Daily Bible Reading 1st July 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.”
So it is with Jesus. He is, of course, glad when we are interested in the things of the Spirit, glad when He sees us coming to Church, glad when we try to serve Him, glad when our interest in spiritual things grows, glad when we get a good grasp of the faith once delivered to the saints - yes, He is glad about all these things. But we can show all these things and still be on the wrong level, still be neglecting Him, giving Him the kind of treatment Simon the Pharisee gave Him. It is interesting, is it not, to realise that if this woman had not come in at that time, nothing might have been said to Simon, and his lack might not have been exposed to him or to others, although Jesus would certainly have been conscious of it. And often, it is the chance circumstance that brings such an issue to light.
But He grieves. And He grieves both because love is being withheld from Him, and also because, in that withholding, He is prevented from giving love as He desires to do. One thinks of Simon Peter on the shores of Galilee, after the Resurrection, in that awful encounter with Christ, when He was challenged with the words, 'Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me?' Peter's failure in the denial was not a failure of faith: it was not lack of faith that brought him crashing down. It was a failure of love. There were other loves in his heart, and his loyalties were divided. Do we begin now to see why Jesus responded as He did to the woman's demonstration of love?