Old/New Testament
31 “What picture can I use,” Jesus continued, “for the people of this generation? What are they like? 32 They’re like children sitting in the square and calling this old riddle to each other:
We piped for you and you didn’t dance;
we wailed for you and you didn’t cry!
33 “When John the Baptist came, he didn’t eat bread or drink wine, and you say, ‘He’s got a demon!’ 34 When the son of man came, eating and drinking, you say, ‘Look! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!’ 35 Well, wisdom is justified by all her children.”
Jesus anointed by a sinful woman
36 A Pharisee asked Jesus to dine with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 A woman from the town, a known bad character, discovered that he was there at table in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of ointment. 38 Then she stood behind Jesus’ feet, crying, and began to wet his feet with her tears. She wiped them with her hair, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
39 The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw what was going on.
“If this fellow really was a prophet,” he said to himself, “he’d know what sort of a woman this is who is touching him! She’s a sinner!”
40 “Simon,” replied Jesus, “I have something to say to you.”
“Go ahead, Teacher,” he replied.
41 “Once upon a time there was a moneylender who had two debtors. The first owed him five hundred dinars, the second fifty. 42 Neither of them could pay him, and he let them both off. So which of them will love him more?”
43 “The one he let off the more, I suppose,” replied Simon.
“Quite right,” said Jesus.
44 Then, turning towards the woman, he said to Simon, “You see this woman? When I came into your house, you didn’t give me water to wash my feet—but she has washed my feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn’t give me a kiss, but she hasn’t stopped kissing my feet from the moment I came in. 46 You didn’t anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.
47 “So the conclusion I draw is this: she must have been forgiven many sins! Her great love proves it! But if someone has been forgiven only a little, they will love only a little.”
48 Then he said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 “Who is this,” the other guests began to say among themselves, “who even forgives sins?”
50 “Your faith has saved you,” said Jesus to the woman. “Go in peace.”
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.