“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 and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him. Thou hast rightly judged.” Luke 7:41-43
My Summary & Reflection
Jesus tells the story of a creditor who is owed money by two different debtors. One owes him five hundred pence and the other, only owes him fifty. Neither debtor was able to pay back what was owed, so the man forgave both debts. Which one of the two debtors will love the creditor who forgave his debts more? The answer, Jesus confirms, is the one that had the most forgiven.
In this parable, Jesus is comparing financial debts to sins and the creditor to God. He is saying that God forgives sinners of all sins, both big and small. Sin, or it’s resulting guilt, is a burden that is carried by the sinner. And Jesus is saying that the sinners who have much to be forgiven, are more grateful and loving because their relatively heavier burden has been lifted. In a similar comparison, one person is carrying a weight of twenty-five pounds, and another of a hundred pounds. The person with the hundred-pound weight will be more grateful if their burden is removed because it is heavier and harder to bear.
As those that have been sinned against, we learned in an earlier parable, A King Forgiving Debts https://leaveninthemeal.com/2018/08/22/week-5-a-king-forgiving-debts/, that we are expected to be forgiving ourselves of the wrongs of our brothers and sisters in order to expect that same grace be shown to us. And in a similar way, the greater the wrong that we forgive, the greater the relief for anyone who may be suffering under the burden of guilt.
And as sinners, we need to humbly admit our wrongdoing and ask for the forgiveness of our brothers and sisters that we have wronged and of God. We must do so recognizing that forgiveness is not owed to us, but only requested and hoped for. As we learned in The Prodigal Son https://leaveninthemeal.com/2019/01/09/week-25-the-prodigal-son/, our Father is always happy to receive us back when we’ve gone astray.
Your Reflection
- As a sinner, do you have trouble admitting your wrongdoing and asking for forgiveness? What is stopping you?
- Are you more loving to those who have forgiven you?
- Are you forgiving or do you hold a grudge?