How Much Debt do You Owe?
How Much Debt Do You Owe?
Everybody is now in some debt as a result of our credit card culture. I call it the “plastic life”. That little plastic has ruined many lives. Statistics show that an average adult in the U.S owes consumer debt of about $30,000. This is debt owed on stuff like clothes, food, movies and etc and it does not include mortgage/house debt or rent. We have become a culture gone wild and living on borrowed money. It has become a life style of pride and always trying to impress others or showing we are falsely better than others. To add to our confusion, debt settlement and consolidation companies now promise to get us out of debt without a change in life style. How can we get out of debt without a change in the life styles that caused us to get into debt in the first place? It is impossible. The worst of it is that we often do not know or are conscious of how much we owe and that is why we keep going deeper and deeper into debt. Unfortunately, we are living the same type of spiritual life style and not knowing how much we owe or owed God as a result of our sins. Let’s read as Jesus tells us a parable about the great debt of life.
Luke 7: 36-50
36Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."
40Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."
"Tell me, teacher," he said.
41"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[d] and the other fifty. 42Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"
43Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."
"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.
44Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."
48Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
49The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"
50Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
Here are some observations from the passage in addition to the ones you may have:
1. Notice the Pharisee in all of us. We are often pointing fingers at other’s sins and forgetting our own. Jesus had already counseled us to first remove the plank in our eyes first so we can see the speck in some one else’s eye.
2. We can also have big party for Jesus but still our hearts can be far from him like the Pharisee’s. We often are interested in making big names and claiming what we have done for Jesus at the expense of paying attention to those who really need Jesus.
3. Like the Pharisee, we have our own definition of who is a prophet or man/woman of God. “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner." We define people by association and not by present character.
4. Notice how desperate the woman was and she did not mind pushing her way in to see Jesus and bless him. Often we are desperate to push to meet Jesus just to receive instead of giving to him. In doing so, we define God based on our own terms. God is there to bless and give us everything we need and forget that we are actually made to give pleasure to God.
5. “He who has been forgiven little loves little” and likewise, "He who has been forgiven much loves much”. The key point Jesus is making in this passage and in the parable is that our relationship with him starts with the wisdom to recognize our need for God and to recognize how our sinful lives are an offense to God. Since only the blood of Jesus can wipe our sins, there is nothing we would do to save our selves.
6. When we do not realize how much we have been forgiven, we become arrogant and think we are better than others. Like the Pharisee, we look down on others and judge others based on limited knowledge. On the other hand when we realize how much we have been forgiven, we spend all our lives and resources to love Jesus like this woman did.
7. Notice that we are saved by faith and not by works. “Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." We are saved by faith so that no one can boast of self saving. The woman in the passage was not saved from her sin because she loved Jesus but rather, her love is an evidence of her salvation and forgiveness.
So, how much do you and I owe God? When we realize it, we would be humble and kind to people. Our harshness with others is due to lack of this realization. May God help us know that we have been forgiven much so we can love Him and others as much as He has loved us. Can you give others a break today? You have equally sinned so pray for them and bless them. Amen.
Everybody is now in some debt as a result of our credit card culture. I call it the “plastic life”. That little plastic has ruined many lives. Statistics show that an average adult in the U.S owes consumer debt of about $30,000. This is debt owed on stuff like clothes, food, movies and etc and it does not include mortgage/house debt or rent. We have become a culture gone wild and living on borrowed money. It has become a life style of pride and always trying to impress others or showing we are falsely better than others. To add to our confusion, debt settlement and consolidation companies now promise to get us out of debt without a change in life style. How can we get out of debt without a change in the life styles that caused us to get into debt in the first place? It is impossible. The worst of it is that we often do not know or are conscious of how much we owe and that is why we keep going deeper and deeper into debt. Unfortunately, we are living the same type of spiritual life style and not knowing how much we owe or owed God as a result of our sins. Let’s read as Jesus tells us a parable about the great debt of life.
Luke 7: 36-50
36Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."
40Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."
"Tell me, teacher," he said.
41"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[d] and the other fifty. 42Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"
43Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."
"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.
44Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."
48Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
49The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"
50Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
Here are some observations from the passage in addition to the ones you may have:
1. Notice the Pharisee in all of us. We are often pointing fingers at other’s sins and forgetting our own. Jesus had already counseled us to first remove the plank in our eyes first so we can see the speck in some one else’s eye.
2. We can also have big party for Jesus but still our hearts can be far from him like the Pharisee’s. We often are interested in making big names and claiming what we have done for Jesus at the expense of paying attention to those who really need Jesus.
3. Like the Pharisee, we have our own definition of who is a prophet or man/woman of God. “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner." We define people by association and not by present character.
4. Notice how desperate the woman was and she did not mind pushing her way in to see Jesus and bless him. Often we are desperate to push to meet Jesus just to receive instead of giving to him. In doing so, we define God based on our own terms. God is there to bless and give us everything we need and forget that we are actually made to give pleasure to God.
5. “He who has been forgiven little loves little” and likewise, "He who has been forgiven much loves much”. The key point Jesus is making in this passage and in the parable is that our relationship with him starts with the wisdom to recognize our need for God and to recognize how our sinful lives are an offense to God. Since only the blood of Jesus can wipe our sins, there is nothing we would do to save our selves.
6. When we do not realize how much we have been forgiven, we become arrogant and think we are better than others. Like the Pharisee, we look down on others and judge others based on limited knowledge. On the other hand when we realize how much we have been forgiven, we spend all our lives and resources to love Jesus like this woman did.
7. Notice that we are saved by faith and not by works. “Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." We are saved by faith so that no one can boast of self saving. The woman in the passage was not saved from her sin because she loved Jesus but rather, her love is an evidence of her salvation and forgiveness.
So, how much do you and I owe God? When we realize it, we would be humble and kind to people. Our harshness with others is due to lack of this realization. May God help us know that we have been forgiven much so we can love Him and others as much as He has loved us. Can you give others a break today? You have equally sinned so pray for them and bless them. Amen.
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