266
The Spirit of Prophecy Volume 2
had forgiven him as well as Mary. He was ready to doubt the divine
character of his Master because he imagined that he detected in him a
want of discernment.
On the other hand, Mary was thoroughly penitent and humbled
because of her sins. In her gratitude for his pardoning mercy she was
ready to sacrifice all for Jesus, and no doubt as to his divine power
troubled her mind for a moment. It was not the comparative degrees
of obligation which should be felt by the two persons, which Jesus
designed to illustrate by this parable, for both were unable to cancel
their debt of gratitude; but he took Simon on his own ground, as feeling
himself more righteous than the woman, and showed him that though
the sins which had been forgiven him were great, he had not repaid his
Benefactor with that respect and love which casts out all unbelief. His
[382]
sense of obligation to his Saviour was small, while Mary, prizing the
gift of mercy bestowed upon her, was filled with gratitude and love.
Jesus drew the contrast sharply between the two. Said he: “Seest
thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water
for my feet; but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them
with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss; but this woman,
since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head
with oil thou didst not anoint; but this woman hath anointed my feet
with ointment.”
The proud Pharisee had considered that he had sufficiently honored
Jesus by inviting him to his house; and in his self-consequence had
neglected to show him the proper regard due to so exalted a guest,
and to one who had wrought upon him a miracle of mercy. Jesus
encouraged acts of heart-felt courtesy, and the woman, whose gratitude
and love was expressed in her act of attention, was highly commended
by the Saviour: “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.”
Simon’s eyes were opened to his neglect and unbelief. He was
touched by the kindness of Jesus in not openly rebuking him before
all the guests. He perceived that Jesus did not wish to exhibit his guilt
and his want of gratitude to others, but desired to convince his mind
by a true statement of his case, and to subdue his heart by pitying
kindness. Stern denunciation would have closed the heart of Simon
against repentance; but patient admonition convinced him of his error
[383]