Women, with tearful hearts, and disposed through their sins to feelings of humility, were nearer to his kingdom than ordinary natures, who often have little merit in not having fallen. We may conceive, on the other hand, that these tender souls, finding in their conversion to the sect an easy means of restoration, would passionately attach themselves to him. [Footnote 1: Matt. ix. 10, and following; Luke xv. entirely.] [Footnote 2: Matt. ix. 11; Mark ii. 16; Luke v. 30.] [Footnote 3: Matt. ix. 12.] [Footnote 4: Luke xv. 4, and following.] [Footnote 5: Matt. xviii. 11; Luke xix. 10.] [Footnote 6: Matt. ix. 13.] [Footnote 7: Luke vii. 36, and following. Luke, who likes to bring out in relief everything that relates to the forgiveness of sinners (comp. x. 30, and following, xv. entirely, xvii. 16, and following, xix. 2, and following, xxiii. 39-43), has included in this narrative passages from another history, that of the anointing of feet, which took place at Bethany some days before the death of Jesus. But the pardon of sinful women was undoubtedly one of the essential features of the anecdotes of the life of Jesus.--Cf. John viii. 3, and following; Papias, in Eusebius, _Hist. Eccl._, iii. 30.] Far from seeking to soothe the murmurs stirred up by his disdain for the social susceptibilities of the time, he seemed to take pleasure in exciting them. Never did any one avow more loftily this contempt for the "world," which is the essential condition of great things and of great originality. He pardoned a rich man, but only when the rich man, in consequence of some prejudice, was disliked by society.[1] He greatly preferred men of equivocal life and of small consideration in the eyes of the orthodox leaders. "The publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him."[2] We can understand how galling the reproach of not having followed the good example set by prostitutes must have been to men making a profession of seriousness and rigid morality. [Footnote 1: Luke xix. 2, and following.] [Footnote 2: Matt. xxi. 31, 32.]