Luke 7: 41-42 “’Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?’”
We know little regarding the circumstances of this parable. In contemporary equivalents the five hundred denarii would be $50,000 and the fifty would be $5,000. The correct answer confirmed by Jesus was that the largest debtor would love more.
Principle: Debt forgiveness with love will produce love.
From the moneylender position, forgiving debt often brings a sense of release and “getting on with things.” In the end, debt forgiveness may not get you loved. The borrower may love you initially, but in the end, he may despise you. He may feel ashamed or indifferent. He may even feel justified if there was a dispute, which caused him not to pay the debt.
The right thing to do may be to pursue collection aggressively. Using the legal system may be the best course of action including arbitration. Forcing a bankruptcy may be a good option. It all depends on the circumstance. When there is no chance to recover, or when recovery is more expensive than cancellation of debt, forgiveness may be the best option.
A couple of times when I decided it was best to write off receivables, I wrote a letter telling the debtors that the debt was forgiven and that it was being done in the name of Jesus. I do not recall getting a response, but it certainly helped me set my aggravation aside.
For me it was a matter of accounting housekeeping, I do not recall doing it out of love. My accountant said, “Get it off the books” to take the tax break. It was an expensive lesson on credit granting, but it did satisfy an inner need to not carry resentment forward and move on.
I know a Christian businessman who forgave a large debt. Instead of forcing the issue through the legal system, he intentionally did not do so, and he made it clear to the debtor that he did not do so because of his love for him. He continued to pray for, to encourage and stay in touch with him.
Discussion:
1. If you received debt forgiveness, what was your response?
2. If you granted debt forgiveness what happened?
3. What is the difference between forgiving and forgetting? Can you do both? You’ll need the Lord’s help.
