“When self-giving love is offered to sinners, it can bring about repentance and change. Self-giving love is the greatest power and the best news because nothing else has such power to change people.”

Debt and Debtors

    The ancient world dealt severely with debtors, often without regard to their ability or intention to repay. In Athens, before democratic rights were established, a creditor could demand slave labor of his debtor or of members of the debtor’s family as surety of payment. Roman law provided punishment by imprisonment to debtors. The idea of imprisoning a debtor was to force him to sell whatever property he might secretly own, have the debtor’s relatives pay his debt, or have the debtor and his family work off the debt.

    In spite of legal restrictions, the entire system of debts and sureties was recklessly abused in the ancient world. The prophets frequently condemned violations. Ezekiel and Nehemiah called their contemporaries back to a strict observance of the law, where mercy and justice were intended to prevail (Ezek. 18:8, 13, 17; 22:12; Neh. 5:6-13).

Two Debtors (Luke 7:36-50)

    Simon the Pharisee invited Jesus to a special dinner, probably in his honor, with other Pharisees. (Since it was considered a meritorious act to invite a synagogue speaker to a meal, some have inferred that Jesus might have just completed a sermon in the local synagogue.) Suddenly, a sinful woman (likely a prostitute) entered the room. Against the custom of the day, she unbound her hair in the presence of the men. Then, she broke the neck of an alabaster jar of perfume and began to anoint Jesus’ feet with it. She spread the perfume on Jesus’ feet with her hair. It was a shocking scene to Simon and his guests; it provided them with clear-cut proof that Jesus was not really who he said he was, or he would not have allowed this sinner to approach and touch him. How could a holy person allow contact with such an unholy person?

    Why do you suppose he did allow it? Could it be that her self-giving love was a response of gratitude, rather than one of immoral intent? Was there something in her action that Jesus recognized was missing in the formal politeness of the Pharisees? In answer, Jesus told his fellow dinner guests a story.

Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. The first man owed him 500 denarii, and the other owed 50. Neither man had enough money to pay off his debt, so the moneylender canceled the debts of both.

...the one who had the greater debt canceled would feel the deepest gratitude.

    “Which man,” Jesus asked, “felt a deeper thankfulness and gratitude?” Simon replied that the one who had the greater debt canceled would feel the deepest gratitude. Jesus then turned toward the woman and told Simon that her sins had been forgiven-“for she has loved much.” In effect, Jesus entreated Simon: “Don’t you understand? She’s closer to God than you are! She’s trying to show her gratitude for the power of self-giving love that God has shown her. But you, Simon, are thankful for very little.”

    Self-giving love produces gratitude in the life of a forgiven sinner. Jesus apparently had met this woman before and had assured her of her forgiveness by God. Upon seeing him again, she showed her boundless gratitude in the only way she knew how. Her life had been touched by the power of self-giving love. Simon, on the other hand, felt closer to God because he could point to his piety, civic achievement, and moral superiority. The clear lesson of this event is that when we feel a deep gratitude for our personal forgiveness by God, we are closer to God and to his rule than many religious persons who trust in their own abilities, good deeds and piety.

Good News In Strange Circumstances

    If hatred, religious prejudice, and bigotry ever looked like winners, it was the day they nailed Jesus to his cross. Here was God’s Son, who had never harmed another creature, now abused and mocked. He preached and practiced love, only to be crucified and apparently conquered. But that’s only the way it appeared; God went to work and much more happened that day:

Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered, and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest, in the order of Meichizedek (Hebrews 5:8-10).

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding (Ephesians 1:7-8).

But we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:23-24).

    God’s love for people, as shown in the death of his Son, is the best news ever announced. Jesus becomes the only person to live, die, and live again, never to die! All because of the love of God.

This is Part 4 of a series.

© 2001, Prentice Meador. Excerpted from Stories That Astonish: The Parables of Jesus, HillCrest Publishing, 2001. Used by permission.
Title: "God at Work: Debtors to Grace"
Author: Prentice Meador
Publication Date: May 26, 2001

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