Bible Lesson 13

Gracia hacia una Mujer Pecadora – Grace towards a Sinful Woman

In this famous scene we see the sharp contrast between a man who thinks he is good, and a woman who knows she is not.

The lesson to us is clear: as long as we believe we are basically pretty good, we will never truly recognize our need for Jesus. Jesus said he didn’t come for the healthy, but for the sick. He didn’t mean that any humans are truly good enough not to need him. Rather, he was referring to people like this Simon, who thought highly of his own righteousness and looked down on others. In fact, he even looked down on Jesus for showing mercy to this repentant woman.

What we need to realize is that we are all that sinful woman, shamefully filthy. It is only when we realize and fully embrace that bad news that the gospel truly becomes good news!

When we realize that we have been forgiven much, we will truly love much!

How to Use This Page:

1. Listen to the audio as you read along with the Spanish on the left.

2. Open the English translation, and read the two side-by-side, making sure you understand the Spanish.

3. Close the English, and listen to the audio again, reading along in Spanish.

4. Close the Spanish, and listen once more. Maybe shut your eyes, and just try to catch as much as you can.

Uno de los fariseos invitó a Jesús a comer, así que fue a la casa del fariseo y se sentó a la mesa. Ahora bien, vivía en aquel pueblo una mujer que tenía fama de pecadora. Cuando ella se enteró de que Jesús estaba comiendo en casa del fariseo, se presentó con un frasco de alabastro lleno de perfume. Llorando, se arrojó a los pies de Jesús, de manera que se los bañaba en lágrimas. Luego se los secó con los cabellos; también se los besaba y se los ungía con el perfume.

Al ver esto, el fariseo que lo había invitado dijo para sí: «Si este hombre fuera profeta, sabría quién es la que lo está tocando, y qué clase de mujer es: una pecadora.»

Entonces Jesús le dijo a manera de respuesta:

—Simón, tengo algo que decirte.

—Dime, Maestro —respondió.

—Dos hombres le debían dinero a cierto prestamista. Uno le debía quinientas monedas de plata, y el otro cincuenta. Como no tenían con qué pagarle, les perdonó la deuda a los dos. Ahora bien, ¿cuál de los dos lo amará más?

—Supongo que aquel a quien más le perdonó —contestó Simón.

—Has juzgado bien —le dijo Jesús.

Luego se volvió hacia la mujer y le dijo a Simón: —¿Ves a esta mujer? Cuando entré en tu casa, no me diste agua para los pies, pero ella me ha bañado los pies en lágrimas y me los ha secado con sus cabellos. Tú no me besaste, pero ella, desde que entré, no ha dejado de besarme los pies. Tú no me ungiste la cabeza con aceite, pero ella me ungió los pies con perfume. Por esto te digo: si ella ha amado mucho, es que sus muchos pecados le han sido perdonados.Pero a quien poco se le perdona, poco ama.

Entonces le dijo Jesús a ella: —Tus pecados quedan perdonados.

Los otros invitados comenzaron a decir entre sí: «¿Quién es éste, que hasta perdona pecados?»

—Tu fe te ha salvado —le dijo Jesús a la mujer—; vete en paz.

One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat, so he went to the house of the Pharisee and seated himself at the table. Now, there lived in that village a woman who had the reputation of a sinner. When she found out that Jesus was eating in the house of the Pharisee, she showed up with a flask of alabaster full of perfume. Crying, she threw herself at the feet of Jesus, so that she bathed them with her tears. Then she dried them with her hair; also she kissed them and anointed them with perfume.

Upon seeing this, the Pharisee who had invited him said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who it is that is touching him, and what kind of woman this is: a sinner.”

Then Jesus said to him by way of response, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, Master.” he responded.

“Two men owed money to a certain lender. One owed him 500 silver coins, and the other 50. Since they didn’t have anything to pay him, he forgave the debts of both. Now, which of the two will love him more?”

“I suppose the one to whom more was forgiven.” answered Simon.

“You have judged well.” Jesus told him.

Then he turned towards the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you didn’t give me water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet in tears and has dried them with her hair. You didn’t kiss me, but she, ever since I entered, has not ceased to kiss my feet. You didn’t anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with perfume. Because of this I tell you: if she has loved much, it is because her many sins have been forgiven her. But the one who is forgiven little, he loves little.

Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”

“Your faith has saved you.” Jesus said to the woman; “Go in peace.”

Feast at the House of Simon. Paulo Veonese. 1570. The full painting is over 20 feet wide. It took 3 years to paint.

Christ in the House of Simon the Pharisee. Peter Paul Rubens, 1618-1620.