NOTES for Luk 7:36-50
Each person’s encounter with Jesus ends differently. The devout Pharisee Simon cannot even acknowledge Him as a prophet simply because He allowed a sinful woman to touch Him, while that very woman receives forgiveness and life “because she loved much.” The same story continues today: some fail to notice Christ, while others find in Him the meaning and joy of life, seeing and hearing what people had awaited for centuries.
What makes the difference? Must one really be a social outcast, like that sinful woman, in order to meet Him? Rather, the point lies in the bond between gratitude and love for Jesus, each giving rise to the other. For one who loves much is forgiven much, and one who is forgiven much loves much.