In verses 41 and 42 the Man-Savior said to the Pharisee, “A certain moneylender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. But having nothing to repay, he graciously forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him more?” The Lord’s word here indicates that both Simon and the woman were sinners. Simon considered the woman a sinner, but did not consider himself a sinner, and he doubted that the Savior knew that she was a sinner. But the Savior’s parable indicated that both Simon and the woman were sinners, debtors to Him.
According to verse 42, when the two debtors had nothing to repay the moneylender, he graciously forgave them both. This indicates that all sinners have nothing to repay their debt to God their Savior. The Lord’s word here also indicates that the Savior had already forgiven them both.
In verse 42 the Lord Jesus asked Simon which of the debtors would love the moneylender more as a result of having been forgiven by him. This indicates that love to the Savior is the issue, not the cause, of His forgiveness.
In verses 44 through 46 the Lord went on to say to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered into your house; you did not give Me water for My feet, but this woman has wet My feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. You did not give Me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing My feet affectionately. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with ointment.” The Savior’s word in these verses indicates that Simon should take the woman as an example and learn of her.
In verse 47 the Lord said, “For this reason I say to you, her sins which are many have been forgiven, because she loved much; but to whom little is forgiven, he loves little.” The great love of the woman was a proof that her many sins had been forgiven. Simon’s little love testified that he had experienced forgiveness only a little.
In verse 48 the Man-Savior said to the woman, “Your sins have been forgiven.” Both this case and the case of the widow’s son in Nain (7:11-17) are found only in this Gospel. This shows the Savior’s tender care for the dead and sinful, and it conveys the principle of morality as the unique characteristic of this Gospel.
Verse 49 says, “And those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say among themselves, Who is this who even forgives sins?” Simon did not realize that this Man-Savior was the very God, the One who has authority to forgive man’s sin. The Man-Savior was the incarnation of the forgiving God.
In verse 50 we have the conclusion of this incident: “But He said to the woman, Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” The forgiven woman had not only love toward the Lord but faith in Him, a faith that operated through love (Gal. 5:6) and issued in peace. The faith which saved her brought her to the Savior in love and resulted in her going forward in peace.
Faith, love, and peace are three crucial virtues in experiencing and enjoying the Savior’s salvation. Faith is brought forth by knowing the Savior in His saving power and virtue. Love comes out of this faith and issues in peace to follow the Savior.
Do you know Luke’s purpose in presenting such a picture of the forgiveness of sins? His purpose was to portray the Man-Savior with His highest standard of morality. As we have pointed out, this should be regarded as the underlying principle in the writing of the Gospel of Luke. Especially in this case we can see this governing principle. Here we have a portrait of the Savior’s highest standard of morality.