The Parables Of Christ PT 5 – The Two Debtors - June 1st 2025
Luke 7:36-50
36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him,
and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.
37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner,
when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment,
38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.
39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”
40 And Jesus answering said to him,
“Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet.
46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.
47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among[h] themselves, “Who is this, whoeven forgives sins?”
50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
A TABLE, A PHARISEE, AND A WOMAN
Simon had invited Jesus into his home but kept him at a distance in his heart.
The woman on the other hand crashes the party and gives Jesus her all.
She didn’t come to earn forgiveness, she came because she had already encountered it.
THE PARABLE: TWO DEBTORS, ONE FORGIVING CREDITOR
50 denarii was about two months’ wages / 500 denarii almost two years’ worth.
Both amounts are serious. The point is that neither person could pay their debt.
This parable isn’t about math—it’s about mercy.
Both debtors were bankrupt-Both needed forgiveness. The major difference was awareness: The woman is aware of her need-Simon is blind to his own.
OUR DEBT?
When we lose sight of our debt we also lose sight of the depth of our forgiveness-and when that happens, our love grows cold.
The difference between Simon and the woman wasn’t the size of their sin, but the awareness of their need.
Jesus turns the table—literally and spiritually.
When He asks Simon, “Do you see this woman?” He’s not just pointing out the obvious — He’s exposing the blindness of a self-righteous heart.
Jesus confronts the tendency in all of us to overlook, dismiss, or ignore those we’ve deemed unworthy of grace.
By lifting up the woman’s actions, Jesus gently confronts Simon’s spiritual blindness.
He exposes the gap between religious form and heartfelt devotion.
We don’t love in order to be forgiven-we love because we’ve been forgiven.
Gratitude shifts the posture of our hearts.
TABLE TIME:
As we engage in conversation, let Paul’s words to the Colossian church be our framework. Colossians 4:6, ‘Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.’
Can you recall a moment when you felt the weight of God’s forgiveness in a personal way?
How did it shape your love for Jesus—or your ability to love others?
Jesus’ parable compares two people who owed different amounts, but neither could repay.
What helps you stay aware of your own need for grace?
Have there been seasons in your life where you lost sight of how much you’ve been forgiven?
In what ways might we, like Simon, invite Jesus into our lives but keep Him at a distance in our hearts? How can we move towards a more honest and open relationship with God?
How does the parable of the two debtors illuminate the relationship between forgiveness, gratitude, and love in our spiritual lives?
How might remembering our own forgiveness change the way we interact with and judge others who are different from us or have visible struggles?
In what ways can religious pride subtly creep into our lives, even when we believe we’re serving God? How can we guard against this?
How does Jesus’ response to both Simon and the woman demonstrate His approach to confronting sin and extending grace? What can we learn from this in our own relationships?
What does it mean practically to love God ‘much’ because we’ve been forgiven ‘much’? How might this transform our approach to worship and service?
PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER: