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October 20, 2025

The Debt We Can't Repay

by Jason Neill

Scripture reading: Luke 7:36-50

Imagine with me: It’s early in the morning. You’re drinking your second cup of coffee when you hear a tap on your door. That’s odd, you think to yourself. You weren't expecting any visitors, especially this early.

You open the door, and standing on your front steps is a well-dressed man. With a smile, he asks if he could have a moment of your time. Typically, you'd say no to such a request, but the gentleman’s appearance and good manners disarm your reservations.

He then informs you that, as wild as it may sound, he wants to pay off all your debt: the mortgage, the credit cards, student loans, and medical bills. This guy can’t be serious. How strange would it be for a total stranger to show up at your door offering to erase everything you owe? That kind of stuff just never happens.

Well, it did happen once. Let me share with you one of my favorite stories in the New Testament about someone who had all their debt forgiven.

Forgiveness: The Parable of the Two Debtors

“One of the Pharisees asked him (Jesus) to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.

Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.’ And Jesus answering said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ And he answered, ‘Say it, Teacher.’

‘A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he canceled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?’ Simon answered, ‘The one, I suppose, for whom he canceled the larger debt.’ And he said to him, ‘You have judged rightly.’

Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.’ And he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this, who even forgives sins?’ And he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace’” (Luke 7:36-50, ESV).

A Debt Paid in Full: Our Response

Now back to our original story. If the man at your front door not only had the resources but also genuinely followed through on his offer and paid off all your debts, how would you feel?

If you had significant financial debt, your love and gratitude for that person would be significant. If your debt was small, your love and gratitude would be small.

This is the central point Jesus was making. If you have trusted in Jesus for eternal life, not only were you made spiritually alive, at the moment of faith, but you also had all your sins forgiven (see John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47; 11:25-26; Ephesians 2:1-5; Colossians 1:13-14).

The woman in the story considered herself a great sinner; her debt was great. Consequently, she was overwhelmed with gratitude and love because Jesus forgave her of all her sins.

Pause for a moment and ask yourself, how grateful am I?