The Two Debtors

Story Snapshot

At a Pharisee's dinner, a sinful woman weeps over Jesus' feet and anoints them. When the host judges her, Jesus tells of two debtors, one owing much and one little, both forgiven. He asks which will love more, and applies the answer to the woman and the Pharisee.

Main Characters

Story Summary

A Pharisee named Simon invited Jesus to dinner. A woman who had lived a sinful life learned Jesus was there and came with an alabaster jar of perfume. Weeping, she wet his feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. Simon thought that if Jesus were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman was touching him. Jesus answered his thoughts with a parable. Two people owed money to a moneylender. One owed five hundred denarii, the other fifty. Neither could pay, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more? Simon answered, I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven. You have judged correctly, Jesus said. Then he contrasted the woman's lavish love with Simon's cold hospitality, and declared that her many sins had been forgiven, for she loved much; but whoever has been forgiven little loves little.

Timeline

• The AnointingA sinful woman weeps over Jesus' feet and anoints them.
• The JudgmentSimon silently condemns both the woman and Jesus.
• The ParableJesus tells of two debtors forgiven different sums.
• The QuestionHe asks which debtor will love more.
• The ApplicationHe shows the woman loves much because forgiven much.

Themes

What This Story Means

Simon the Pharisee looked down on the weeping woman and, silently, on Jesus for letting her near. Jesus answered with a simple parable: two debtors, one owing ten times the other, both forgiven freely. The one forgiven more will love more. The lesson lands squarely on Simon. The woman's extravagant love flows from a deep sense of forgiveness, while Simon's coldness betrays a heart that feels little need of mercy. Jesus is not saying the woman sinned more than Simon in God's eyes; he is exposing that Simon does not know his own debt. Those who grasp how much they have been forgiven love much; those who imagine they owe little love little. Love for God is measured by our sense of grace received.

Bringing It Home

• Deep love for God grows from a deep sense of forgiveness.
• Those who think they owe little tend to love little.
• Self-righteousness blinds us to our own need for mercy.
• Gratitude, not performance, is the true response to grace.

Key Verse

Did You Know?

• The parable is set within the account of the sinful woman anointing Jesus.
• Five hundred denarii was over a year and a half of wages; fifty was under two months.
• Jesus used it to answer Simon's unspoken judgment.
• It is unique to Luke's Gospel.

Read Next

What This Shows Us About God

• God forgives debts that cannot be repaid.
• God looks on the humble and grateful heart with favor.
• God links forgiveness received to love returned.

What This Shows Us About People

• We can be blind to the size of our own debt.
• We love God in proportion to the grace we know we have received.
• Self-righteousness dampens both gratitude and love.

A Question to Sit With

Do I sense the depth of what I have been forgiven, or do I imagine I owe little?

Prayer

Lord, help me see the true size of my debt and the greatness of Your mercy, so that I love You much. Keep me from the cold heart that thinks it owes little. Amen.