Luke 7:40-43 40And answering Jesus said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Tell and say it, Teacher.” 41“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42When they could not pay, he canceled the debt of both. Therefore, which of them will love him more?” 43Answering Simon said, “I suppose, the one for whom he canceled the more.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Jesus entered into a dialogue with Simon as they reclined around the table. Jesus knew the thoughts of people and could perceive what was bothering Simon about the woman. Simon had some degree of respect for Jesus with the title Teacher, or rabbi in Aramaic. The unstated question is if Simon will recognize anything greater in Jesus than just his teaching ability. How much authority would he give Jesus in his life? Would he come to the point of also calling him Master and Lord?
Jesus used the disconnect in Simon’s thinking as a teaching opportunity and to offer him a choice about faith. The parable Jesus told Simon is not difficult to understand and has a timeless quality to it. In every culture and time, people have needed to borrow money. In many cities today, there are pawnshops that charge high interest. Banks are deemed safer but more challenging to get a loan. Credit history and scores are used to assess the ability of a person to pay back a loan. Jesus’ story is simple. Two people owed two different amounts. One one the equivalent to 500 days of minimum wage work for a laborer and the other 50 days. Neither individual could not repay his debt. The moneylender was a generous fellow and forgave both debts.
The question Jesus posed to Simon offered him an opportunity to learn about grace. The word for canceled (echarisato) is from the same word for “grace.” The answer should be obvious: the greater the debt and the greater the forgiveness resulted in the greater response of love. Simon’s response was correct. He was a thinker and could reason out the best answer. The next issue is whether he could learn the important lesson about the extent of God’s grace. Sin is sin and forgiveness is forgiveness, no matter how extensive. The parable is not so much about God’s grace, because the forgiveness of any sin is significant. The emphasis is more on the response of the person to this forgiveness. Jesus set up the scenario and presented the primary choice for Simon.
For older posts, click here.