Luke 7:36–50 (NLT) Parables are a common tool for teaching “Kingdom truths” through short stories w/metaphor & imagery. * WARNING * Shouldn’t focus on exploring stories for doctrine or sifting for one-liner life lessons for success. Parables reveal “instruction” for those with faith + “confusion” for those w/none. The Parable of Two Debtors Luke 7:36–50 (NLT) 36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. 37 When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. 38 Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!” 40 Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.” “Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied. PARABLE TEACHING 41 Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. 42 But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?” 43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.” “That’s right,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. 47 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” 48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?” 50 And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Jesus Announces & Describes Arrival of His New Kingdom My forgiveness is . Human sinfulness is unexpectedly . Human response to Jesus reveals . “Our increasing awareness leads to our excessive affection.” A personal encounter with Jesus leads to . What now? Enjoy the beauty of Jesus’ Parables. Enhance your awareness to expand your affection for Jesus. CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION 1. When you hear this parable, is there anything it provokes you to imagine, feel, learn or rethink? Luke 7:41-43 (NLT) 41 Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. 42 But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?” 43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.” 2. How do you think it impacted a self righteous “religious leader” to hear Jesus say that in God’s Kingdom, his sin is the same as an “immoral woman” – AND that she loves God more? 3. Which of these could be true for you? a. I tend to: focus on the sins of others, not my own. diminish the severity of my own selfish sin. misinterpret the significance of Jesus. I need to grow my affection for Jesus and enjoy HIS FORGIVENESS by seeing & confessing my OWN sin.