Who Will Love the Creditor Most? - Luke 7:42

Luke the beloved physician how Jesus told Simon the Pharisee, “There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty”, and in chapter seven and verse forty-two of his book Luke shared how Jesus asked, “which of them will love him most?” where we read:

And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both.

Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

The verse reads, “And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both.” Luke began with the words, “and when” or “and at the time and moment” “they had nothing to pay” which means “the two debtors did not have the resources to repay their debts”, “he frankly forgave them both” or “the creditor graciously, freely and with pardon rescued and delivered the debtors from their debt”. Luke shared how Jesus said neither one of the two debtors had the means to repay their debts to the creditor, so the creditor “released them” from their debt owed to him.

The verse goes on to say, “Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?” Luke continued with the words, “tell me therefore” which means “speak, answer and declare to Jesus then, wherefore, consequently and these things being so”, “which of them” or “which one of the two debtors” “will love him most” which means “will welcome, entertain, be fond of, be well pleased with and contented toward the creditor to a greater degree”? Luke shared how Jesus asked “Simon the Pharisee” which of the two debtors who were forgiven of their debts would love the creditor the “most”.

When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn of an interesting situation in Jesus' story. Both men were debtors to the creditor, and though one owed more than the other, both were “forgiven” of their debts. Jesus' question to Simon was which one of them would love the creditor more, and we can imagine how grateful each of them would be. People who have a “large amount of debt” or sin in their lives may be forgiven of their sins when they believe and trust in Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”, and regardless of the level of sin in a person's life - “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). God simply wants “debtors”, worldwide, to come to Him through His Son Jesus Christ, and when they do, He is willing to “forgive their debt”, release them from the penalty of sin and extend to them everlasting life with Him by His grace. Let all who read these words, regardless of how indebted to God they feel, come before Jesus and ask to be forgiven for all the wickedness they have done.

Next time Luke shares how Simon answered, “I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most” did, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".