Luke 7:36-50 - The Forgiven Sinner's Grateful Love
What a trio! Christ stands here as a manifestation of the divine love, as it comes among sinners. The love of God is not dependent on our merits; frankly, Luke 7:42, is "freely." It is not turned away by our sins: she is a sinner. It ever manifests itself as the clearing of debts. But it demands recognition and service: thou gavest me no kiss.
The woman represents those who penitently and lovingly recognize the divine love. She was not forgiven because of her love; but her love was the sign that she had been forgiven and recognized it. What will not God's love do! The tropical sun produces rare fruit. What Jesus did for her He can do for your many sins. Pardon will lead to much love, and love becomes the gate of knowledge and the source of obedience.
Simon, the Pharisee, stands for the unloving and self-righteous, who are ignorant of the love of God. They may be respectable in life, rigid in morality, unquestioned in orthodoxy, but what are these without love? See 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Note the contrasts between thou and she, thy and her. [source]
Chapter Summary: Luke 7
1Jesus finds a greater faith in the centurion; 10heals his servant, being absent; 11raises from death the widow's son at Nain; 18answers John's messengers with the declaration of his miracles; 24testifies to the people what opinion he held of John; 31compares this generation to the children in the marketplaces, 36and allowing his feet to be washed and anointed by a woman who was a sinner, 44he shows how he is a friend to sinners, to forgive them their sins, upon their repentance
Greek Commentary for Luke 7:42
Will love him most [πλειον αγαπησει αυτον] Strictly, comparative more, πλειον pleion not superlative πλειστα pleista but most suits the English idiom best, even between two. Superlative forms are vanishing before the comparative in the Koiné. This is the point of the parable, the attitude of the two debtors toward the lender who forgave both of them (Plummer). [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 7:42
Matthew 18:25Had not wherewith to pay [μη εχοντος αυτου αποδουναι] There is no “wherewith” in the Greek. This idiom is seen in Luke 7:42; Luke 14:14; Hebrews 6:13. Genitive absolute though αυτον auton in the same clause as often in the N.T. [source]
Luke 12:4Be not afraid of [μη ποβητητε απο] First aorist passive subjunctive with μη mē ingressive aorist, do not become afraid of, with απο apo and the ablative like the Hebrew μη εχοντων περισσοτερον τι ποιησαι min and the English “be afraid of,” a translation Hebraism as in Matthew 10:28 (Moulton, Prolegomena, p. 102).Have no more that they can do (εχω mē echontōn perissoteron ti poiēsai). Luke often uses the infinitive thus with echō a classic idiom (Luke 7:40,Luke 7:42; Luke 12:4,Luke 12:50; Luke 14:14; Acts 4:14, etc.). [source]
Acts 4:33Gave their witness [απεδιδουν το μαρτυριον] Imperfect active of αποδιδωμι apodidōmi old verb to give back, to pay back a debt (Luke 7:42), but a late omega form instead of the usual απεδιδοσαν apedidosan They kept on giving their witness with power after the answer to their prayer (Acts 4:31). [source]
Romans 16:23Chamberlain [οἰκονόμος] See on Luke 16:1. The word appears in the New Testament in two senses: 1. The slave who was employed to give the other slaves their rations. So Luke 7:42. 2. The land-steward, as Luke 16:1. Probably here the administrator of the city lands. [source]
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: χαρίζομαι
Sense: to do something pleasant or agreeable (to one), to do a favour to, gratify.
Greek Commentary for Luke 7:42
Strictly, comparative more, πλειον pleion not superlative πλειστα pleista but most suits the English idiom best, even between two. Superlative forms are vanishing before the comparative in the Koiné. This is the point of the parable, the attitude of the two debtors toward the lender who forgave both of them (Plummer). [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 7:42
There is no “wherewith” in the Greek. This idiom is seen in Luke 7:42; Luke 14:14; Hebrews 6:13. Genitive absolute though αυτον auton in the same clause as often in the N.T. [source]
First aorist passive subjunctive with μη mē ingressive aorist, do not become afraid of, with απο apo and the ablative like the Hebrew μη εχοντων περισσοτερον τι ποιησαι min and the English “be afraid of,” a translation Hebraism as in Matthew 10:28 (Moulton, Prolegomena, p. 102).Have no more that they can do (εχω mē echontōn perissoteron ti poiēsai). Luke often uses the infinitive thus with echō a classic idiom (Luke 7:40, Luke 7:42; Luke 12:4, Luke 12:50; Luke 14:14; Acts 4:14, etc.). [source]
Luke often uses the infinitive thus with echō a classic idiom (Luke 7:40, Luke 7:42; Luke 12:4, Luke 12:50; Luke 14:14; Acts 4:14, etc.). [source]
Imperfect active of αποδιδωμι apodidōmi old verb to give back, to pay back a debt (Luke 7:42), but a late omega form instead of the usual απεδιδοσαν apedidosan They kept on giving their witness with power after the answer to their prayer (Acts 4:31). [source]
See on Luke 16:1. The word appears in the New Testament in two senses: 1. The slave who was employed to give the other slaves their rations. So Luke 7:42. 2. The land-steward, as Luke 16:1. Probably here the administrator of the city lands. [source]
Freely ( χάρις gracefree gift ), as Luke 7:42; 2 Corinthians 2:7, 2 Corinthians 2:10; Colossians 3:13. Note the change of pronoun from you to us, believers generally, embracing himself. This change from the second to the first person, or, vice versa, is common in Paul's writings. See Colossians 1:10-13; Colossians 3:3, Colossians 3:4; Ephesians 2:2, Ephesians 2:3, Ephesians 2:13, Ephesians 2:14; Ephesians 4:31, Ephesians 4:32. [source]