T HE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S science and shows the need for the Gos pel. It is like a sub-soil ploughshare that breaks up the' fallow ground and prepares it for the fruitful seed. While the Pharisee murmured, the penitent sinner rejoiced in the assurance of sins forgiven. It is not humility, or prayers, or tears, or even repentance that saves, but only faith. Faith is entirely with out merit and is in no sense the cause or ground of our salvation but only its condition. Faith is the instrument of receiving salvation and without faith it is impossible to please God. v. 36. Pharisees desired Him. The action of Jesus in acceding to the re quest to eat with a Pharisee is an illus tration of the method followed by Him. We never read of COMMENTS FROM His refusing an MANY SOURCES in v it a t io n . He Keith E. Brooks showed the same genial, k in d ly willingness to enter into social inter course with the Pharisees as in the case of publicans and sinners.— Stier. v. 37. She knew that Jesus sat at meat. It would appear from a com parison with Matthew 11 that Jesus had just issued the gracious invitation, “ Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Perhaps it was these words that gave the woman her courage to act as she did.— Trench. v. 38. At His feet. The place of re pentance (v. 38), rejoicing (17:16), re demption (8:35), receiving (10:39), re lief (Mk. 5:22), royalty (Matt. 28:9).— Inglis. Weeping. Perhaps at the con trast between His holiness and her sin fulness.— Crit. Com. Began to wash His feet. (Her eyes, which once longed after earthly joys, now shed forth peni tential tears. Her hair, which she once . displayed for idle ornament, is now used to wipe the feet of Christ. Her lips, which once uttered vain things, now kiss those holy feet. The costly
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ointment with which she once perfumed her body is now offered to God (see Rom. 6:19).——Wordsworth., v. 39. When Pharisees saw it. The Pharisee’s idea of righteousness was shown by hi$ having nothing to do with the lost. For Christ’s idea see 1 Tim. 1:15.— Torrey. What manner of Woman. The Pharisee thought as a sinner she was to be despised. He saw only what was repulsive in her. It was a look of pride without any pity, and spiritual pride is as cold and blind as the polar ice. Such pride cannot see a human soul with infinite destinies, though de graded, a precious gem incrusted with miry clay, yet capable of reflecting the brightest rays of divihe glory.—Willock. Toucheth Him. This is all that the Pharisee fixes on. Jesus’ offense is merely technical and ceremonial.—Al ford. ,v. 42. He frankly forgave them. Let those who cry out that there is no originality'in the Gospels find a parallel to this story in any of the religions or philosophies of the world.. Pardon for the notorious sinner was an unheard of thing and is so siill outside of the Bible. This was Christ’s very mission. AH need forgiveness and if we think we have been forgiven little, it only shows our little sense of sin.—Hastings. For giveness is the free gift of God. It is not the woman’s love that wins for giveness, but that love springs from the consciousness that pardon is to be found in Christ.— Stier. Which of them will love most? There will be no intense love until we realize-that the sinner is saved by grace.— Crabill. The man who is saved from sin by love is softened by the love which saves him, but the man who is kept from sin only by pride is made more hard. He -may be as near the sin in his real heart as , ever, but he maintains a false outward character and builds an unsafe barrier in his nature against open, sin by being very severe upon sinners.—Ker. That Jesus
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