Parable of the Debtors
09/18/08 08:58 Filed in: Forgiveness
"And he said to her: Thy sins are forgiven thee." (Luke 7: 36-50)
In telling the parable about debt forgiveness, Jesus illustrated how quick His Father is to forgive, regardless of the amount. All we have to do is acknowledge our mistake and make an amend.
In telling the parable about debt forgiveness, Jesus illustrated how quick His Father is to forgive, regardless of the amount. All we have to do is acknowledge our mistake and make an amend.
"And he said to her: Thy sins are forgiven thee." (Luke 7: 36-50)
Debt, the subject of today’s parable, is something on the minds of many worried Americans. According to Google, there were 16.600,000 Internet searches for ”debt” last month and another 2,240,000 for “foreclosure” - - double the rate of five years ago. Tens of thousands of families are in danger of losing their homes. Yet, the term “debt forgiveness” was only used in 8,100 searches, even though many banks will work with homeowners who are in over their heads.
In a typical scenario, the family remains in the house while the bank arranges a short sale. The difference between the home’s sale price and the current mortgage results in a balance due, which the bank forgives. In this way, the bank moves the house off its books and the family moves on with life.
Of course, every situation is different and the only way to know whether debt forgiveness makes sense is to talk to a banker. But the gap between the number of searches for information on “foreclosure” and “debt forgiveness” shows how we struggle with the very idea of forgiveness. That struggle can be especially difficult within families at risk of losing their homes. In such a stressful situation, the tendency is to point the finger at one another, fixing the blame instead of fixing the problem.
In telling the parable about debt forgiveness, Jesus illustrated how quick His Father is to forgive, regardless of the amount. All we have to do is acknowledge our mistake and make an amend.
The woman who washed his feet and anointed His head, never said a word. But she showed by her actions how sorry she was. Jesus was so moved by her silent act of contrition that He said to her, “Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.” She was able to move on with her life.
Debt, the subject of today’s parable, is something on the minds of many worried Americans. According to Google, there were 16.600,000 Internet searches for ”debt” last month and another 2,240,000 for “foreclosure” - - double the rate of five years ago. Tens of thousands of families are in danger of losing their homes. Yet, the term “debt forgiveness” was only used in 8,100 searches, even though many banks will work with homeowners who are in over their heads.
In a typical scenario, the family remains in the house while the bank arranges a short sale. The difference between the home’s sale price and the current mortgage results in a balance due, which the bank forgives. In this way, the bank moves the house off its books and the family moves on with life.
Of course, every situation is different and the only way to know whether debt forgiveness makes sense is to talk to a banker. But the gap between the number of searches for information on “foreclosure” and “debt forgiveness” shows how we struggle with the very idea of forgiveness. That struggle can be especially difficult within families at risk of losing their homes. In such a stressful situation, the tendency is to point the finger at one another, fixing the blame instead of fixing the problem.
In telling the parable about debt forgiveness, Jesus illustrated how quick His Father is to forgive, regardless of the amount. All we have to do is acknowledge our mistake and make an amend.
The woman who washed his feet and anointed His head, never said a word. But she showed by her actions how sorry she was. Jesus was so moved by her silent act of contrition that He said to her, “Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.” She was able to move on with her life.
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