HEARTS AWRY: THE TWO DEBTORS
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. Hearts Awry
a) We group together three parables directed at hypocrisy and corruption among the Pharisees.
b) Pharisee was a member of one of the opinionated and self-glorifying sects among the religious leaders and lawyers in Jerusalem. Pharisees accepted miracles, resurrection, angels, spirits, etc whereas their rivals the Sadducees did not.
c) The Pharisees looked down upon "sinners" and promoted themselves as righteous, yet their religion was all about outward show. The three parables that we now study point to these hearts awry.
d) Here is one of the three parables that teach us about God looks on the heart. He respects a heart full of love for him. He respects qualities such as mercy, humility, and goodness — qualities that were lacking in the hearts of most of the religious leaders of Jerusalem. Of course the lack of such qualities reflects a lack of understanding of the grace and mercy of God.
2. The Two Debtors
Luke 7:36-50
“36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, found out that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. She kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.
39 Well, when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman is touching him, for she is a sinner.' 40 And Jesus answering said to him, 'Simon, I wish to say something to you.' And he answered, 'Say it, Teacher.'
41 Jesus said, 'There was a moneylender who had two debtors. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now Simon, which of them will love him more?' 43 Simon answered, 'I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the larger debt.' Jesus said to him, 'You have judged rightly.'
44 Then turning toward the woman Jesus said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman? I entered your house and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 So I tell you Simon, her sins, though many, are forgiven —for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.'
48 And Jesus said to the woman, 'Your sins are forgiven.' 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, 'Who is this, who even forgives sins?' 50 And Jesus said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'”
a) Luke 7:36-40 shows the background to this parable. Simon the Pharisee has a problem with the way a woman "sinner" is treating Jesus and his acceptance of her. She was kissing his feet, wiping them with her hair and her tears, and she was anointing them with perfume. Simon could not see the loveliness of this act. He could see only the sins she had committed, and he could only despise her.
b) Luke 7:41-42 records the simple and short parable which Jesus told to Simon. Two men owed money to a moneylender. One owed fifty denarii (fifty day's wages), and the other owed ten times as much. Both were forgiven their debts by a compassionate moneylender. The moneylender in this parable represents God, and the two debtors represent sinners.
c) Luke 7:43-44 shows the meaning of the parable. Simon was asked to choose which of the debtors he thought would love the moneylender more. Not a difficult question. "I suppose," Simon said, "it would be the one whom he forgave more".
d) Dead right Simon, and obviously Jesus is suggesting that this "sinner" woman will love God more than you because she has more sins to forgive than you do. Of course, Jesus is describing you through your own eyes, Simon. You think that you have little sin. If you would see yourself as God sees you, then you would know that you also have much to be forgiven of, and when you found forgiveness, you would love God much more than you do now. You would be like this woman.
e) Luke 7:45-50 records what Jesus went on to say to Simon and the woman. Jesus was hard on Simon, but perfectly fair. Simon had shown no love for Jesus, and even fell short of courtesy. The woman, the sinner, had shown great love and faith, and the Lord commended her and showed her mercy.
The End ...
1. Hearts Awry a) We group together three parables directed at hypocrisy and corruption among the Pharisees.
b) Pharisee was a member of one of the opinionated and self-glorifying sects among the religious leaders and lawyers in Jerusalem. Pharisees accepted miracles, resurrection, angels, spirits, etc whereas their rivals the Sadducees did not.
c) The Pharisees looked down upon "sinners" and promoted themselves as righteous, yet their religion was all about outward show. The three parables that we now study point to these hearts awry.
d) Here is one of the three parables that teach us about God looks on the heart. He respects a heart full of love for him. He respects qualities such as mercy, humility, and goodness — qualities that were lacking in the hearts of most of the religious leaders of Jerusalem. Of course the lack of such qualities reflects a lack of understanding of the grace and mercy of God.
2. The Two DebtorsLuke 7:36-50
“36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, found out that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. She kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.
39 Well, when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman is touching him, for she is a sinner.' 40 And Jesus answering said to him, 'Simon, I wish to say something to you.' And he answered, 'Say it, Teacher.'
41 Jesus said, 'There was a moneylender who had two debtors. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now Simon, which of them will love him more?' 43 Simon answered, 'I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the larger debt.' Jesus said to him, 'You have judged rightly.'
44 Then turning toward the woman Jesus said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman? I entered your house and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 So I tell you Simon, her sins, though many, are forgiven —for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.'
48 And Jesus said to the woman, 'Your sins are forgiven.' 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, 'Who is this, who even forgives sins?' 50 And Jesus said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'”
a) Luke 7:36-40 shows the background to this parable. Simon the Pharisee has a problem with the way a woman "sinner" is treating Jesus and his acceptance of her. She was kissing his feet, wiping them with her hair and her tears, and she was anointing them with perfume. Simon could not see the loveliness of this act. He could see only the sins she had committed, and he could only despise her.
b) Luke 7:41-42 records the simple and short parable which Jesus told to Simon. Two men owed money to a moneylender. One owed fifty denarii (fifty day's wages), and the other owed ten times as much. Both were forgiven their debts by a compassionate moneylender. The moneylender in this parable represents God, and the two debtors represent sinners.
c) Luke 7:43-44 shows the meaning of the parable. Simon was asked to choose which of the debtors he thought would love the moneylender more. Not a difficult question. "I suppose," Simon said, "it would be the one whom he forgave more".
d) Dead right Simon, and obviously Jesus is suggesting that this "sinner" woman will love God more than you because she has more sins to forgive than you do. Of course, Jesus is describing you through your own eyes, Simon. You think that you have little sin. If you would see yourself as God sees you, then you would know that you also have much to be forgiven of, and when you found forgiveness, you would love God much more than you do now. You would be like this woman.
e) Luke 7:45-50 records what Jesus went on to say to Simon and the woman. Jesus was hard on Simon, but perfectly fair. Simon had shown no love for Jesus, and even fell short of courtesy. The woman, the sinner, had shown great love and faith, and the Lord commended her and showed her mercy.
Comments
Post a Comment