Jesus Is Anointed

Jesus Is Anointed

Q: Who anointed Jesus while he was dining at a Pharisee’s house?

• a. the head Pharisee
• b. the Samaritan woman
• c. a sinful woman

Simon, a Pharisee, invited Jesus to dinner with other Pharisees, the religious elite. These men thought they were better than others because they carefully studied and followed religious laws.

While Jesus was at Simon’s house, a woman who was known for her sin entered. She wasn’t invited, but she knew Jesus was there and wanted to see him. The woman knelt by Jesus and cried. When her tears fell on his feet, she wiped them off with her long hair. She anointed his feet with perfume and kissed them. That would be a strange sight today, but it was a sign of respect in Jesus’ time.

Simon and his religious friends were indignant. They told Jesus that if he was really a prophet, he’d know the woman was a sinner. Jesus told them a story:

“A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”

Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”

“That’s right,” Jesus said. He told them the women had shown her love for him by pouring perfume on his feet and kissing them. Jesus assured the woman that her sins were forgiven.

For You

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” The woman recognized her need for a Savior, but the Pharisees were trusting in their good works for their salvation. Why can’t good works save us?

Answer: c

When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.   Luke 7:37-38

(The Whole Story: Luke 7:36-50)