In brief
Simon is a Pharisee who invites Jesus to dine at his house. During the meal, a sinful woman from the town comes in, weeps on Jesus' feet, wipes them with her hair, kisses them and anoints them with perfume. Simon says to himself that if Jesus were a prophet, he would know who is touching him. Jesus tells him the parable of the two debtors, contrasts his cold welcome with the woman's love, then declares her sins forgiven. Simon is known only from this account in Luke 7, which shows two ways of approaching Jesus.
What does the name Simon the Pharisee mean?
Simon is the Greek form of the Hebrew Simeon, generally linked to the verb to hear or to answer. The Bible does not explain his name; Luke introduces him only as the Pharisee who had invited Jesus (Luke 7:39). He should not be confused with Simon Peter, nor with Simon the leper, at whose house Jesus was anointed at Bethany (Mark 14).
The story of Simon the Pharisee
An invitation to dinner
Luke 7:36One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and Jesus went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. The story begins with a gesture of openness: a respected, religious man wants to receive this teacher everyone is talking about. Jesus accepts. He refuses neither the table of Pharisees nor that of tax collectors; he goes to all who invite him.
A sinful woman at Jesus' feet
Luke 7:37-38A woman known in the town for her sinful life learns that Jesus is dining at the Pharisee's house. She brings an alabaster jar of perfume, stands behind Jesus at his feet and weeps. Her tears wet the Lord's feet; she wipes them with her hair, kisses them and anoints them with perfume. Nothing is said; everything is shown.
Simon's silent judgment
Luke 7:39Simon sees the scene and says to himself that if this man were a prophet, he would know who and what kind of woman is touching him, that she is a sinner. He says nothing aloud, but his heart has already reached its verdict: Jesus is not a prophet, and this woman has no place here. He judges the guest and the intruder with the same glance.
The parable of the two debtors
Luke 7:40-43Jesus answers Simon's thought, telling him he has something to say to him. A moneylender had two debtors, one owing five hundred denarii, the other fifty; he cancels both debts. Which of them will love him more? Simon answers that it is the one who was forgiven more, and Jesus tells him he has judged rightly. The Pharisee has just pronounced his own lesson.
Do you see this woman?
Luke 7:44-47Jesus turns toward the woman and asks Simon whether he sees her. Simon gave no water for his feet, no kiss, no oil for his head; she has given everything: tears, hair, kisses, perfume. Her many sins, Jesus says, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but the one who is forgiven little loves little.
Your faith has saved you
Luke 7:48-50Jesus tells the woman that her sins are forgiven. The other guests wonder among themselves who this is who even forgives sins. Jesus concludes for her that her faith has saved her and she should go in peace. The woman leaves forgiven and at peace. Of Simon the account says nothing more; Luke leaves each reader to ask which side of the table they sit on.
Test your knowledge
What Simon the Pharisee teaches us
- You can receive Jesus in your home and still keep your distance from him: an invitation is no substitute for humility of heart.
- The one who measures the greatness of his debt loves much; if your love for Jesus is lukewarm, ask him to show you what he has forgiven you.
- Beware of judging those who come to Jesus in tears: God sees the heart, not only the reputation.
- Jesus knows your thoughts as he knew Simon's; be honest before him rather than proper before others.
- Jesus' forgiveness is real and personal: your faith has saved you, go in peace is for anyone who comes to him.
Key verses
Simon's secret thought reveals his heart: he doubts that Jesus is a prophet and despises the woman. Jesus will answer what he has not said aloud.
Much forgiven, much love; little forgiven, little love. The woman's love does not buy her forgiveness: it is the proof and fruit of it.
It is faith, not tears or perfume, that saved this woman. Jesus sends her away in peace: salvation is received, and it is lived from now on.
Bible verses to meditate on
Sermons about Simon the Pharisee
- Citizen of Heaven, Feet on Earth: Letting Go of JudgmentSimon says nothing aloud, but in his heart he judges the woman, the situation and even Jesus; in the end it is Jesus who is the true judge, and Simon had understood nothing.
- Boaz Pictures Christ: The Redeemer the Law Could Never BeThere are two ways of approaching Jesus: Simon is distant, he invites him but judges him; the woman throws herself at his feet and gives everything, and her sins are forgiven.
- An Authentic Glow (Titus 3)Two faces shed light on grace: the sinful woman at Simon's house, who is forgiven much and loves much, and Zacchaeus, who repays what he stole. The less you understand grace, the less you know how to give it.
- True and False RepentanceThe woman's tears at Simon the Pharisee's house are tears without a word, tears of the heart and not of complaint: these are the ones the Lord receives.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Simon the Pharisee?
Simon is a Pharisee who invited Jesus to dine at his house (Luke 7:36-50). During the meal, a sinful woman wept on Jesus' feet and anointed them with perfume. Simon judged her in his mind; Jesus told him the parable of the two debtors and declared the woman's sins forgiven. Nothing else is known about him.
What does the parable of the two debtors mean?
A moneylender cancels the debts of two debtors, one owing five hundred denarii, the other fifty; the one he forgave more will love him more (Luke 7:41-43). Jesus shows that the woman's love flows from the forgiveness she has received, while Simon, who does not think he is deeply in debt, loves little. The parable reveals each person's heart.
Where can I find the story of Simon the Pharisee in the Bible?
Only in Luke 7:36-50. This account is distinct from the anointing at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, reported in Matthew 26, Mark 14 and John 12 shortly before the Passion. In Luke, the episode takes place in Galilee, during Jesus' ministry, and centers on the forgiveness of sins and the love that flows from it.