Have you ever been looked down on? Probably. If Jesus was looked down on by people, anyone can be!
Have you ever looked down on others? Probably. Pride is one of the core problems we humans face. We tend to make up endless competitions and comparisons, and we love it when we win.
The parable of the two debtors speaks to both of these issues. It offers value and dignity to those deemed “less than.” And it offers a warning to us when we’re sitting a little too high on our high horses.
Along the way, it paints one of the most beautiful pictures of what faith expressing itself through love looks like. So let’s explore what this parable has to say about comparison, pride, and how God’s grace helps us love well.
What Is a Parable?
A parable is a simple story that uses everyday imagery to reveal deep spiritual truths. Jesus didn’t invent parables, but He was a master parable teller, using them to teach timeless lessons about God’s kingdom.
Parables invited listeners to lean in, reflect, and wrestle with what Jesus was really saying. For those with open hearts, these simple stories revealed deep spiritual truths. But for those who resisted, the meaning remained hidden.
Explore the Ultimate Parable Guide.
Where Does the Parable of the Two Debtors Appear in Scripture?
The parable of the two debtors is found in the Gospel of Luke—more precisely, Luke 7:36-50.
A Parable of the Two Debtors Summary
- In this story, two people are indebted to a moneylender.
- One owes 500 pieces of silver, which would be a bit more than a year’s wages.
- One owes 50 pieces of silver, which would be a bit more than a month’s wages.
- The moneylender graciously and generously decides to forgive both debts completely since neither could repay him.
- Jesus ends the parable with a simple question. “Which of the debtors will love him more?”
Who’s Who in the Parable?
Every parable contains people, objects, or animals to which Jesus gives spiritual meaning. This parable is no different. So before we explore what this parable means, we need to find out who and what each thing in this parable represents.
- The moneylender represents God.
- The debtor who owes the lender 500 pieces of silver represents someone who has sinned greatly against God.
- The debtor who owes the lender 50 pieces of silver represents someone who has sinned against God—but maybe less egregious sins or fewer sins in general.
The Parable of the Two Debtors Explained
The parable of the two debtors shows that none of us can repay the debt of sin we owe to God, but He offers complete forgiveness through Jesus. Those who understand how deeply they’ve been forgiven often respond with greater love, while those who think they’re “good enough” may miss out on the fullness of God’s grace.
The Context of the Parable of the Two Debtors
This parable wasn’t written to us, but it was spoken to real people in a real moment. Understanding that moment helps us see what Jesus meant more clearly.
This parable is quite short and easy to grasp. What makes it especially poignant and challenging is the setting, the audience, and the reason Jesus told it in the first place.
When: The night Jesus told this story was probably sometime toward the beginning of His second year of public ministry. People were beginning to understand that He was someone special. He had a following at this point—including some Jewish leaders who had many questions and doubts.
Where: Jesus was invited to dinner at the home of Simon, a Pharisee. A Pharisee was a lay leader in the Jewish community. They were highly respected religious leaders, even though they weren’t priests.
They had a bit of a picture-perfect reputation in the eyes of the people who tried to live up to their teachings and interpretations of Jewish Scriptures. Sadly, they also had a reputation for being prideful over how “holy” they were. And Jesus even told another parable to describe how displeasing that was to Him.
Who: You already know Simon and Jesus were there. Likely, some of Jesus’ disciples were there too, as they traveled together often. Quite possibly, other Pharisees, friends, or family members of Simon may have been there. And, importantly, a “sinful woman” found her way into Simon’s home. Her actions became the reason Jesus chose to tell this parable in the first place.
Why Did Jesus Tell the Parable?
Jesus was reclining at the table at Simon’s house, as was the dining custom of the day. Then a woman, uninvited, entered the house. She took the position of a servant and knelt behind Jesus, weeping. Her tears were so many that they dripped on His feet. She wiped them away with her hair. She even poured out a precious, expensive perfumed ointment on His feet to cleanse them.
Simon wasn’t pleased with this. He thought he had caught Jesus in some kind of foolishness or even sin. He muttered to himself that if Jesus knew how “sinful” this woman was, He wouldn’t have allowed her to touch Him in this way.
Jesus knows our thoughts, though, and He chose to answer Simon’s sneers with the parable of the two debtors.
What happened afterward? When Jesus finished telling the story, He asked Simon which of the two debtors would love the moneylender more. Simon correctly answered that it would be the one who had been forgiven the greater debt.
Jesus used Simon’s understanding to bring some correction to him. He told Simon that this woman was showing greater hospitality than Simon had. Simon rudely didn’t even offer to have a servant wash Jesus’ feet when He entered his home, as was the custom of the day. He gave no kiss for a friendly greeting and offered no oil for Jesus’ head to honor Him.
But this woman kissed Jesus’ feet, washed them with her tears, and perfumed them with very precious oil that would’ve cost her a year’s wages.
Jesus then showed Simon that he was like the debtor who has less love toward the generous moneylender. Jesus explained that this woman, indeed, loved Jesus more. He told her that she was forgiven and to go in peace. He said her faith had saved her!
Jesus not only showed that He has the power to forgive sins, but also that Simon was unable to notice his own.
What the Parable of the Two Debtors Means Now
This parable reminds us that no matter how “good” we think we are, we all have an equal need for grace.
This parable reminds us that no matter how “good” we think we are, we all have an equal need for grace. It urges us to look past appearances and examine our hearts. None of us has what it takes to stand before the awesomeness of God and receive the “perfect” stamp! None. It’s a pass/fail kind of test. We’re all standing with an empty wallet on the day our debts are due.
And we’re all offered 100% loan forgiveness! Jesus paid the price to make us right with God. God’s gracious heart loves us enough to cancel out our debts. We get to stand before God, through Jesus, with the title of “My child” and “forgiven.” That ought to move each of us to the position of the woman at Jesus’ feet.
This parable is also a stern warning, especially to those who are religious or who are publicly known for following God. The warning? “Do not devalue My children.” And also, “Do not overvalue your righteousness.”
It paints a clear picture of what Jesus wants for us. He wants us to love. Love God and love others.
Which person at this dinner showed love? Not the religious leader. He sat across from Jesus Christ in the flesh and condemned Him for the loving way He treated a woman.
The woman lavished Jesus with praise and honor. Jesus told her that her faith had saved her! It wasn’t her ability to live a perfect life. It was her faith expressed in love.
3 Truths to Hold On to From the Parable of the Two Debtors
- God wants you to display your faith through love.
- Resist the common trap of becoming proud of yourself for being “better than …”
- You can honor Jesus by loving the person in front of you.
Next Steps
- Ask yourself: Is there someone I’ve been viewing as “undeserving” of God’s love? How can I put my faith into action by loving them instead?
- Pray: Jesus, I want to love You with the depth of the woman who wept at Your feet. Help me find ways to express that kind of gratitude to You. Father, show me how to love not just You, but all Your children too. Help me to have compassion for others the way You do. When I face the weight of my sin, help me to forgive myself as You forgive me. Above all, help me learn how to express my faith in You through love. In Jesus’ name, amen.
- Take a step: The woman at Jesus’ feet brought a costly gift to Jesus to demonstrate her love and to highly honor Him. What is a gift that would cost you something that you could privately give to show Jesus how much you love and honor Him? Think of something that may cost you your time or maybe your money. If it’s something that will cost you a little pride, that’s probably where you should lean in.
Read the Parable for Yourself
One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”
Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.”
“Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.
Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”
Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”
“That’s right,” Jesus said. Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.
I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?”
And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Luke 7:36-50 NLT