On the other hand, Mary was thoroughly penitent and humbled because of her sins. In her gratitude for his pardoning mercy she was ready to sacrifice all for Jesus, and no doubt as to his divine power troubled her mind for a moment. It was not the comparative degrees of obligation which should be felt by the two persons, which Jesus designed to illustrate by this parable, for both were unable to cancel their debt of gratitude; but he took Simon on his own ground, as feeling himself more righteous than the woman, and showed him that though the sins which had been forgiven him were great, he had not repaid his Benefactor with that respect and love which casts out all unbelief. His sense of obligation to his Saviour was small, while Mary, prizing the gift of mercy bestowed upon her, was filled with gratitude and love. {2SP 381.1}

På den anden side var Maria dybt bevæget og angrede ydmygt sine synder. I sin taknemmelighed for Jesus forbarmende nåde var hun villig til at ofre alt for ham, og hendes sjæl nærede ikke et øjeblik den mindste tvivl om hans guddommelige magt. Det var ikke den forholdsmæssige grad af taknemmelighed, som disse to personer burde føle, Jesus ønskede at fremstille ved denne lignelse; thi de var begge ude af stand til at betale sin skyld. Men han fremstillede den fra Simons eget standpunkt; thi han anså sig selv mere retfærdig end kvinden, og Jesus viste ham, at selvom hans synder, som var blevet ham tilgivet, var store, så havde han dog ikke gengældt sin Velgører med ærefrygt og kærlighed, som (382) uddriver al vantro. Hans taknemmelighedsfølelse mod sin Frelser var lille, medes Maria satte større pris på den nåde, hun fik, og hendes hjerte blev fyldt med taknemmelighed og kærlighed.