March 25th, 2026
The Story of Two Debtors
Read Luke 7:41-42 “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?”
Jesus tells a simple story about two people who owed money. One owed a little, and the other owed a lot more. When both debts were forgiven, neither one of them had to repay anything. Nothing!
To give us context and perspective in this story, a denarius was a common Roman silver coin and was roughly equal to one day’s wage for a laborer or a soldier in the time of Jesus.
- 50 denarii=50 days of work (approximately)
- 500 denarii=500 days of work (approximately)
This story illustrates a picture of forgiveness. A debt that could not be repaid easily, or ever, is simply wiped away. God’s forgiveness works the same way. Through Christ, our spiritual debt is canceled–not because we earned it, but because of His grace.
Reflection: How does it change your perspective to think of forgiveness as a canceled debt?
Prayer: Father, thank You for canceling the debt of my sin through Jesus. Help me live with, accept, and reflect gratitude for Your mercy. Amen.
