Text: Luke 7:41-43
“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.”
To get the truth from this parable, we would have to read it from Luke 7: 36-50. This chapter shed more light on what brokenness is and the display of brokenness. It shows that God doesn’t take title to heart or the eloquence of personality. What God consider most acceptable is a grateful and a humble heart. There is no difference between little or multitude of sin before God. What really move God is the state of the heart. Of course when multitude of sins are forgiven, one is much grateful but the platform to receiving mercy for and gravity of sin(s) is brokenness. When one is not broken in heart (truly remorseful and repentant from wrongdoing or sin), one can’t freely have access to mercy or know the value of mercy.
The woman mentioned in the latter verse of the text showed an example of this. Jesus saw the state of her heart, even though she never mentioned it with her lips that she should be forgiven, yet her sins were pardoned. Coming to God with the contrite heart and broken spirit is what Christ Jesus accept for our sins to be washed away. That was why David cried out before God in Psalms 51:17 in sack clothing and ashes when he did the formidable. He didn’t see himself as God’s chosen or the king or the apple of God’s eye, He went broken before God.
No matter how numerous our sins are, Christ is able to forgive us. Nevertheless, our brokenness and state of our heart is a major factor for the forgiveness to take place.
Conclusion: “If my people which are called by my name can “humble themselves” and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sins and heal their land” (2Chronicles 7:14).
