There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
Jesus spoke this parable to Simon the Pharisee at his own table to answer his secret doubt about letting a sinful woman touch Him. The creditor stands for Christ, and the two debtors stand for Simon and Mary, owing fifty pence and five hundred pence. Both were unable to pay, and both were freely forgiven, Simon healed of leprosy and cleansed from sin and Mary pardoned of her sins. The one forgiven the larger debt loves the creditor more, so Mary loved much because she felt her sinfulness deeply while Simon loved little because he felt little forgiven. In truth Simon's guilt was even greater than hers, for he had led her into sin and then despised her, and his cold self-righteousness showed he did not see his own need, while a true sense of forgiveness humbles the heart into grateful, self-sacrificing love.
Setting and Symbols
The parable begins at a meal in the house of Simon the Pharisee, spoken after Judas had left the house. Jesus read Simon's heart and knew that Judas's insinuations had led him to question whether Jesus could be a prophet for letting a sinful woman touch Him. Jesus had accepted the invitation and used the meal to teach lessons suited to His hearers. His conduct there showed His disciples how to act among both religious and nonreligious people. His generous conduct and teaching in mercy stood in contrast to the Pharisees' self-righteous criticism and condemnation.
The creditor in the story stands for Christ as Benefactor. The two debtors stand for Simon and Mary, the sinful sorrowful repentant woman. Both debtors were unable to pay, and both were freely forgiven. Simon had been healed of loathsome leprosy and cleansed from sin, saved from living death, and Mary had been pardoned of her sins.
The unequal sums, five hundred pence and fifty pence owed to one creditor, illustrate different measures of debt and forgiveness. They set up the comparison about the debt owed to the Lord. The contrast leads to the question which debtor will love the creditor most, which condemns Simon. Simon admits that the one forgiven more will love more, that Christ must be loved most by the one He forgave most.
Forgiveness Awakens Love
Freely forgiven debt awakens love and gratitude, so that the one forgiven the larger debt loves the creditor more and those forgiven much love much. Simon himself admitted that Christ must be loved most by the one He forgave most. The parable does not teach that debtors owe different degrees of gratitude or that one person's obligation to love is actually smaller, nor does the difference in sums mean that one debtor could settle his debt. Both had debts they could never repay and both depended entirely on mercy, and both were freely forgiven.
In the terms of the parable Simon is the fifty-pence debtor who thought he loved Jesus but loved little, and the woman is the five-hundred-pence debtor who loved much because she was fully awake to her own sinfulness. In reality Simon's guilt was greater than hers, as a debt of five hundred pence exceeds one of fifty, because he had led her into sin and then despised her, and he himself had been a greater sinner than she. The difference in their love showed their different sense of what they had received. Mary prized the gift of forgiveness and responded with grateful devotion, while Simon's low sense of obligation left him cold and self-satisfied, without the respect and love that cast out unbelief.
In pride, self-sufficiency, and self-righteousness Simon judged himself more righteous than Mary, exalted himself as far superior to her, thought inviting Jesus to his house was marked respect, lowered Jesus for receiving her devotion, overlooked the miracle of his own deliverance, doubted Christ's divine character and discernment for not repelling her, and did not see his own deformity, selfishness, need for mercy, and small gratitude. True love for Christ can never dwell in a self-righteous heart. When Simon came to see that his own debt was great, recognizing its magnitude humbled him, led him to recognize his neglect and unbelief, and changed him into a humble and self-sacrificing man.
Love for God is measured by conviction of sin and sense of forgiveness. Even the greatest sinners can be forgiven because Christ's sacrifice is sufficient, and a fuller grasp of God's love and the sacrifice made for sinners brings deeper love for Christ, praise, tenderness, and contrition. The more humble are views of self and the more clearly perils from sin are seen by the law, the more clearly the spotless character of Jesus is seen and the more grateful the heart is for deliverance, and to be redeemed means to cease from sin.
Jesus spoke this parable to Simon the Pharisee at his own table to answer his secret doubt about letting a sinful woman touch Him. The creditor stands for Christ, and the two debtors stand for Simon and Mary, owing fifty pence and five hundred pence. Both were unable to pay, and both were freely forgiven, Simon healed of leprosy and cleansed from sin and Mary pardoned of her sins. The one forgiven the larger debt loves the creditor more, so Mary loved much because she felt her sinfulness deeply while Simon loved little because he felt little forgiven. In truth Simon's guilt was even greater than hers, for he had led her into sin and then despised her, and his cold self-righteousness showed he did not see his own need, while a true sense of forgiveness humbles the heart into grateful, self-sacrificing love.
Setting and Symbols
The parable begins at a meal in the house of Simon the Pharisee, spoken after Judas had left the house. Jesus read Simon's heart and knew that Judas's insinuations had led him to question whether Jesus could be a prophet for letting a sinful woman touch Him. Jesus had accepted the invitation and used the meal to teach lessons suited to His hearers. His conduct there showed His disciples how to act among both religious and nonreligious people. His generous conduct and teaching in mercy stood in contrast to the Pharisees' self-righteous criticism and condemnation.
The creditor in the story stands for Christ as Benefactor. The two debtors stand for Simon and Mary, the sinful sorrowful repentant woman. Both debtors were unable to pay, and both were freely forgiven. Simon had been healed of loathsome leprosy and cleansed from sin, saved from living death, and Mary had been pardoned of her sins.
The unequal sums, five hundred pence and fifty pence owed to one creditor, illustrate different measures of debt and forgiveness. They set up the comparison about the debt owed to the Lord. The contrast leads to the question which debtor will love the creditor most, which condemns Simon. Simon admits that the one forgiven more will love more, that Christ must be loved most by the one He forgave most.
Forgiveness Awakens Love
Freely forgiven debt awakens love and gratitude, so that the one forgiven the larger debt loves the creditor more and those forgiven much love much. Simon himself admitted that Christ must be loved most by the one He forgave most. The parable does not teach that debtors owe different degrees of gratitude or that one person's obligation to love is actually smaller, nor does the difference in sums mean that one debtor could settle his debt. Both had debts they could never repay and both depended entirely on mercy, and both were freely forgiven.
In the terms of the parable Simon is the fifty-pence debtor who thought he loved Jesus but loved little, and the woman is the five-hundred-pence debtor who loved much because she was fully awake to her own sinfulness. In reality Simon's guilt was greater than hers, as a debt of five hundred pence exceeds one of fifty, because he had led her into sin and then despised her, and he himself had been a greater sinner than she. The difference in their love showed their different sense of what they had received. Mary prized the gift of forgiveness and responded with grateful devotion, while Simon's low sense of obligation left him cold and self-satisfied, without the respect and love that cast out unbelief.
In pride, self-sufficiency, and self-righteousness Simon judged himself more righteous than Mary, exalted himself as far superior to her, thought inviting Jesus to his house was marked respect, lowered Jesus for receiving her devotion, overlooked the miracle of his own deliverance, doubted Christ's divine character and discernment for not repelling her, and did not see his own deformity, selfishness, need for mercy, and small gratitude. True love for Christ can never dwell in a self-righteous heart. When Simon came to see that his own debt was great, recognizing its magnitude humbled him, led him to recognize his neglect and unbelief, and changed him into a humble and self-sacrificing man.
Love for God is measured by conviction of sin and sense of forgiveness. Even the greatest sinners can be forgiven because Christ's sacrifice is sufficient, and a fuller grasp of God's love and the sacrifice made for sinners brings deeper love for Christ, praise, tenderness, and contrition. The more humble are views of self and the more clearly perils from sin are seen by the law, the more clearly the spotless character of Jesus is seen and the more grateful the heart is for deliverance, and to be redeemed means to cease from sin.