31. “What shall I say about the people of this time? What can I compare them to? What are they like?
32. They are like children sitting in the marketplace. One group of children calls to the other children and says, ‘We played flute music for you, but you did not dance; we sang a sad song, but you did not cry.’
33. John the Baptizer came and did not eat the usual food or drink wine. And you say, ‘He has a demon inside him.’
34. The Son of Man came eating and drinking. And you say, ‘Look at him! He eats too much and drinks too much wine! He is a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’
35. But wisdom is shown to be right by those who accept it.”
36. One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him. Jesus went into the Pharisee’s house and took a place at the table.
37. There was a sinful woman in that town. She knew that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house. So the woman brought some expensive perfume in an alabaster jar.
38. She stood at Jesus’ feet, crying. Then she began to wash his feet with her tears. She dried his feet with her hair. She kissed his feet many times and rubbed them with the perfume.
39. When the Pharisee who asked Jesus to come to his house saw this, he thought to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know that the woman who is touching him is a sinner!”
40. In response, Jesus said to the Pharisee, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” Simon said, “Let me hear it, Teacher.”
41. Jesus said, “There were two men. Both men owed money to the same banker. One man owed him 500 silver coins. The other man owed him 50 silver coins.
42. The men had no money, so they could not pay their debt. But the banker told the men that they did not have to pay him. Which one of those two men will love him more?”
43. Simon answered, “I think it would be the one who owed him the most money.” Jesus said to him, “You are right.”
44. Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I came into your house, you gave me no water for my feet. But she washed my feet with her tears and dried my feet with her hair.
45. You did not greet me with a kiss, but she has been kissing my feet since I came in.
46. You did not honor me with oil for my head, but she rubbed my feet with her sweet-smelling oil.
47. I tell you that her many sins are forgiven. This is clear, because she showed great love. People who are forgiven only a little will love only a little.”
48. Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49. The people sitting at the table began to think to themselves, “Who does this man think he is? How can he forgive sins?”