Parables

Unforgiving Servant

Sunday, June 2, 2024

 Matthew 18:21-35

 Forgive as God has Forgiven You

 How Many Times Do I Forgive?

v.21 – “Then Peter came up and said to him, Lord how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”

 Peter thinking himself big-hearted, volunteers "seven times" in answer to his own question. Why 7x?

 Rabbinic teaching was that a brother might be forgiven a repeated sin three times; on the fourth, there is no forgiveness.

 “Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment…” Amos 1:3

 v.22 – “Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven time, but seventy-seven times.”

 “If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, the Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.” Gen. 4:24

 II.   Forgive as God has Forgiven You

v.23,24a – “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents…”

 In the parable, the king ‘wishes’ to settle accounts with his servants.’ Question: do you think the servants ever thought about a day of reckoning was coming?

Do you or I ever think about a day of reckoning coming?

 v.26 – “So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’

 There is no way in heaven this man and his entire family could ever repay this debt. It is an impossible situation! Pride is a funny thing, this man thinking he could repay this debt. We must humble ourselves – complete and utter mercy!

 v.27 – “And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him that debt.”

 What!!!!! What an incredible generous and merciful Master and King!

v.28-30 – “But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii ($20) and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying ‘Pay what you owe. So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went to put him in prison until he should pay the debt.”

 The servant's attitude is appalling. The amount owed him is not insignificant and trivial compared with what has already been forgiven him.

 v.31 – “When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.”

 v.32,33 – “Then the master summoned him and said to him, You wicked servant! I forgave all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?”

 When the servant owes ten thousand talents, the king forgives him; but when the servant shows himself unforgiving toward a fellow servant, the king calls him wicked.

v.34 – “And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers until he should pay all his debt”

 The King doesn’t even sell him but delivers him to the jailers/torturers!

 35 – “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

 This verse is a DANGEROUS WARNING! Jesus is serious here!

 Forgiven and Now Forgiving

We have been forgiven of so much that we must be forgiving people! When we don’t forgive, we are hypocrites and wicked just like the servant.

 “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” Lewis B Smedes

 “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put way from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31,32

 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” Colossians 3:12,13