The Two Debtors
Encyclopedia
The Parable of the Two Debtors is a parable of Jesus
. It appears in only one of the Canonical gospels of the New Testament
. According to Luke
Jesus uses the story of two debtors to explain that a woman loves him more than his host, because she has been forgiven of greater sins. This parable is told after his anointing.
A similar anointing in other gospels may not refer to the same event, and this parable is not to be confused with the parable of the unforgiving servant, where a moneylender forgives the debts of two debtors, and the one with the larger debt loves the moneylender more.
):
According to Luke, Jesus responds as follows:
The denarius
in this parable is a coin worth a day's wage. In Roman Catholic tradition, the woman is identified with Mary Magdalene
, although Orthodox and Protestant
churches generally disagree. By the standards of the time, Simon the Pharisee has indeed been a poor host: at the very least he should have provided water so that Jesus could wash his dusty feet, and a kiss would have been the normal greeting.
, but rather an attempt to teach Simon to see the woman as Jesus sees her. The description of the woman suggests that she is a known prostitute
, although this inference is disputed. If she is a prostitute, her presence defiles the Pharisee's ritual purity. Joel B. Green
notes that it "was and is easy enough to dismiss such a person as immoral as well as unclean and deviant, without grappling with the social realities faced" by the woman, who may have been forced into this life by economic circumstances, or have been sold into sexual slavery
.
By affirming the woman's forgiveness, presumably given to her by Jesus on a previous encounter, Jesus invites Simon to realise her new identity and "embrace her in the community of God's people." Barbara Reid writes:
By responding to Simon's unspoken thought, Jesus is demonstrating the prophetic abilities which the Pharisee is doubting, while the parable invites him "to reconsider the meaning of this woman's actions — not the repayment of a debt, as though she were a slave girl or prostitute, but an expression of love that flows from the freedom of having all debts canceled." John Calvin
writes regarding Jesus' words ("Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven — for she loved much"):
Ambrose
, however, makes the woman's love the condition for her forgiveness:
Calvin's interpretation is perhaps better supported by the nature of the parable and by the Greek text, in which "for she loved much" can be read as the result, rather than the cause, of "her many sins have been forgiven." Many modern translations, both Protestant
and Catholic, reword verse 47 for clarity, e.g.:
C.S. Lewis makes the following point, "To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you." ― C.S. Lewis
, Antonio Campi
, Dirk Bouts
, Onofrio Avellino
, Cigoli
, Nicolas Poussin
, Bernardo Strozzi
, and Peter Paul Rubens, among others. In some paintings, yellow clothing denotes the woman's former occupation as a prostitute. In Armenian
religious art, this episode of anointing is depicted as distinct from those in other gospels. The 1891 painting by Jean Béraud
brought the episode into the 19th century, with the repentant prostitute represented by the well-known courtesan Liane de Pougy
, who eventually became a Dominican tertiary
.
The parable is included in medieval and later mystery play
s about Mary Magdalene
, such as Lewis Wager's play of 1550–1566.
Parables of Jesus
The parables of Jesus can be found in all the Canonical gospels as well as in some of the non-canonical gospels but are located mainly within the three synoptic gospels. They represent a key part of the teachings of Jesus, forming approximately one third of his recorded teachings...
. It appears in only one of the Canonical gospels of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
. According to Luke
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
Jesus uses the story of two debtors to explain that a woman loves him more than his host, because she has been forgiven of greater sins. This parable is told after his anointing.
Anointing of Jesus
The anointing of Jesus is an event reported by each of the Canonical gospels, in which a woman pours the entire contents of an alabastron of very expensive perfume over the head or feet of Jesus....
A similar anointing in other gospels may not refer to the same event, and this parable is not to be confused with the parable of the unforgiving servant, where a moneylender forgives the debts of two debtors, and the one with the larger debt loves the moneylender more.
Narrative
The parable is told in response to an unspoken reaction by Jesus' host, who is named Simon (and is sometimes identified with Simon the LeperSimon the Leper
Simon the Leper is a biblical figure mentioned by the Gospels according to Matthew and Mark . These two books narrate how Jesus made a visit to the house of Simon the Leper at Bethany during the course of which a woman anoints the head of Jesus with costly ointment. Bethany was the home of Simon...
):
According to Luke, Jesus responds as follows:
The denarius
Denarius
In the Roman currency system, the denarius was a small silver coin first minted in 211 BC. It was the most common coin produced for circulation but was slowly debased until its replacement by the antoninianus...
in this parable is a coin worth a day's wage. In Roman Catholic tradition, the woman is identified with Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
, although Orthodox and Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
churches generally disagree. By the standards of the time, Simon the Pharisee has indeed been a poor host: at the very least he should have provided water so that Jesus could wash his dusty feet, and a kiss would have been the normal greeting.
Interpretation
The parable does not seem to be an attack on PhariseesPharisees
The Pharisees were at various times a political party, a social movement, and a school of thought among Jews during the Second Temple period beginning under the Hasmonean dynasty in the wake of...
, but rather an attempt to teach Simon to see the woman as Jesus sees her. The description of the woman suggests that she is a known prostitute
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
, although this inference is disputed. If she is a prostitute, her presence defiles the Pharisee's ritual purity. Joel B. Green
Joel B. Green
Joel B. Green, Ph.D. is Associate Dean for the Center for Advanced Theological Studies and Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, United States, and the author of numerous books, most of which are related to the New Testament.He is an...
notes that it "was and is easy enough to dismiss such a person as immoral as well as unclean and deviant, without grappling with the social realities faced" by the woman, who may have been forced into this life by economic circumstances, or have been sold into sexual slavery
Sexual slavery
Sexual slavery is when unwilling people are coerced into slavery for sexual exploitation. The incidence of sexual slavery by country has been studied and tabulated by UNESCO, with the cooperation of various international agencies...
.
By affirming the woman's forgiveness, presumably given to her by Jesus on a previous encounter, Jesus invites Simon to realise her new identity and "embrace her in the community of God's people." Barbara Reid writes:
The question that the story poses is: can Simon see differently? Can he see what Jesus sees: a forgiven woman who shows great love? If he can see her this way, then he may perceive Jesus aright: not only as prophet, but also as the agent of God's forgiving love.
By responding to Simon's unspoken thought, Jesus is demonstrating the prophetic abilities which the Pharisee is doubting, while the parable invites him "to reconsider the meaning of this woman's actions — not the repayment of a debt, as though she were a slave girl or prostitute, but an expression of love that flows from the freedom of having all debts canceled." John Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
writes regarding Jesus' words ("Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven — for she loved much"):
By these words it is plain he does not make love the cause of forgiveness, but the proof of it. The similitude is borrowed from the case of a debtor, to whom a debt of five hundred pence had been forgiven. It is not said that the debt is forgiven because he loved much, but that he loved much because it was forgiven. The similitude ought to be applied in this way: You think this woman is a sinner; but you ought to have acknowledged her as not a sinner, in respect that her sins have been forgiven her. Her love ought to have been to you a proof of her having obtained forgiveness, that love being an expression of gratitude for the benefit received. It is an argument a posteriori, by which something is demonstrated by the results produced by it. Our Lord plainly attests the ground on which she had obtained forgiveness, when he says, "Thy faith has saved thee." By faith, therefore, we obtain forgiveness: by love we give thanks, and bear testimony to the loving-kindness of the Lord.
Ambrose
Ambrose
Aurelius Ambrosius, better known in English as Saint Ambrose , was a bishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th century. He was one of the four original doctors of the Church.-Political career:Ambrose was born into a Roman Christian family between about...
, however, makes the woman's love the condition for her forgiveness:
If, then, any one, having committed hidden sins, shall nevertheless diligently do penance, how shall he receive those rewards if not restored to the communion of the Church? I am willing, indeed, that the guilty man should hope for pardon, should seek it with tears and groans, should seek it with the aid of the tears of all the people, should implore forgiveness; and if communion be postponed two or three times, that he should believe that his entreaties have not been urgent enough, that he must increase his tears, must come again even in greater trouble, clasp the feet of the faithful with his arms, kiss them, wash them with tears, and not let them go, so that the Lord Jesus may say of him too: "His sins which are many are forgiven, for he loved much."
Calvin's interpretation is perhaps better supported by the nature of the parable and by the Greek text, in which "for she loved much" can be read as the result, rather than the cause, of "her many sins have been forgiven." Many modern translations, both Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
and Catholic, reword verse 47 for clarity, e.g.:
"So I tell you that all her sins are forgiven, and that is why she has shown great love. But anyone who has been forgiven for only a little will show only a little love." (Contemporary English VersionContemporary English VersionThe Contemporary English Version or CEV is a translation of the Bible into English,published by the American Bible Society...
)
"So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little." (New American BibleNew American BibleThe New American Bible is a Catholic Bible translation first published in 1970. It had its beginnings in the Confraternity Bible, which began to be translated from the original languages in 1948....
)
C.S. Lewis makes the following point, "To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you." ― C.S. Lewis
Art and popular culture
While the parable itself is seldom depicted in art, there are numerous depictions of the anointing, by Sandro BotticelliSandro Botticelli
Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi, better known as Sandro Botticelli was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance...
, Antonio Campi
Antonio Campi
Antonio Campi was an Italian painter of the Renaissance.He was born in Cremona. His style merges Lombard with Mannerist styles. In Cremona, his extended family were the main artistic produce. Giulio Campi and Antonio were reportedly half-brothers, while Vincenzo Campi was a full brother....
, Dirk Bouts
Dirk Bouts
Dieric Bouts was an Early Netherlandish painter. According to Karel van Mander in his Het Schilderboeck of 1604, Bouts was born in Haarlem and was mainly active in Leuven , where he was city painter from 1468...
, Onofrio Avellino
Onofrio Avellino
Onofrio Avellino was an Italian painter of the Baroque period.Born in Naples, Giulio died in Ferrara or Rome, where he painted for the last twenty years of his life. He initially trained underLuca Giordano, but in 1692, he entered the studio of the Neapolitan Francesco Solimene...
, Cigoli
Cigoli
Lodovico Cardi , also known as Cigoli, was an Italian painter and architect of the late Mannerist and early Baroque period, trained and active in his early career in Florence, and spending the last nine years of his life in Rome.Lodovico Cardi was born at Villa Castelvecchio di Cigoli, in Tuscany,...
, Nicolas Poussin
Nicolas Poussin
Nicolas Poussin was a French painter in the classical style. His work predominantly features clarity, logic, and order, and favors line over color. His work serves as an alternative to the dominant Baroque style of the 17th century...
, Bernardo Strozzi
Bernardo Strozzi
Bernardo Strozzi was a prominent and prolific Italian Baroque painter born and active mainly in Genoa, and also active in Venice.-Biography:Strozzi was born in Genoa. He was probably not related to the other Strozzi family....
, and Peter Paul Rubens, among others. In some paintings, yellow clothing denotes the woman's former occupation as a prostitute. In Armenian
Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
religious art, this episode of anointing is depicted as distinct from those in other gospels. The 1891 painting by Jean Béraud
Jean Béraud
Jean Béraud was a French Impressionist painter and commercial artist noted for his paintings of Parisian life during the Belle Époque.-Biography:...
brought the episode into the 19th century, with the repentant prostitute represented by the well-known courtesan Liane de Pougy
Liane de Pougy
Liane de Pougy , was a Folies Bergères dancer renowned as one of Paris's most beautiful and notorious courtesans.- Early Life and Marriage :...
, who eventually became a Dominican tertiary
Third Order of Saint Dominic
The Third Order of St. Dominic is a Roman Catholic third order affiliated with the Dominican Order.-Origin:...
.
The parable is included in medieval and later mystery play
Mystery play
Mystery plays and miracle plays are among the earliest formally developed plays in medieval Europe. Medieval mystery plays focused on the representation of Bible stories in churches as tableaux with accompanying antiphonal song...
s about Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
, such as Lewis Wager's play of 1550–1566.