The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: S. Luke
One owed five hundred pence and the other fifty . The Roman denarius or penny, originally of the value of ten asses, was worth about eight pence of our modern money. In this parable we are to understand by the two debtors, Mary Magdalene, and Simon the Pharisee ; who is not mentioned by name, lest he should be offended or disheartened. This is clear from the following verses wherein the Magdalene is thrice, by antithesis, brought into comparison with Simon, and preferred to him. She, therefore, is the debtor who owed five hundred pence, who considered that she owed God much more because of her sins than Simon ; and therefore, that she might obtain forgiveness, she loved more and showed greater proofs of her love. But Simon owed only fifty pence, his sins were but venial, and therefore he considered that he owed little to God. He was self-righteous , and thought that he had little or no need of repentance.
But S. Augustine rightly observes, for this very reason he ought all the more to acknowledge that he was a debtor to God, who had preserved him from committing greater offences. Thou wast not an adulterer (as the Magdalene) in that past life of thine which thou dost ignore. But it was God who kept thee from sinning, preserved thee from temptation, and from the power of the tempter. Acknowledge then what thou owest to Him who has kept thee from evil. For there is no sin which one man has committed that another man may not commit, if God withdraw His guidance from him.
Ver. 42. — And when they had nothing to pay , he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? (loves him most, Vulg.) i.e. “in verity,” or “ought” to love him most. For a similar Hebraism, see Amos v. 13. The prudent shall keep silence in that time, i.e. they were being silent or it behoved them to be silent
The meaning is, As he who has been forgiven much, is accounted to have received forgiveness because of his deserts, so debtors who owe much, are wont to show the utmost deference to their creditors, in order to obtain from them, if not forgiveness of their debt, at least favourable terms of payment. In like manner, Simon, thou shouldest have known that the Magdalene loved me with a greater love than thine. For she showed greater proofs of her love, and therefore her sins, which are many, are. forgiven, because she loved much. Wherefore, she is no longer a sinner, nor, as thou thinkest, unworthy to touch my feet ; but holier than thou, and more worthy to be touched by me. The parable, therefore, plainly teaches us, that the more we love, the more we shall be forgiven
So S. Augustine (Horn. 23), “ The more she loved Me, and shows her love, the more do I forgive.” But if we take the Greek rendering and translate according to the English version, the argument is inverted. For although the love of the creditor, as shown in the forgiveness of the debt, excites in return the love of the debtor, yet at the same time it is the love of the debtor, in seeking to make payment of the debt, which causes the creditor to forgive. So De Lyra, Francis Lucas, and others. Hence the parable in one sense teaches us, that as the debtor who has been forgiven the most, loves his creditor the more, so Christ because he had forgiven the many sins of the Magdalene, will be the more beloved by her. But Christ desired also to show, not only that her sins were forgiven, but the reason, and the manner of their forgiveness, i.e. on account of her love, so that we, taking example by her, may, in like manner obtain forgiveness.
Another explanation is given by S. Ambrose (De Tobia, cap . xxii.) Christ forgave the sins of the Magdalene, which increased her love and gratitude to Him ; but Christ foresaw this increase of love, and therefore from the very first forgave her. Again, S. Gregory (lib. vi. epist. 32), and after him Toletus: The greater the debt which is forgiven the greater the gratitude of the debtor. When, therefore, O Simon, thou sawest in the Magdalene such great signs of love, thou shouldest have inferred how much had been forgiven her. For as the cause may be inferred, from the effect, so her love was the result of her forgiveness. See then how rashly thou hast condemned this woman, when thou shouldest have known, from the abundant signs of love and gratitude which she had shown, that all her sins, however great their number, had been forgiven. But this interpretation is at variance with the 47th verse, “ Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.” The word “ for ” or “ because ” shows that her love was not the effect but the cause of her forgiveness. See infra, v. 47.
Ver. 43. — Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. And He said unto him. Thou hast rightly judged. Christ praises the answer, in order that Simon might the more readily accept the reproof and the lessons to be drawn therefrom.
Ver. 44. — And He turned unto the woman , and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? He turned, because the Magdalene stood behind Him, for from consciousness of her guilt, she did not dare to meet His sight. Seest thou this woman? no longer, as thou thinkest, a sinner, but a penitent reconciled with God.
I entered into thine house, but thou gavest Me no water for My feet. It was the custom in those days to wash the feet of one’s guests before they sat down to meat, both for purposes of cleansing and refreshment. Thus Abraham washed the feet of the Angels, Gen. xviii. 4, and Lot, Gen. xix. 2. See also Judges xix. 21. Whence S. Paul considers that a widow may be set apart for the service of God, “if she have washed the saints’ feet,” 1 Tim. v. 10.
Christ had come as a guest to the house, and therefore Simon should have washed His feet. Christ therefore reproached him for his want of consideration and care, and contrasts his conduct with the love of the Magdalene. For Titus says, “ It is an easy matter to provide water, but difficult to supply such an abundance of tears.”
Ver. 45. — Thou gavest Me no kiss , but this woman, since the time I came in , hath not ceased to kiss My feet , “ with reverence and godly fear.” Titus. Guests were in old times received with a kiss in sign of affection and welcome. But Simon omitted this salutation. Hence “ It was thy duty, O Simon, to receive Me, thy invited guest, with a kiss of welcome, but the Magdalene has more than made up for thy neglect, for she hath continued to kiss, not My face, but My feet, from the moment I entered Thy house.”
Ver. 46. — My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed My feet with ointment. The more valued the guest, the more precious the perfumes wherewith He was anointed. Thou didst not anoint My head, but she hath anointed My feet with very precious ointment. See again how she excelleth thee in love and devotion. “ Not that the Lord,” as Ambrose says, “valued the ointment, but rather the love, the faith, and the humility.” Hence Christ concludes,
Ver. 47. — Wherefore I say unto thee , Her sins, which are many, are forgiven ; for she loved much. Greek, ἀφέωνται, have been forgiven. At what time, we may ask, were her sins forgiven ?
1. Francis Lucas thinks at the time when the Lord said unto her, “Thy sins are forgiven,” v. 48.
2. Others are of opinion that her sins were forgiven when our Lord in this present verse declared unto Simon the fact of her pardon.
3. But it seems more probable that her sins were forgiven at some time antecedent, i.e. when she felt true contrition for her offences. Because when by the grace of God she had been led to see the heinousness of her sin, so deep was her contrition and sorrow, that she thereby regained the divine favour, and so her love for God and her sorrow for her sins impelled her to show openly the reality of her repentance, and therefore before Christ could say unto her, “ Thy sins are forgiven,” she had obtained forgiveness by reason of her complete penitence.
We may, however, take the words “ her sins are forgiven ” as spoken in the same sense in which the priest pronounces absolution over a penitent, who is already reconciled to God by his perfect repentance. The priest absolves him who is already absolved, and this absolution is so effectual as to do away with any sin which might still attach itself to the penitent. Further, a sin often repeated may be often forgiven, if the penitent confesses his fault as often as he commits it, and seeks absolution at the hands of the Church. Hence Christ for the third time forgives the sins of the Magdalene. Wherefore He freed her not only from the guilt but from the punishment of sin, and granted her free release.
This is what the angel said to a certain Bishop of the Church : “ Penitence and confession restore the penitent to the number of the elect.” Again, “ The tears of a penitent may well bear the name of a baptism.” Barlaam. And Palladius tells us, that a certain virgin who had fallen into sin “ was more pleasing to God in her penitence, than in her former purity.” See also S. Jerome (De poenitentia Fabiolae) ; and Climacus (De poenitentia).