Forgiving Debts

Two of the most difficult practices which emerge in Jesus' ministry are forgiveness and gratitude. A frequent charge against Jesus was that he preempted the prerogative of God when he presumed to forgive sins. It is difficult to know which is harder to do: to forgive another or to forgive oneself.

Lavish expressions of gratitude for acts of forgiveness are rare. Persons do not like to admit their indebtedness. If we owe someone gratitude for something that he has done for us, we feel dependent upon that person. Adults are reluctant to acknowledge such dependency since independence is considered a mark of maturity.

Both forgiveness and gratitude emerge in the setting of the parable.

CONTEXT

Context of Luke
Luke places the parable in a setting immediately following an e…