votion flows irrisistibly to Jesus' feet. "Thanks to thee, most blessed sinner: thou hast shown the world a safe enough place for sinners—the feet of Jesus, which spurn none, reject none, repel none, and receive and admit all. Where alone the Pharisee v^nts not his haughti- ness. There, surely, the Ethiopian changes his skin, and the leopard his spots."—Bernard. 4. How she came to seek Him. She .heard Him speak. Not those fiery de- nunciations of hypocrites, but His tender invitations to poor sinners. She had lived in sin. Perhaps had loved it. Now she loathed it; but saw no way of escape. She supposed God was a Pharisee. She heard the Lord's words. She felt His compassion. She saw His gentleness to sorrowful souls. Her heart was broken. A flood of penitence filled her soul. Hope took the place of despair. Jesus ap- peared to her as "a teacher come from God," another ray of light and she would have fallen at His feet and said, like Thomas, "My Lord, and my God." but she could say, like that other Mary, "Rabboni." She followed Him, "She sat and wept beside His feet; the weight Of sin, oppressed her h e a r t: for all the blame And the poor malice of the worldly shame, To her were past, extinct, and out of date; Only the sin remained—the leprous state. She would be melted by the, heat of love, By fires f or fiercer than a re blown to -prove, And purge the silver ore adulterate, She sat and wept, and with her untressed "hair; Still wiped the feet she was so blessed t,o , touch, And He wiped off the soilings of despair From her sweet soul because she loved so much. I am a sinner full of hopes and fears, Make me a humble t h i ng of love and tears." ||£|li-H. Coleridge. The Greek reads that she "rained" tears on His feet. Then as if it had polluted them she wiped them with her tresses. But there is no pollution in penitential tears. The two holiest floods are the atoning blood and such repent- ant tears. Simon brought no water for His feet; she bathed them with her tears. Simon poured no oil on His head; she anointed them lavishly with costly oint- ment. And thought her rich locks, her chief est glory (1 Cor. 11:15), a coarse towel to dry His feet. "Kissing them with those lips with which she had often enticed the simple (Pro. 5 : 3 ), and wip- ing them with the hairs of her head, which had been so often nets with which she had entangled souls (2 Pet. 3:3) she realized the bidding of Paul" (Rom. 6:19). Trench.
5. Simon's thought. "A prophet would have known what manner of woman this is that touched him, for she is a sinner." Let all sinners get in touch with Jesus (Mk. 5:28). Two per- sons the Pharisee and the impehitent cannot understand: The Saviour and the penitent; and two things: Why one should make so much of his sins, and the other of the sinner. Simon was mistaken. Jesus was a prophet for He read his thoughts, and knew "what man- n e r" of man he was, for he was a sinner. • 6. Jesus' response. "Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee." Jesus has somewhat to say to all, Sinner, He has somewhat to say unto thee. Simon discourteous as he was, said, "Master, say on," most men will not stop to listen Master, say on; and may we hold on to what Thou sayest. "There was a certain creditor" (that was this very Jesus), "had two'debtors" (Simon had reckoned on but one, the woman). "And when they had nothing to pay" (Simon, who thought there was nothing to pay, is now taught he had nothing to pay), " he frankly forgave them both" (happy for Simon had this been a reality instead of a parable). But listen fellow sinner whether we owe fifty or five hundred He as freely forgives either. There is no difference between bankrupts, and "the same Lord' over all is rich unto all that call upon Him" (Rom. 10:12.) Debts are mensurable, grace is without mea- sure. "Which will love him most?" "I take it," said Simon, "he to whom he for- gave most." "Right," said Jesua. "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little." There was but one way for Simon to feel much love, and that was to see himself a great sinner. It is not the greatest sin- ner who feels the deepest sin. Sin blunts the sense of sin. Paul called himself the chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15), yet had lived "blamelessly (Phil. 3:6) touching the law." There is "no difference" (Rom. 3:22) the dif- ference is in the sense of sin. None felt the sense of sin like Paul, and there- fore none loved like him. 7. Is love a ground of pardon? "For- given; for she loved much." That would contradict the doctrines of grace. By the parable forgiving the debtor preceded loving the creditor. We infer that the woman had believed the Lord's teaching, accepted her pardon, and thus showed her love. Jesus confirmed her confidence, and said, "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace."
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