29. (When the people heard this, they all agreed that God’s teaching was good. Even the tax collectors agreed. These were the people who were baptized by John.
30. But the Pharisees and experts in the law refused to accept God’s plan for themselves; they did not let John baptize them.)
31. “What shall I say about the people of this time? What can I compare them to? What are they like?
32. They are like children sitting in the marketplace. One group of children calls to the other children and says, ‘We played flute music for you, but you did not dance; we sang a sad song, but you did not cry.’
33. John the Baptizer came and did not eat the usual food or drink wine. And you say, ‘He has a demon inside him.’
34. The Son of Man came eating and drinking. And you say, ‘Look at him! He eats too much and drinks too much wine! He is a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’
35. But wisdom is shown to be right by those who accept it.”
36. One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him. Jesus went into the Pharisee’s house and took a place at the table.
37. There was a sinful woman in that town. She knew that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house. So the woman brought some expensive perfume in an alabaster jar.
38. She stood at Jesus’ feet, crying. Then she began to wash his feet with her tears. She dried his feet with her hair. She kissed his feet many times and rubbed them with the perfume.
39. When the Pharisee who asked Jesus to come to his house saw this, he thought to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know that the woman who is touching him is a sinner!”
40. In response, Jesus said to the Pharisee, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” Simon said, “Let me hear it, Teacher.”
41. Jesus said, “There were two men. Both men owed money to the same banker. One man owed him 500 silver coins. The other man owed him 50 silver coins.