The parable of the Creditor and Debtors is a poignant teaching of Jesus Christ, found in the Gospel of Luke. This parable is a profound illustration of forgiveness, grace, and the recognition of one's own sinfulness and need for mercy. It is recounted in Luke 7:36-50, where Jesus uses the account to address the attitudes of the heart, contrasting the self-righteousness of the Pharisees with the humility and repentance of a sinful woman.

Context and Setting

The parable is set during an event where Jesus is invited to dine at the house of Simon, a Pharisee. During the meal, a woman known in the city as a sinner approaches Jesus, weeping at His feet, washing them with her tears, and anointing them with expensive perfume. Simon, observing this, internally questions Jesus' prophetic insight, doubting His awareness of the woman's sinful reputation.

The Parable

In response to Simon's thoughts, Jesus presents the parable:

"Two men were debtors to a certain creditor. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay him, he forgave both. Which of them, therefore, will love him more?" (Luke 7:41-42).

Simon answers that the one who was forgiven more would love more, to which Jesus affirms his correct judgment.

Interpretation and Themes

The parable serves as a metaphor for the spiritual debt of sin. The two debtors represent individuals with varying degrees of sinfulness, yet both are unable to repay their debts, symbolizing humanity's inability to atone for sin through personal effort. The creditor, embodying God's grace, forgives both debts, illustrating divine forgiveness that is not contingent on the magnitude of sin but on the willingness to receive mercy.

The parable underscores several key themes:

1. Forgiveness and Grace: The creditor's forgiveness of both debtors highlights the boundless grace of God, who offers forgiveness to all who seek it, regardless of the extent of their transgressions.

2. Love and Gratitude: The response of love from the debtor forgiven of the greater debt illustrates the natural outpouring of gratitude and devotion that follows the reception of God's mercy. This is mirrored in the woman's actions, as her love for Jesus is a response to the forgiveness she has received.

3. Self-Righteousness vs. Repentance: Simon the Pharisee represents the self-righteous attitude that fails to recognize personal sinfulness and the need for forgiveness. In contrast, the woman's actions demonstrate true repentance and acknowledgment of her need for a Savior.

4. Judgment and Perception: Jesus challenges the judgmental perceptions of the Pharisees, emphasizing that outward appearances and reputations do not determine one's standing before God. Instead, it is the heart's posture of repentance and faith that matters.

Application

The parable of the Creditor and Debtors calls believers to reflect on their own need for forgiveness and to respond with love and gratitude towards God. It encourages a humble recognition of one's sinfulness and a rejection of self-righteous judgment of others. This teaching of Christ invites all to embrace the grace offered through Him, leading to a transformed life marked by love and devotion.Luke 7:41-47
There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Three Last Parables of the Per??an Series: the Unrighteous ...
... perhaps the most common in Jewish Parables, and occurs ... of a debtor appealing to his
creditor, and receiving ... the pardoned sinner has received in Christ from our ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xix the three last.htm

The Two Debtors.
The Parables of Our Lord. ... There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the
one owed five ... She is a new creature in Christ Jesus; but she could not yet ...
//christianbookshelf.org/arnot/the parables of our lord/xvi the two debtors.htm

The Unjust Steward - Dives and Lazarus - Jewish Agricultural Notes ...
... and meaning, of the two Parables which have ... of the lessons, spoken or implied, which
Christ would convey ... a document contained the names of creditor and debtor ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xviii the unjust steward.htm

The Unmerciful Servant.
... the debt brings the cruelty of the creditor out in ... Those parables do not afford material
for the decision of ... action may be associated with a Christ-like love ...
/.../arnot/the parables of our lord/viii the unmerciful servant.htm

Beginning at Jerusalem. --Luke xxiv. 47.
... more care, as appears there by three parables, for the ... self-righteous men of the
way of Christ with sinners ... There was," said Jesus, a certain creditor had two ...
/.../bunyan/jerusalem sinner saved/beginning at jerusalem luke xxiv 47.htm

The Jerusalem Sinner Saved;
... more care, as appears there by three parables, for the ... righteous men of the way of
Christ with sinners ... There was,' said Jesus, 'a certain creditor which had two ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the jerusalem sinner saved.htm

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