Matthew 6:12
Jesus Links Forgiving to a Debt
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Matthew 18:21-35
Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Luke 7:36-50
Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman
36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Jesus often related forgiving to a debt we owe...He did this in His LORD’s Prayer, when He tells us to pray to our Father in heaven to forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors...Forgiving in these terms means to grant relief to a payment or a debt one owes another...This relief of debt means we (or Jesus) are /is excusing someone of a payment they owe...The payment of the one who has harmed you (or sinned against God) is forgiven and nothing is owed...This harm that was caused is why the debt has happened and why people want justice of the situation...This harm is seen as a wrongdoing by the one who has been harmed...And often the one harmed wants payment for this harm or wrongdoing by either cash, retaliation, revenge, or harm to the person who caused the wrongdoing...The one harmed wants payment for the person’s debt or wrongdoing...
This approach of seeking repayment of the debt is often seen in today’s world by people...But Jesus did not take this approach in seeking repayment of debt...No, Jesus, asks us to pray to God to help us forgive our enemies, and to forgive others of the debts they owe us...When we are able to forgive like Jesus there is a part of suffering involved in forgiveness...This is because the one harmed in forgiving, the one who was harmed, must give up his right to this debt, this right to retaliate, this right of revenge, this right making the other person who harmed you of feeling the way you do...
And so we can see love in forgiveness and a love and forgiveness link in suffering...If one forgives little, they can only love a little...But those who have the ability to forgive a lot, can love greatly...And we see this when Jesus was anointed by a sinful woman...And we can see this link between forgiveness, suffering, and love -when Jesus told Simon the story of the two people who owed money to the moneylender, after Simon had said to himself, “If this Man were a prophet, He would know who is touching Him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”...Jesus told this story to Simon, “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender...One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty...Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both...Now which of them will love him more?”...Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”...“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said...Then He turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman?...I came into your house...You did not give Me any water for my feet, but she wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair...You did not give Me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing My feet...You did not put oil on My head, but she has poured perfume on My feet...Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown...But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”...Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”...The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”...Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”...
God forgives us with His LOVE for us...He shows this Great LOVE, by forgiving us of our many sins, when His Son suffered and died on the cross...God suffered watching His Son die for us...Jesus suffered by being flogged, tortured, and dying on the cross...We have sinned and we owe the debt...We have harmed the Perfectly Moral One with our sins...Yet, out of love He sent His Son to save us...