… He reproves the Pharisee for not recognizing him as Christ, although he was honored as a guest, and a pious and holy man. But he commends the worship of the woman, the confession of her sins, and her effort to obtain their remission from him. This noble example justly moved Christ to reprove the Pharisee, who, although a wise and honorable man, still did not believe on him….{Repeated for context}

Here, therefore, he commends not only love, but the whole cultus, or service of God, faith with its fruits, while speaking to the Pharisee of the fruits. Because faith in the heart cannot be shown or exhibited to others, except by its fruits; these establish the truth before men, that faith is in the heart. Christ did not mean that love and works should be the treasure, by which our sins are recompensed;— that treasure is the blood of Christ. The controversy, therefore, concerns an important and weighty matter, involving the highest, the surest, the eternal consolation of pious souls, namely, whether we should trust in Christ’s merits, or in our own works. If we trust in our own works, we rob Christ of his honor, and he ceases to be the Mediator and Conciliator; and besides we shall finally learn, that such confidence is vain, and will lead consciences only into despair; for unless we obtain remission of sin and reconciliation to God through Christ, without our merit, then no one will obtain remission of sin, without having kept the whole law. For the law cannot justify us before God, while it is our accuser. Now, no one can boast of having satisfied the law. Hence we must seek consolation elsewhere,— namely, in Christ. (Henkel Translation, p. 185-186).

But when Christ declares, Luke 7:47: “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven: for she loved much,” he himself explains his words by saying verse 50: “Thy faith hath saved thee.” Christ did not wish to leave the impression, that the women merited the forgiveness of sins by her work of love; hence, he expressly declared that her faith had saved her. Now it is faith which relies on the mercy of God and his Word, and not upon works. If we believe that faith can rely both upon God and the works of men at the same time, we certainly do not understand what faith is. The alarmed conscience cannot be appeased by its own works, but must cry for mercy; and there are no other means by which it can be consoled and relieved, but the Word of God. The narrative itself shows plainly in this place, what Christ calls love. The woman comes to Christ, confident of obtaining the remission of her sins from him. Truly this is acknowledging and honoring Christ; for greater honor than this no one can confer upon him. It is really confessing Christ, or the Messiah, to seek remission of sin from him; and to recognize Christ in this manner, to confess and receive him thus, is to believe on him sincerely.

But Christ did not use the words, “she loved much,” while speaking with the woman, but when he spoke to the Pharisee. For Christ, the Lord, compared the whole honor, conferred on him by the Pharisee, with the offerings and works of the woman. He reproves the Pharisee for not recognizing him as Christ, although he was honored as a guest, and a pious and holy man. But he commends the worship of the woman, the confession of her sins, and her effort to obtain their remission from him. This noble example justly moved Christ to reprove the Pharisee, who, although a wise and honorable man, still did not believe on him. He reproached him with his unbelief, and admonished him by the example of the woman, as though he would say to the Pharisee: shame upon thee! That though art so blind as not to recognize me as Christ and the Messiah, although thou art a teacher of the law; while this woman, poor and without learning, recognizes me. (Henkel Translation, p. 185).