The narrative of Jesus' visit to the house of Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7:36-50) provides commentary on social customs and teaches a lesson with many precepts.

In Jesus the Christ, Elder James E. Talmage wrote regarding the social customs of that day: "[Jesus'] reception at Simon's house appears to have been somewhat lacking in warmth, hospitality and honorable attendance. The narrative suggests an attitude of condescension on the part of the host. It was the custom of the times to treat a distinguished guest with marked attention; to receive him with a kiss of welcome, to provide water for washing the dust from his feet, and oil for anointing the hair of the head and the beard. All these courteous attentions were omitted by Simon."

Elder Talmage explained that it was not unusual for visitors and even strangers to enter a house at meal time, observe the procedure and even speak to the guests, all without invitation.

Among those who entered Simon's house while the meal was in progress was a woman. The presence of a woman on such an occasion might have been unusual, but it was not a social impropriety. Elder Talmage noted: "But this woman was one of the fallen class, a woman who had been unvirtuous, and who had to bear, as part of the penalty of her sins, outward scorn and practical ostracism from those who professed to be morally superior."

The woman approached Jesus in a repentant and contrite state. Her tears bathed His feet. She dried His feet with her hair and anointed them with oil.

Simon thought to himself, "This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner."

Jesus answered: "Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. . . .

"There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.

"And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?"

Simon answered, "I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most." Jesus told Simon, "Thou hast rightly judged."

Jesus said that He had come into Simon's house and the host had offered no water for his feet, but the woman had washed his feet with tears. The host had not greeted Him with his kiss, but the woman had unceasingly kissed His feet. Simon had offered Him no oil, but the woman anointed His feet with ointment.

Jesus said, "Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven' for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little."

He then told the woman, "Thy sins are forgiven."

Elder Talmage wrote: "The name of the woman who thus came to Christ, and whose repentance was so sincere as to bring to her grateful and contrite soul the assurance of remission, is not recorded. There is no evidence that she figures in any other incident recorded in scripture. By certain writers she has been represented as the Mary of Bethany who, shortly before Christ's betrayal, anointed the head of Jesus with spikenard; but the assumption of identity is wholly unfounded, and constitutes an unjustifiable reflection upon the earlier life of Mary, the devoted and loving sister of Martha and Lazarus.

" Equally wrong is the attempt made by others to identify this repentant and forgiven sinner with Mary Magdalene, no period of whose life was marked by the sin of unchastity so far as the scriptures aver."

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