Sunday, May 14, 2006
PARABLE OF TWO DEBTORS
Vv 40-42. And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he replied, "Say it, Teacher." 41. "A certain moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42. "When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him more?"
Jesus answered and said to him (who had not spoken his question) making it clearly evident that Jesus had no problem reading the thoughts of this Pharisee. Tenderly He says, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” Simon is brought out in the forefront of his dinner guests to be tested and invited to the same forgiveness that the contrite city prostitute had publicly displayed. Simon is left with little option so he replied, “Say it Teacher.”
The parable is now spoken for all to hear but for Simon to evaluate: A certain moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. "When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him more?"
We must understand that parables are examples easily understood in a natural sense but hold deeper spiritual meaning that frankly some will never understand. In this parable we find a certain money lender who had two debtors. Life is great for lending agents so long as revenue steadily returns with interest. Life is also good for debtors who can faithfully repay their debts. This is where the difficulty lies in all three businessmen. Two debtors are in over their heads with debt and they were unable to repay. This situation common to both of these debtors is their inability but they differ in their accountability to the moneylender. The moneylender must react with some kind of response simply for good business practice.
The debt incurred was based on the denarius, or the equivalent of one day’s wages. One debtor owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty; five hundred days of earnings and the other fifty days wages. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that the moneylender is out a minimum of 550 day’s wages.
As Simon is doing this same calculation to arrive at a sum, or at least an analogy of what should be done, the moneylender graciously forgave them both. It is at this point that Jesus clears Simon’s slate and poses the question, “Which of them will love him more?”
Jesus answered and said to him (who had not spoken his question) making it clearly evident that Jesus had no problem reading the thoughts of this Pharisee. Tenderly He says, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” Simon is brought out in the forefront of his dinner guests to be tested and invited to the same forgiveness that the contrite city prostitute had publicly displayed. Simon is left with little option so he replied, “Say it Teacher.”
The parable is now spoken for all to hear but for Simon to evaluate: A certain moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. "When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him more?"
We must understand that parables are examples easily understood in a natural sense but hold deeper spiritual meaning that frankly some will never understand. In this parable we find a certain money lender who had two debtors. Life is great for lending agents so long as revenue steadily returns with interest. Life is also good for debtors who can faithfully repay their debts. This is where the difficulty lies in all three businessmen. Two debtors are in over their heads with debt and they were unable to repay. This situation common to both of these debtors is their inability but they differ in their accountability to the moneylender. The moneylender must react with some kind of response simply for good business practice.
The debt incurred was based on the denarius, or the equivalent of one day’s wages. One debtor owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty; five hundred days of earnings and the other fifty days wages. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that the moneylender is out a minimum of 550 day’s wages.
As Simon is doing this same calculation to arrive at a sum, or at least an analogy of what should be done, the moneylender graciously forgave them both. It is at this point that Jesus clears Simon’s slate and poses the question, “Which of them will love him more?”
# posted by Castusfumus : 6:35 PM
