Matthew 18: 21 – 35 The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
“Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.
“But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.
“So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”
It’s one of those days when Peter is totally fed up with his brother Andrew. Andrew is one of those guys who isn’t careful about what he says or how he says it. No matter how many times Peter tries to correct Andrew and get him to stop his wild stories, Andrew has persisted. Just this morning, one of the neighbors in Capernaum has called out, “Hey, Peter! We’ve heard you are collecting lots of money from those following Jesus.” Peter is fuming! Collect money? Only recently, Peter has had to go fishing to get enough money just to pay the half-shekel temple tax. Peter knows how this rumor has started, for Andrew is fond of telling wild tales and this isn’t the first time Peter has wound up in trouble because of Andrew’s vivid imagination.
With steam practically coming out of his ears, Peter goes to Jesus for advice and encouragement. “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Peter can’t remember the number of times he has had to forgive Andrew, but surely, it’s more than seven. When is enough enough? But Jesus’ answer is anything but satisfying. “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” Peter is horrified. “Four hundred and ninety times, Lord? That’s impossible!” Jesus just smiles at Peter and then tells the story of the unforgiving servant.
Estimates vary, but one source indicates that 10,000 talents would be the equivalent of $3.8 billion today. How the unforgiving servant has managed to accrue such an enormous debt is astounding; equally astounding is the fact that the ruler is so wealthy that he has allowed this man to borrow so much money. By the same token, one denarius would be equivalent to 74 cents today, so 100 denarii would be $74. (A denarius was considered one day’s wages.) One talent was worth 6,000 denarii.
The moral of this story is obvious. All of us are sinners, owing a debt to God that we can never pay, for no matter how hard we try, we can never be completely righteous. God has given us life and health and everything we possess; yet, we take all these things for granted and somehow feel that we deserve God’s good gifts. We all are debtors to God. Given our situation as debtors, it behooves us to forgive those around us for the petty things they do that hurt, wound, or irritate us.
What happens if we refuse to forgive and hold grudges? While our unforgiveness may wound those around us, the person whom we wound the most is ourselves. Bitterness and unforgiveness only poison our spirits, and the longer we cherish them, the more poisonous they become. Truly, we are handing ourselves over to “the torturers.”
If we are to become true disciples of Jesus Christ, we must forgive as Jesus has forgiven. Remember that even when Jesus was hanging on the cross, he prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” As the Son of God, Jesus knew every one of those crucifying him; yet, he forgave them even as he was dying. We can do no less.
Forgiveness does not mean that we must make excuses for bad behavior. We can acknowledge that someone has severely wounded us; however, we must ask God to give us His mind about that person and help us to forgive. Forgiveness is also not a quick “one and done” action. The more severe the wound, the longer it may take for us to forgive, but when we persist, we will succeed.
We cannot minister to others effectively while cherishing unforgiveness, for our bitterness will become apparent to all those around us. Unforgiveness blocks the flow of the Holy Spirit, and it is the Holy Spirit who must minister through us. We have nothing in ourselves worth giving to others; only God can empower us.
Today, you may be smarting from some grievance with which you are still struggling. Ask God to give you His mind and His power to forgive.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are hurting because we are hanging onto grievances and wounds that we should have already submitted to You. Help us to let go of these things and give us Your mind about the people who have hurt us. Help us to forgive completely as You have forgiven us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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