DEBT
Sum that one must; obligation.
The Law of Moses prohibited Jews from charging interest to other Jews (Ex. 22:25).
There were laws that protected the poor against usurers (Ex. 22:25-27).
If anyone could not pay he had to hand over his property, his family and even his own person (Lev. 25: 25-41), and he could go to prison (Mt. 18: 21). -26).
A debt is also a moral obligation (Mt. 6:12; Rom. 8:12).
Relations between creditors and debtors were often the cause of heated disputes in Israel.
Jeremiah alludes to the hatred that animated them (Jer. 15:10).
More than one debtor preferred to get out of trouble by fleeing. However, the legislation always sought to protect the debtor, curbing the abuses of creditors with measures in favor of those who, due to their insolvency, had been held as slaves.
Jesus did not remain insensitive in this regard. In addition to the parable that we have just mentioned, he told the parable of the unfaithful steward (Luke 16:5 ff.) and that of the two unequal debtors (Luke 7:41 ff.).
In the prayer model that the Lord proposed to his people, he says:
“Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” (Mt. 6:12).
Furthermore, those words of Paul are well-known: “Owe no one any other debt than that of mutual love” (Rom. 13:8).
Christ paid the debt for our sins (Mt. 6:12-15).