LESSON #56

THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #56
THE PARABLE OF THE CREDITOR AND THE TWO DEBTORS (LUK 7:41-43)

• MEMORY VERSE: ROM 5:2

• THE PARABLE OF THE CREDITOR AND THE TWO DEBTORS (LUK 7:41-43)
• READ LUK 7:36-50 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE.
• THE SCENE:
• JESUS IS IN THE HOUSE OF SIMON, A PHARISEE.
• GENERALLY, PHARISEES WERE NOT SYMPATHETIC TO JESUS OR HIS TEACHINGS.
• THIS PHARISEE HAD INVITED JESUS TO HIS HOUSE, BUT HIS ATTITUDE IS NOT ONE OF INTEREST OR OPENNESS TO CHRIST’S TEACHINGS. ALSO HE IS NOT INTERESTED IN A BELIEF IN JESUS AS THE PROMISED MESSIAH.
• MOST LIKELY, SIMON’S PURPOSE FOR HAVING JESUS IN HIS HOUSE WAS TO GATHER EVIDENCE THAT THE PHARISEES COULD USE AGAINST HIM IN THE SANHEDREN.
• AS A HOST, SIMON DID NOT EXTEND TO JESUS THE NOMAL CUSTOMS OR COMMON COURTESY THAT A HOST WOULD GIVE TO A GUEST IN HIS HOME.
• THERE WAS NO WATER FOR THE WASHING OF THE GUEST’S FEET.
• THIS PRACTICE BEGAN IN THE DAYS OF ABRAHAM.
• THERE WAS NO ANOINTING OLIVE OIL FOR HIS GUEST’S HEAD.
• THERE WAS NO KISS OF SALUTATION THAT INDICATED FRIENDSHIP AND PEACE.
• THE UNINVITED GUEST:
• IT WAS THE CUSTOM THAT A PERSON COULD ENTER A HOUSE AS AN UNINVITED GUEST, NOT TO EAT, BUT SIMPLY AS A SPECTATOR ON THE SIDELINES.
• THE UNINVITED GUEST IS A WOMAN OF SHAME, A PROSTITUTE.
• THIS WOMAN WAS NOT MARY MAGDALENE NOR WAS IT MARY, THE SISTER OF LAZARUS. THE IDENTITY OF THIS WOMAN HAS BEEN CONFUSED WITH THESE TWO WOMEN NAMED, MARY.
• THE BIBLE DOES NOT TELL US HER NAME.
• THE ACT:
• WHAT DID THE WOMAN DO?
• THIS PROSTITUTE WASHES JESUS’ FEET WITH HER TEARS.
• THE PHRASE, “BEGAN TO WASH” (38) MEANS = TO WATER WITH A SHOWER.
• IN OTHER WORDS, THE WOMAN WAS SOBBING PROFUSELY.
• BECAUSE SHE WAS EMBARRASSED THINKING SHE HAD SOILED HIS FEET, SHE BEGINS TO DRY THEM WITH HER HAIR.
• THEN SHE KISSED HIS FEET. (38)
• LITERALLY THE GREEK PHRASING MEANS SHE KISSED HIS FEET AGAIN AND AGAIN WITH GREAT FONDNESS.
• THEN SHE BROKE THE ALABASTER JAR TO RELEASE A VERY EXPENSIVE OIL OF BALSAM WORTH A DAY’S WAGE.
• ACCORDING TO THE PARABLE IN VERSES 41-43, WHO DOES THE CREDITOR REPRESENT?
• THE CREDITOR REPRESENTS JESUS CHRIST.
• WE ARE ALL IN DEBT TO JESUS BECAUSE HE IS THE CREATOR. (COL 1:16-18)
• WE ARE ALL IN DEBT TO JESUS BECAUSE HE SUFFERED FOR US.(HEB 5:8-9)
• WHO DOES THE DEBTOR REPRESENT THAT OWES 500 PENCE (DENARI)
• TO DETERMINE THE REPRESENTATIVE IDENTITY OF THIS DEBTOR, WE NEED TO KNOW THE SIZE OF HIS DEBT.
• THE DEBT AMOUNTS TO ABOUT $18.00.
• IN JESUS’ THINKING, THE DEBTOR REPRESENTS THE PHARISEE.
• HOWEVER, THE PHARISEE PROBABLY THOUGHT THE DEBTOR REPRESENTED THE WOMAN. HE THOUGHT SHE HAD 10 TIMES MORE SIN THAN HE HAD.
• ACCORDING TO VERSE 47, THE WOMAN ALSO THOUGHT THIS DEBTOR REPRESENTED HER.
• HOWEVER, IN VERSE 47b, JESUS TELLS HER THAT HE FORGIVES HER LITTLE SIN.
• WHO DOES THE DEBTOR REPRESENT THAT OWES 50 PENCE (DENARI)?
• AGAIN WE MUST DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF THE DEBT TO IDENTIFY THIS DEBTOR.
• THE DEBT AMOUNT TO ABOUT $6.00. IT IS HARDLY A DEBT WORTH MENTIONING.
• IN JESUS’ THINKING, THIS DEBTOR REPRESENTS THE WOMAN.
• THE ACT OF FORGIVENESS:
• WHAT DOES THE DEBT REPRESENT?
• EVERYONE THERE WHO HEARD THIS PARABLE KNEW WHAT THE DEBT REPRESENTED. (49)
• THE DEBT REPRESENTS SIN IN THE LIFE OF A PERSON.
• THE MENTAL ILLUSTRATION HERE IS THAT GOD HAS AN ACCOUNTING LEDGER. EVERY TIME A PERSON SINS, GOD PUTS A BLACK MARK IN HIS LEDGER NEXT TO THE PERSON’S NAME. FINALLY THE LEDGER IS TOTALED. THE FINAL TOTAL REPRESENTS THE AMOUNT OF A PERSON’S INDEBTEDNESS TO GOD.
• IN REALITY, NEITHER DEBTOR COULD PAY HIS DEBT NO MATTER HOW BIG OR HOW SMALL.
• MAN CAN NEVER SUFFICIENTLY ATONE FOR HIS OWN SIN NO MATTER HOW MANY GOOD DEEDS HE DOES. GOD’S LEDGER IS NEVER BALANCED BY GOOD WORKS.
• READ ROM 4:4-5
• IN GOD’S EYES, BOTH DEBTS SEPARATED THE DEBTORS FROM GOD’S PRESENCE AND LOVE.
• THEREFORE, IN THE PARABLE THE AMOUNT IS REALLY NOT IMPORTANT. IT SERVED ONLY TO BRING SIMON’S ATTENTION TO HIS OWN SIN AND JUDGMENTAL ATTITUDE TOWARD THE PROSTITUTE IN HIS HOME.
• THE BENEVOLENT CREDITOR FORGIVES BOTH DEBTS EQUALLY.
• THIS ACT OF FORGIVNESS WITHOUT REGARD TO THE AMOUNT REPRESENTS GOD’S MAGNIFICENT GRACE.
• JESUS PUTS THE BURDEN OF THE INTERPRETATION ON THE PHARISEE BY ASKING HIM TWO QUESTIONS. THEN OTHERS WHO ARE OBSERVING ASKED THE THIRD QUESTION:
• #1 “WHICH OF THEM WILL LOVE HIM (THE CREDITOR) THE MOST”? (42)
• SIMON ANSWERS CORRECTLY, “…HE TO WHOM HE (THE CREDITOR) FORGAVE MOST” (43)
• #2 “DO YOU SEE THIS WOMAN?” (44)
• SIMON DOES NOT ANSWER THIS QUESTION FOR IT OBVIOUS THAT HE SEES THE WOMAN AT JESUS’ FEET.
• #3 “WHO IS THIS THAT FORGIVES SINS?” (49)
• THIS QUESTION IS ASKED BY OTHER OBSERVERS, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT NO ONE BUT GOD CAN FORGIVE SINS.
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE OF THE CREDITOR AND THE TWO DEBTORS?
• JESUS TELLS US THE CENTRAL MESSAGE HIMSELF IN VERSE 47.
• TO WHOM LITTLE IS FORGIVEN, THE SAME LOVES LITTLE.
• TO WHOM MUCH IS FORGIVEN, THE SAME LOVES MUCH.
• THE FACT IS THAT NO PERSON KNOWS THE FULL EXTENT AND GRAVITY OF HIS SIN.
• THERE ARE SINS OF COMISSION AND SINS OF OMISSION. WE OFTEN KNOW THE SINS WE COMMIT, BUT FREQUENTLY DO NOT KNOW THE THINGS WE FAIL TO DO CORRECTLY.
• THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY ARE SINNERS SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT SIN IS IN GOD’S EYES.
• WHEN WE BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE WORD OF GOD, IT IS LIKE LOOKING INTO A MIRROR.
• WITH THE TRUTH OF THE WORD OF GOD AND THE CONVICTION IN OUR HEARTS BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, WE SEE CLEARLY HOW FAR SHORT WE FALL FROM GOD’S HOLY STANDARD.
• THE MORE WE BECOME AWARE OF THE EXTENT OF OUR SINFUL NATURE THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD, THE MORE WE ARE DRIVEN TO SEEK THE ABUNDANT FORGIVING GRACE OF CHRIST. (1JOH 1:9)
• THE MORE WE EXPERIENCE GOD’S FORGIVENESS, THE MORE WE WILL LOVE JESUS WHO PAID OUR DEBT WITH HIS BLOOD ON THE CROSS.

HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE NEIGHBOR AND THE GOOD SAMARITAN (LUK 10:25-37)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE CREDITOR AND THE TWO DEBTORS (LUK 7:41-43)
• IS THERE SOME SIN IN YOUR LIFE FOR WHICH YOU NEED TO ASK GOD’S FORGIVENESS? IF YOUR ANSWER IS YES, READ 1JOH 1:9.
• PRAY AND ASK GOD TO FORGIVE YOU BY STATING SPECIFICALLY YOUR SIN. THEN, FILL IN THE STATEMENT BELOW.
• TODAY _____________ (DATE) GOD HAS FORGIVEN ME FOR _____________________(THE SPECIFIC SIN), AND I GIVE HIM MY LOVE AND PRAISE IN RETURN.

• PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE NEIGHBOR AND THE GOOD SAMARITAN (LUK 10:25-37)
• READ LUK 10:25-37.
• BACKGROUND NOTES:
• ALL THE PREVIOUS PARABLES HAVE BEEN SYMBOLIC IN THAT YOU DECIDED ON MEANINGS FOR THE DIFFERENT SYMBOLS. IN THIS PARABLE, DO NOT LOOK FOR MEANINGS OF SYMBOLS. IT IS A “TYPICAL” PARABLE. IN OTHER WORDS, THE LESSON TO BE LEARNED IS BY EXAMPLE RATHER THAN BY SYMBOL.
• “FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO” (30)
• THE NAME, JERUSALEM, MEANS = THE VISION OF PEACE.
• IT WAS THE SEAT OF BLESSING, HISTORY, RELIGION, AND PRIVILEGE.
• IT WAS THE CENTER WHERE GOD SAID THAT THE JEWS MUST WORSHIP HIM.
• THE CITY OF JERICHO WAS THE CITY OF A CURSE. (JOS 6:26) THIS CITY WAS KNOWN AS THE CITY OF SIN.
• AT THE TIME OF JESUS’ MINISTRY ON EARTH, ABOUT 12,000 PRIESTS LIVED IN JERICHO WHEN THEY WERE NOT FULFILLING THEIR DUTIES IN JERUSALEM.
• THE ROAD BETWEEN JERICHO AND JERUSALEM WAS ROCKY, WINDING, DANGEROUS, HAUNTED BY ROBBERS AND CONSIDERED UNSAFE.
• HOWEVER, ROBBERS DID NOT USUALLY MOLEST PRIESTS.
• THIS ROAD WAS CALLED, “THE PASS OF BLOOD”.
• WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE “LAWYERS” OF THAT DAY?

• WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE “PRIESTS” OF THAT DAY?

• WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE “LEVITES” OF THAT DAY?

• WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE “SAMARITANS” OF THAT DAY?

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THIS PARABLE?

• MEMORY VERSE: MAR 12:30-31