Daily Bible Reading 2nd 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.”
It will be useful, before leaving this passage, to look at the spiritual application of the parable itself, and gather its main lessons from the gospel point of view. In the first place, it teaches the utter bankruptcy of all men alike when they stand in the presence of God. We are all of us debtors, without exception. The amount or extent of the debt is irrelevant in this regard, as is whether we feel the sense of it or not. The operative word is: 'They had nothing to pay'. Secondly, there is the glorious fact of free forgiveness in the gospel. The creditor in the parable forgave them both. There was no kind of consciousness in his mind that one was better than the other: to him they were both bad debtors who had defaulted and could not meet their obligations. And he frankly forgave them both. And note well - 'nothing to pay' must have been their words to him; He was not to know this, unless they themselves had gone to him with this confession. They had come, therefore, to a knowledge of their bankruptcy, and it was this that elicited from him the pardon. Thirdly, there is the lesson of gratitude. Which will love most? He to whom the sense of forgiveness is most keen and real. The woman's whole heart went out in love to the Saviour who had blessed her. This is the real fruit of salvation; and where this is not, salvation is not! A cleansed heart becomes a loving heart. Finally, true reconciliation, being right with God, brings us into fellowship with Christ. How faithful the Scriptures are to the central realities! Everything depends on our relationship to Christ.