nothing else, but as the Lord summarizes it very precisely and finely: "I tell you, many sins are forgiven her. This is proved by the fact that she loves much. But the sins of you and your companions are not forgiven, but you are still in it up to your ears, and will die and perish in it. For no special love is ever felt for you toward me;
What love would have to follow, where you considered yourselves sinners and believed that you should get rid of it through me.
(24) The papists make this statement against our doctrine of faith, saying that because Christ said, "She is forgiven much, because she loved much," forgiveness of sins is not obtained by faith, but by love. But that this is not the opinion is proved by the likeness, so that it clearly shows that love follows from faith. "To whom much is given," says the Lord, "he loves much." Therefore, where one has forgiveness of sins and believes, love follows; where one does not have it, there is no love. And Christ himself soon after says to the woman, "Go in peace, your faith has helped you." This is absolution and comfort, that she is assured of forgiveness, not on her worthiness, but that she seeks forgiveness from Christ, hopes and grasps it by faith, and is not deterred by her unworthiness; for she is full of sins and brings great impurity to Christ.
(25) Now with this similitude our dear Lord Christ has presented to us a common doctrine, how we must come to the forgiveness of sins. For that he says of two guilty men rhymes with all men. They are guilty before God's judgment, not only because of the sins that each one commits for himself with his works, but because of nature; for we all come from one father and are born of one mother, both of whom have had sinful flesh, have been in sins, and have been under the wrath of God because of sins.
(26) Whether there is a difference between these two debtors in that one owes five hundred pennies and the other only fifty pennies is not the issue. There is no difference, for they are the same in the main thing, that they are both debtors and cannot pay. So the difference among us remains, for the sake of the outward life; for one keeps more to the bridle than the other, we are not all thieves, adulterers, murderers according to the work. This inequality remains, as can be seen in the Pharisee and the
of the sinner here. The Pharisee owed fifty pennies to the world, while the woman owed five hundred. For he had not lived in fornication and public scandal as the woman had. But nevertheless, let the difference of the outer life be half and among us, as it may, when we come before God's judgment, so it is said: We have not to pay, and must remain debtors, the one with the little, as well as the one with the large sum.
27. Now when those who are little guilty with the Pharisee get into the bad habit of interpreting their little guilt as if they were guilty of nothing at all, and also boast of great merits, and rightly defy mercy: Then it is reversed, that the small guilt becomes a great guilt, and the greatest a small one, nay, none at all; as can be seen, the Pharisee is more pious for the life of him than the woman; but because he thinks himself as if he were guilty of nothing, and will not confess his guilt, such guilt remains upon him. Again, the woman is much more guilty, but she confesses it and asks for mercy: so she gets rid of the guilt.
(28) This is the first of these things, that no one should exaggerate discipline, respectability, or anything else, but that everyone should plead guilty before God and confess that he is in God's register and owes a great deal, but that he cannot pay or help himself out of the debt. But what does God want to do with such debtors? how will He keep account against them? The debt is there, no one can deny it. For our own conscience and God's law, the debt book, as Paul calls it, Col. 2:14, convince us. But he who would deny the debt can think how it will please his creditor. For he who does not have to pay, let him beware that he would be right and insist on his creditor, and if he demands the debt, make him a liar. This will accomplish nothing, except that he will be justly convinced and put in irons or in the debtor's prison. This is the other part of the doctrine, and the greatest consolation that we poor people can have.
here on earth, that if we freely confess the debt, and only humble ourselves against God, our creditor, and desire mercy, he has such a kind and gracious heart that he will forgive and give us all our debts; as the Lord Christ clearly and loudly testifies in the other parable, Matthew 18, of the servant who owed ten thousand pounds.
29. Take heed of this comfort, and put it into your heart; for otherwise it is impossible for you to be saved and to be saved. For there will never be a lack of guilt; your own heart will convince you that you have not done the will of God, but have often sinned against it. Now we must not think that God will forget such things or not call us to account. If it does not happen sooner, it will happen at death's door. Where will you go now? You are guilty, and yet you cannot pay. It is impossible for you to run away and hide from the creditor. This is the only consolation, that you get to know this debtor properly. For it is the same with other usurers: when they lend, they at least want to have the principal sum back again, if the usury wanted to stand outside them. God does not want to be such a usurer, as Christ testifies here: he wants to leave usury and the principal sum behind, one with the other, and give it to you, if only you understand this for Christ's sake and desire it from him with an undoubted heart.
(30) He that will not learn these things, and comfort himself with them, shall find no comfort against sin in heaven or on earth. This can be done by being secure for a while, not being afraid, and going with ease, as if you had paid for everything. For our Lord God can lend you for a while, but when the hour comes that the debt book is held up to you, and you do not have this comfort, that you say: "My Lord, be merciful to me through Christ, your Son, who has paid for me, and forgive us our debt, then it is over with you, you will have to die and perish in despair.
Now it is true, we can hardly believe that God would deal with us so graciously. We always remember: Just as we will do to others in such a case, so will God do to us; he will want to have his own, and will need the severity. But we should not give room to such thoughts, but see how we can be sure of God's grace toward us. For it is true that God is just and cannot suffer sin. How then do God and we sinners come together? Christ teaches this in another place, when he says: "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." And as you will hear on St. James' Day, "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life in payment for many." There you will hear what God causes to such grace, and how we can be sure that He will not reckon nor demand our debt, but will forget and forbear it. For since we poor wretches could not pay, God sent His only begotten Son, who owed nothing, but was altogether righteous and holy, that He should enter into our debt and pay for us; He suffered death for us, and thus paid what we owed to God. Therefore, it is all up to you to take comfort in this payment and to be certain in your heart; as the Lord says here, the usurer is so good-willed that what cannot be paid, he will let up and give for Christ's sake.
(32) Behold, therefore, your love, how it all depends upon this, that we may know our Lord Christ aright, and seek forgiveness of sins from him with the sinner. This means a right faith and heartfelt trust in God's goodness, that he will forgive sins and be merciful for Christ's sake. This is why our article of faith is very finely illustrated here, that one can receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life through faith in Christ alone. As the Lord concludes here, and says to the woman:
Your faith has helped you, go in peace.
What did she believe? Nothing else, because she was a poor sinner, and if she is to be freed from such sins, it must be through this Jesus. That is why she runs after him, and since she cannot get him otherwise, she runs into a strange house, among brave, respectable people, without any fear that they are sitting at the table and eating. The Lord takes such earnestness, promises her forgiveness of sins, and teaches us how she received forgiveness of sins, saying: "Your faith has helped you.
(34) But the Pharisees, sitting there, do not think that they owe anything to God; and even if they had such thoughts, they do not consider God to be so merciful that he would forgive them the debt in vain. Therefore they do not respect the Lord Christ at all. Just as they do not respect him, Christ does not respect them either and lets them sit and eat. But he deals with this woman and reads them a good chapter, that they are in sin and hostile to God, even though they make themselves believe that they are his best friends. Let us beware of such certainty and unbelief, and with this woman have a right hearty displeasure at our sins, and hope for forgiveness of them through our Lord Christ, who paid for us and redeemed us from God's debt book by his suffering and death. This is the most noble piece and main teaching of this history, and the right core of the art, which only Christians can do, and no one else can learn from it, except from the holy Gospel. It cannot be learned from the law. For it teaches absolutely how God will punish sin, and does not say a word about God forgiving sin without merit, for the sake of His Son. But for what we need such preaching of the law, you will hear elsewhere, and Paul especially deals with such a piece diligently and finely to the Galatians in the third chapter.
In addition to this doctrine, history is a very fine picture of the Christian church. The
lies at Christ's feet, that is, she clings to his word, with which she comforts herself against sin and an evil conscience, and ventures everything she has on the word. For these feet are her highest treasure and comfort, and she lets herself be found here in this misery, as in a strange house. But Simon the host and his guests, who sit at table with Christ, that is, those who have the name, the office, and title and glory, as those who are closest to Christ and the most distinguished (such as popes, bishops, and other great people want to be considered), they judge this poor woman, consider her a damned sinner, and for her sake think nothing of the Lord Christ. But they think a great deal of themselves, they pretend to be holy, and they do not think that they need the Lord Christ. They sit upstairs, the poor lady crawls around under the table; they sit down in front of Christ.
to the side, the poor woman helps herself to his feet.
Thirty-six: But there goes the judgment, Simon, thou host of the house, thou lovest me not; little is forgiven thee. But to the woman he says, "Your sins are forgiven, your faith has helped you; go in peace. The poor Christians are content with this, and do not mind at all that they are under the table at the feet, and that the hypocrites sit at the head of the table. It is also comforting that it is so finely shown in this history, as in a painting, how the right church here on earth is miserable, but the false and unrighteous church is honored and held high. May the dear God keep us with the small group and make us eternally blessed with this pious sinner. May our dear Lord Jesus Christ grant us this through His Holy Spirit, Amen.