The womans action described at great length and in great detail and

dominates the narratives flow. The rest is commentary on the action

In verse 37b, the woman turns to Jesus because she hopes to receive
help from him (cf. Mark 5:27). Her situation is described as one of distress, as
is expressed by her crying in verse 38. Her tears are not tears of repentance
or gratitude (as the interpreters assume), but an expression of her distress
before God and people (cf. the tears of the woman meeting the mule driver;
see above). She is ostracized by uncleanliness both in the cultic and the
social sense (cf. the taboo of touch). She can no longer put her distress into
words. Although she does not say a word, she is (next to God, who forgives)
the only one acting in the story. By this action, she herself opens up her
distress.
Her behavior toward Jesus is just as dramatic as the way she gives
expression to her distress. On the one hand, shee takes her place by his feet
like a slave (v. 38;cf. Seneca,debeneficiis 3.27.1). On the other hand, she
bestows honors on Jesus like a hostess who wants to show the guest the
utmost of respect: she honors him by washing and drying his feet (v.38), by
proskynesis, by kissing his feet. Thus she honors him the way a hostess
honors her guest and at the same time express her distress and her
lowliness in an oddly extraneous way. Her tears are the water, her hair is the
towel, her proskynesis is the kisses on the feet. As we have seen, various
commentaries point out the erotic side of her action- and justlyso. Yet one
will have to add: Jesus accepts the erotic touch of a prostitute. Anointing the
feet after washing them is probably another step to increase the honor
offered to the guest, who more commonly was anointed the head (see v.46);
and she even takes especially costly oil, more costly than is usually custom
(see the terminological difference between elaion and Myron, v. 46; cf v. 37).
Jesus response to her is nothing but affirming. He defense her, explains her
behavior, and pronounces Gods forgiveness over her, which presupposes
that this forgiveness does not take place form a certain point on but that her
entire life is accompanied by Gods forgiveness. As a much-loving woman
both in relation to Jesus and her life as a prostitute-she has received much
forgiveness. She loves prodigiously, she suffers desperately, she is guilty
before God, and she is Gods beloved child. And it is this that Jesus tells
those standing by and, in the end, also the woman directly. In no way does
this story neatly divide the love of Jesus and the love of a prostitute, life
under Gods mercy now and sinful life then. These divisions appear only
when look-ing (or when men look) at prostitutes from the point of view of a

correctional institution from outside of from above. In this story, Jesus

precisely does not make these particular distinctions.
The woman sinner who loved much is not the model of the converted
sinner and not the model of the sinful woman. She is the last among the
woman who becomes the first, to use the imagery oh the Jesus tradition. The
destiny of the prostitute is that of the last in the sense of Jesus words in
Matt. 20:16 Par. The connection between prostitute and the social role of
regular woman is often repressed even by woman. How often are woman
to flirt, both in private or at the work place-how often are unpleasant
situation created for woman because the are eyed as loose girls!
Prostitution is the extreme case of work done out love, which is what is
expected of woman, even to this day. A position of power defines the
availability of women, which in the social role of the prostitute appears only
clearer than in the role of regular women, who are viewed as accessible in
some other way.
In summary: The text of Luke 7:36-50 treats the situation of the woman
sinner in a more differentiated and just manner than that of the Pharisee
Simon. Still, both the women and the Pharisee are treated with contempt in
exegetical history. The road to justice to Jews and women is still a long one
for Christians.