Luca 7:47 Commento

In this chapter we have, I. Christ confirming the doctrine he had preached in the former chapter, with two glorious miracles - the curing of one at a distance, and that was the centurion's servant (Luk 7:1-10), and the raising of one to life that was dead, the widow's son at Nain (Luk 7:11-18). II. Christ confirming the faith of John who was now in prison, and of some of his disciples, by sending him a short account of the miracles he wrought, in answer to a question he received from him (Luk 7:19-23), to which he adds an honourable testimony concerning John, and a just reproof to the men of that generation for the contempt they put upon him and his doctrine (Luk 7:24-35). III. Christ comforting a poor penitent that applied herself to him, all in tears of godly sorrow for sin, assuring her that her sins were pardoned, and justifying himself in the favour he showed her against the cavils of a proud Pharisee (Luk 7:36-50).

Now when he had ended all his sayings,.... That is, when Jesus, as the Persic version expresses it, had finished all the above sayings, doctrines, and instructions; not all that he had to say, for he said many things after this: in the audience of the people; of the common people, the multitude besides the disciples; and that openly, and publicly, and with a loud and clear voice, that all might hear: he entered into Capernaum; Jesus entered, as the Syriac version reads, into his own city, and where he had been before, and wrought miracles.

I know that the woman brought to the sacred supper "an alabaster box of ointment," and anointed the feet of the Lord, and refreshed Him; and I know that the ancient kings of the Hebrews were crowned with gold and precious stones. But the woman not having yet received the Word (for she was still a sinner), honoured the Lord with what she thought the most precious thing in her possession-the ointment; and with the ornament of her person, with her hair, she wiped off the superfluous ointment, while she expended on the Lord tears of repentance: "wherefore her sins are forgiven."

A first forgiveness is the one by which we are baptized "for the remission of sins." A second remission is in the suffering of martyrdom. The third is the one that is given through alms. The Savior says, "But nevertheless, give what you have and, behold, all things are clean for you." A fourth forgiveness of sins is given for us through the fact that we also forgive the sins of our brothers. The Lord and Savior says, "If you will forgive from the heart your brothers' sins, your Father will also forgive you your sins. But if you will not forgive your brothers from the heart, neither will your Father forgive you." He taught us to say in prayer, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." A fifth forgiveness of sins is when "someone will convert a sinner from the error of his way." Divine Scripture says, "Whoever will make a sinner turn from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins." A sixth forgiveness comes through the abundance of love. The Lord himself says, "Truly I say to you, her many sins are forgiven because she loved much." The apostle says, "Because love will cover a multitude of sins." There is still a seventh forgiveness of sins through penance, although admittedly it is difficult and toilsome. The sinner washes "his couch in tears," and his "tears" become his "bread day and night."

That God is more loved by him who has had many sins forgiven in baptism. In the Gospel according to Luke: "To whom much is forgiven, he loveth much; and to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little."

Healing the sick is a physician’s glory. Our Lord did this to increase the disgrace of the Pharisee, who discredited the glory of our Physician. He worked signs in the streets, worked even greater signs once he entered the Pharisee’s house than those that he had worked outside. In the streets, he healed sick bodies, but inside, he healed sick souls. Outside, he had given life to the death of Lazarus. Inside, he gave life to the death of the sinful woman. He restored the living soul to a dead body that it had left, and he drove off the deadly sin from a sinful woman in whom it dwelt. That blind Pharisee, for whom wonders were not enough, discredited the common things he saw because of the wondrous things he failed to see.

(Hom. 6. in Matt.) But as after the breaking of a violent storm there comes a calm, so when tears have burst forth, there is peace, and gloomy thoughts vanish; and as by water and the Spirit, so by tears and confession we are again made clean. Hence it follows, Wherefore I say unto you, Her sins which are many are forgiven, for she loveth much. For those who have violently plunged into evil, will in time also eagerly follow after good, being conscious to what debts they have made themselves responsible.

But it more frequently happens that he who has sinned much is purified by confession, but he who has sinned little, refuses from pride to come to be healed thereby. Hence it follows, But to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

Him do those provoke to anger who do not receive the penitent. For He was not ashamed of me, Matthew, who had been formerly a publican; and admitted of Peter, when he had through fear denied Him three times, but had appeased Him by repentance, and had wept bitterly; nay, He made him a shepherd to His own lambs. Moreover, He ordained Paul, our fellow-apostle, to be of a persecutor an apostle, and declared him a chosen vessel, even when he had heaped many mischiefs upon us before, and had blasphemed His sacred name. He says also to another, a woman that was a sinner: "Thy sins, which are many, are forgiven, for thou lovest much." And when the elders had set another woman which had sinned before Him, and had left the sentence to Him, and were gone out, our Lord, the Searcher of the hearts, inquiring of her whether the elders had condemned her, and being answered No, He said unto her: "Go thy way therefore, for neither do I condemn thee." This Jesus, O ye bishops, our Saviour, our King, and our God, ought to be set before you as your pattern.

Mary Magdalene, who had been a sinner in the city, by loving the truth, washed away the stains of her sin with tears: and the voice of Truth is fulfilled, by which it is said: "Many sins are forgiven her, because she loved much." For she who had previously remained cold through sinning, afterward burned ardently through loving.

After this enumeration, the judgment is added: "Therefore I say to you: Her many sins are forgiven, because she loved much." What, my brothers, do we believe love to be, if not fire? And what is sin, if not rust? Hence it is now said: "Her many sins are forgiven, because she loved much." As if it were openly said: She has fully burned away the rust of sin, because she burns intensely with the fire of love. For the rust of sin is consumed all the more, the more the sinner's heart is set ablaze with the great fire of charity. But now our Redeemer concludes the good deeds he has enumerated, when he adds through his verdict: "Therefore I say to you: Her many sins are forgiven, because she has loved much." As if he were saying openly: Even if what is being refined is very hard, nevertheless the fire of love abounds, by which even hard things are consumed.

(Hom. 33. in Evan.) The more then the heart of the sinner is burnt up by the great fire of charity, so much the more is the rust of sin consumed.

Therefore I say to you, her many sins are forgiven, for she loved much. What do we believe love to be, if not fire? And what are faults, if not rust? Hence it is said: Her many sins are forgiven, because she loved much. As if it were openly said: She completely burned off the rust of sin, because she burns strongly with the fire of love. For as much as the rust of sin is consumed, as much as the sinner's heart is thoroughly burned with the great fire of charity. Behold, the one who came sick to the physician is healed, but concerning her health others still fall ill; for it follows:

Christ heals the servant of a centurion, who is commended for his faith, Luk 7:1-10. Raises a widow's son to life at Nain, Luk 7:11-17. John Baptist hears of his fame, and sends two of his disciples to inquire whether he was the Christ, Luk 7:18-23. Christ's character of John, Luk 7:24-30. The obstinate blindness and capriciousness of the Jews, Luk 7:31-35. A Pharisee invites him to his house, where a woman anoints his head with oil, and washes his feet with her tears, Luk 7:36-38. The Pharisee is offended, Luk 7:39. Our Lord reproves him by a parable, and vindicates the woman, Luk 7:40-46; and pronounces her sins forgiven, Luk 7:47-50.

For she loved much - Or, Therefore she loved much. It appears to have been a consciousness of God's forgiving love that brought her at this time to the Pharisee's house. In the common translation her forgiveness is represented to be the consequence of her loving much, which is causing the tree to produce the root, and not the root the tree. I have considered ὁτι here as having the sense of διοτι, therefore; because, to make this sentence suit with the foregoing parable, Luk 7:42, Luk 7:43, and with what immediately follows here, but he to whom little is forgiven loveth little, we must suppose her love was the effect of her being pardoned, not the cause of it. Ὁτι seems to have the sense of therefore in Mat 13:13; Joh 8:44; Co1 10:17; and in the Septuagint, in Deuteronomy 33:52; Isaiah 49:19; Hosea 9:15; and Ecc 5:6. Both these particles are often interchanged in the New Testament. Loved much - loveth little - That is, A man's love to God will be in proportion to the obligations he feels himself under to the bounty of his Maker.

CENTURION'S SERVANT HEALED. (Luk 7:1-10) he was worthy--a testimony most precious, coming from those who probably were strangers to the principle from which he acted (Ecc 7:1).

Her sins which are many--"Those many sins of hers," our Lord, who admitted how much more she owed than the Pharisee, now proclaims in naked terms the forgiveness of her guilt. for--not because, as if love were the cause of forgiveness, but "inasmuch as," or "in proof of which." The latter clause of the verse, and the whole structure of the parable, plainly show this to be the meaning. little forgiven . . . loveth little--delicately ironical intimation of no love and no forgiveness in the present case.