27. This is the one about whom it is written: “ ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’
28. I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
29. (All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John.
30. But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)
31. Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like?
32. They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: “ ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.’
33. For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’
34. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
35. But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”
36. When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.
37. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.
38. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
40. Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41. “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
42. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43. Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.