Thematic Selections from the Bible

Bible Basics and About the Bible [18 lists] Bible Classics [8 lists] Bible Prohpecies Fulfilled [1 lists] Celebrating Good Things in Life [6 lists] Celebrating Good Times [8 lists] Dealing With Tough Stuff [21 lists] Dealing with tough Situations [7 lists] God's Plan [11 lists] Great Persons from the Bible [11 lists] Jesus' Teachings [3 lists] Miracles [8 lists] Parables Jesus Told [37 lists] Personal Growth [43 lists] The Bible on Different Topics [28 lists] The Christian Life [18 lists] The Life of Jesus [16 lists] The Nature of God [10 lists]

Tell a friend

Tag the Bible!

Tags are words mapped to bible passages. You can learn more and make them yourself by clicking here.

Moneylender forgives unequal debts shown in American Standard Version

This parable, spoken in Simon the Pharisee’s house, highlights the incredible forgiveness of God, and our difficulty in appreciating or seeing our need for forgiveness.

Print version Show verse numbers

Lk 7:41-43

41 A certain lender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred shillings, and the other fifty.

42 When they had not to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?

43 Simon answered and said, He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

Who loves God more? The one who has been forgiven little, or the one who has been forgiven much? God uses this parable to bring across that message to Simon the Pharisee. Yet, both of the debtors had their debts cancelled! Shouldn’t both be grateful? Yet the one whose debt was small soon forgot that he had ever owed a debt.

The amount for which one feels that they’ve been forgiven is also dependant on the acknowledgement of their sin. For example, if I felt that lying was not a sin, I would not feel the need to ask for forgiveness. Are we able to differentiate what is sinful and what is right? How can we know what is right or wrong? Well, that’s precisely the reason why the Ten Commandments were given – as guidelines that have set standards for us to follow. Yet when people start to follow the Ten Commandments on a superficial level, the essence of these laws were lost. God wants us to obey Him out of love, not be like robots, simply obeying the rules set out for us!