The Parable of the Two Debtors

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1. Title of the Parable

The Parable of the Two Debtors

2. Scripture Reference(s)

  • Luke 7:41–43 (L)

3. Thematic Category

Grace, Mercy, and Forgiveness; Love; Gratefulness; Spiritual Awareness

4. Parable Summary

Jesus is dining at the house of Simon the Pharisee when a woman known as a sinner anoints His feet with her tears and perfume. In response to Simon’s internal judgment of her actions, Jesus tells a brief parable:

Two men owe a moneylender—one five hundred denarii, the other fifty. Neither can repay, and both debts are cancelled. Jesus asks, “Which of them will love him more?” Simon answers, “The one who had the larger debt forgiven.” Jesus affirms this response and applies it directly to the woman.

5. Cultural and Historical Context

A denarius was a standard day’s wage. The contrast between fifty and five hundred denarii represents the difference between a minor and a significant debt—both beyond the means of repayment.

First-century Jewish dining involved reclining at a low table, allowing for someone to approach Jesus’ feet easily. A woman touching or anointing a rabbi in public—especially one with a sinful reputation—would be seen as socially scandalous. Yet Jesus reframes the moment as one of spiritual truth and grace.

The parable is embedded within a real event, not as a stand-alone story, giving it a personal and prophetic edge.

6. Literary Form and Structure

  • Type: Embedded parable / wisdom saying
  • Structure: Scenario → Question → Response → Application
  • Techniques: Rhetorical question, contrast, real-time interpretation

7. Theological Meaning and Kingdom Implications

The parable teaches that awareness of one’s sin and forgiveness leads to deeper love and devotion:

  • God’s forgiveness is freely given, not earned.
  • Those who recognise the depth of their need respond with deeper gratitude.
  • The Kingdom operates not by hierarchy of merit, but by grace and response.
  • External righteousness does not guarantee internal transformation.

8. Moral and Ethical Lessons

  • Self-righteousness can blind us to our need for grace.
  • Authentic worship flows from a heart that knows it has been forgiven.
  • Judging others’ pasts overlooks their present transformation.
  • True love for God is demonstrated through honour and gratitude, not formality.

9. Jesus’ Interpretation or Explanation

Jesus applies the parable directly to Simon and the woman. He contrasts Simon’s lack of basic hospitality with the woman’s extravagant devotion:

  • “Her many sins are forgiven—for she loved much.” (Luke 7:47)
  • “But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

The parable is not teaching that love earns forgiveness, but that forgiveness inspires love, and lack of love reveals self-deception about one’s need for grace.

10. Application for Contemporary Readers

  • Encourages believers to live with gratitude for God’s mercy, regardless of their past.
  • Reminds churches to be places where forgiveness is celebrated, not withheld.
  • Warns against a cold, comparative faith that honours rules over relationship.
  • Highlights that those with visible pasts may often have deeper devotion than those with hidden pride.

11. Comparative Insights and Scholarly Commentary

  • Augustine argued that the parable reveals how greater grace produces greater love.
  • Calvin affirmed that while forgiveness is not merited by love, true love evidences true forgiveness.
  • Craig Blomberg notes the point: those who grasp the enormity of divine forgiveness respond with love.
  • N.T. Wright places the scene within Jesus’ larger ministry of restoring the outcast and confronting religious exclusion.
  • Joel Green suggests the woman becomes the theological interpreter of Jesus’ grace by embodying repentance and love.

12. Cross-References

  • Luke 18:9–14 – The Pharisee and the tax collector
  • Matthew 9:13 – “I desire mercy, not sacrifice”
  • Psalm 32:1–2 – “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven”
  • Ephesians 2:4–5 – God’s mercy makes us alive in Christ

13. Key Quotes and Phrases

  • “A certain moneylender had two debtors…” (Luke 7:41)
  • “When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both.” (Luke 7:42)
  • “Which of them will love him more?” (Luke 7:42)
  • “He who is forgiven little, loves little.” (Luke 7:47)
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