Daily Bible Reading 29th June 2026 // Luke 7:36-50
36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
41 “A certain money-lender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning towards the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
The lesson we draw from the foregoing - and it is a principle of enormous implications and importance - is that real faith, living faith, healthy faith, is faith that works by love, and expresses itself in love. And love is the real test. It is the presence or absence of love for Christ, it is the degree or quality of love to Christ that is the real barometer of spiritual health. In the parable itself, it is the matter of gratitude that Jesus underlines: which will love most? And the answer is: he to whom the sense of forgiveness is most keen and most real. Jesus draws a contrast between the outgoing of the woman's heart in warm and unreserved love and devotion to Him and the formal (cold, almost) attitude of Simon the Pharisee. This is the challenge of the story for us, for it reminds us that there are two possible attitudes to Christ, two ways of entertaining Him, two ways or standards in the hospitality we show Him in our lives. Abraham and Lot were both believers, both called to go out of Ur of the Chaldees to the land of promise; but their attitude to their call was not the same. The whole record of Abraham's life makes it clear that he held back nothing of himself from God; but with Lot - ah, well, it was very different. He had other irons in the fire which necessitated moderating his attitude to the things of God. There was a dissipation of spiritual energy and power. He was essentially a double-minded man, and this brought him down to the wrong level, in the things that really matter. The same can be said of the contrast between David and Saul in the Old Testament, and Paul and Demas in the New. It is a contrast that bears a solemn challenge to every believer.