Parable of the Two Debtors: A Study on Forgiveness

Have we ever wondered why some people show such deep love for Jesus? We watch their devotion and feel a quiet pull in our hearts. We ask how they reached that place. The Parable of the Two Debtors gives us a simple but powerful answer. Jesus tells this story in a moment filled with tension. He sits at the table of a Pharisee named Simon. A woman with a sinful past enters the room. She stands behind Jesus with tears in her eyes. She kneels and lets her tears fall on His feet. She wipes them with her hair. She pours perfume on them. Her actions shock the room. Simon judges her silently. He also doubts Jesus. He wonders how a true prophet could let such a woman touch Him.

Jesus hears Simon’s thoughts and responds with a short parable. It lasts only a few sentences. However, this parable opens a window into God’s heart. It also reveals something important about our own hearts. The story helps us understand why some people cling to Jesus with such love. It shows why others remain cold and distant. When we study this parable, we see a picture of grace. We also see how that grace shapes our response to Christ.

Parables: The Mysteries of God’s Kingdom Revealed Through the Stories Jesus Told, Paperback by John F. MacArthur

As we walk through this study, we will see that Jesus never shames sinners who come to Him. Instead, He lifts their heads. He forgives their debts. He restores their dignity. He helps them love Him with joy. This study invites us to enter the story. We meet the woman, the Pharisee, and Jesus. We listen to His teaching. We see our own need for forgiveness. We learn how gratitude grows from the grace we receive.

This parable is simple. Yet its truth reaches deep into our lives. It helps new believers understand the heart of salvation. It helps growing believers remember where love begins. It helps all of us draw close to the Savior who cancels our debt and gives us peace.

The Setting: A Meal, A Pharisee, and a Broken Heart (Luke 7:36–40)

To understand the Parable of the Two Debtors, we must understand what happens before it. Jesus is invited to eat at the home of Simon the Pharisee. The scene looks peaceful on the surface. However, tension sits under the surface. Simon has not welcomed Jesus with the normal signs of hospitality. He has not offered water for His feet. He has not given a warm greeting. He has not used oil to honor Him. These were common acts of respect in that culture. Simon does none of them. His cold welcome shows that he has little interest in honoring Jesus. He may want to test Him. He may want to appear polite before others. He does not show love.

Then a woman enters. She is described as “a sinner.” The Pharisees know her reputation. She knows her past as well. She brings an alabaster flask of ointment. She stands behind Jesus and weeps. Her tears fall freely. She bends down to wipe His feet with her hair. She kisses His feet. She pours perfume on them. Her actions are bold. They show humility and deep love.

Simon reacts inside his heart. He thinks Jesus should know better. He thinks a prophet would avoid this woman. Jesus responds to Simon’s silent judgment by telling a story. This moment sets the stage. The parable will expose the hearts of both the woman and the Pharisee. It will also show us the heart of Jesus.

The Parable Itself: Two Debtors, One Generous Lender (Luke 7:41–42)

Jesus begins with a simple picture. He says, “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, the other fifty. When they could not pay, he canceled the debt of both.” A denarius was a day’s wage. Five hundred denarii was almost two years of work. Fifty was about two months. The difference is important. One debtor owes a large amount. The other owes a smaller amount. However, Jesus does not focus on the size of the debt alone. He focuses on the fact that neither debtor can repay. Both are helpless. Both depend completely on the mercy of the lender.

Here Jesus teaches us something about sin. Some sins look large to us. Other sins look small. The Pharisee sees the woman’s sins as large. He sees his own sins as small. Jesus sees the truth. No one can repay the debt of sin. No one can clear their own record. No one can stand before God by their own strength. We all need forgiveness. The debt of sin is beyond our reach.

The lender cancels both debts. This act is filled with grace. He does not give them more time. He does not demand a payment plan. He frees both debtors completely. Jesus is teaching about His own work. He is the one who forgives. He is the one who cancels our debt. He is the one who pays the price we cannot pay.

The Question and the Principle: Who Will Love More? (Luke 7:42–43)

Jesus continues. He asks, “Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answers, “The one for whom he canceled the larger debt.” Jesus tells him he is right. Simon understands the story. However, he does not understand how it applies to his own heart. The parable shows a simple principle. The person who knows they have been forgiven much will love much. The person who feels they have little to be forgiven will love little.

Jesus is not saying that some sinners are worth more than others. He is not saying we must compare our sins to someone else. He is teaching that awareness matters. When we see our need for grace, our love grows. When we think we need only a small touch of forgiveness, our love stays small. The woman in the story knows her need. She knows her past. She knows her brokenness. When she meets Jesus, she sees hope. She sees mercy. Her love flows from a heart that has been forgiven.

Simon does not see his need. His religion has made him proud. His position has made him blind. He cannot show love because he does not see his own debt before God. Jesus uses the parable of the two debtors to show him the truth. The greater our awareness of grace, the deeper our love becomes.

Jesus Applies the Parable: Simon and the Woman (Luke 7:44–47)

Jesus turns to the woman but speaks to Simon. He draws a direct line from the parable to the moment they share. He says, “Do you see this woman?” Simon has seen her, but not with the right eyes. Jesus compares Simon’s actions with the woman’s actions. Simon offered no water. The woman gave her tears. Simon offered no kiss of greeting. The woman kissed His feet many times. Simon did not offer oil. The woman poured expensive perfume.

NIV Study Bible Hardcover

With its decades-long legacy of helping readers grasp the Bible’s meaning, the NIV Study Bible embodies the mission of the NIV translation to be an accurate, readable, and clear guide into Scripture. Specifically designed to expand upon the NIV, the NIV Study Bible’s editorial team crafts that same accuracy and clarity into every study note.

Get Yours on Amazon

Jesus says, “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little loves little.” Jesus is not teaching that forgiveness comes because of love. He is teaching that love comes from forgiveness. The woman’s actions show the change in her heart. She has been forgiven. Her love flows from that grace. Simon’s cold heart shows a lack of understanding. He does not see that he also needs forgiveness.

This moment helps us reflect on our own lives. We may be tempted to judge others. We may forget our own need for grace. We may measure people by their past instead of God’s mercy. Jesus invites us to see with new eyes. He teaches us to value humility, repentance, and love.

Forgiveness, Faith, and Peace (Luke 7:48–50)

The final part of this story reveals the heart of salvation. Jesus says to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” The people at the table whisper among themselves. They ask, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” Jesus answers their questions through His actions. He speaks with the authority of God. He offers forgiveness to those who come to Him in faith.

Jesus tells the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” Her salvation does not rest in her tears or her perfume. It rests in her faith. She trusts Jesus to forgive her. Her life changes because of that faith. Jesus gives her peace. This peace is more than a feeling. It is the calm of a forgiven heart. It is the rest that comes when guilt is removed. It is the joy that grows from mercy.

This final part of the story brings comfort to every believer. Jesus sees our past. He sees our brokenness. He sees our tears. He does not turn us away. He forgives us when we come in faith. He restores our dignity. He sends us forward with peace.

Application for Believers Today

This parable touches many areas of our walk with Christ. It helps us see how grace shapes our love. It helps us check our hearts for pride. It helps us remember what Jesus has done for us. When we understand our own debt, we respond with gratitude. We serve Jesus with joy. We treat others with kindness.

This parable also helps us share the gospel. Many people feel too broken to come to Jesus. The woman in this story shows that no one is beyond His reach. Jesus forgives freely. He welcomes those who come in faith.

Finally, the parable of the two debtors strengthens our daily walk. We do not live for Jesus to earn His favor. We live for Him because we have received His favor. Our love grows as we remember His mercy.

Closing thoughts on the Parable of the Two Debtors

The Parable of the Two Debtors is short, but it carries deep truth. Jesus uses this story to show how forgiveness works and how love grows. The woman loved much because she knew she had been forgiven much. Simon loved little because he believed he needed little grace. Jesus invites us to follow the woman’s example. He calls us to see our need, trust in His mercy, and live with grateful love.

When we look to Jesus, we see the one who cancels our debt. We see the one who welcomes us. We see the one who gives peace. Our love grows because His grace has reached our hearts. As we study this parable, we remember that every believer stands on the same ground. We are all forgiven sinners who have been lifted by the mercy of Christ. That mercy leads us into a life of gratitude, devotion, and peace.