The Unforgiven Debtor
Remembering our memory verse is especially important for today’s parable. Living it out is a tough!! Our theme verse says-
Matthew 11:15 | Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!
No matter how tough God’s directions are, we should live them out.
As we pick up in Matthew 18 today, Peter has just asked Jesus a question about forgiveness. At the time, Jewish tradition said to offer forgiveness three times to someone who repeatedly wrongs you.
Matthew 18:21 | Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
Peter probably thinks he is aiming really high because seven is more than double the required three. But Jesus’ answer is something totally unexpected.
Matthew 18:22 | “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!
Jesus isn’t saying to stop at the 491st offense. He is saying that we should always forgive, even if it isn’t deserved. He tells a parable to help us understand why —
Jesus’ story begins with a king who decides to bring in everyone who owes him money to settle their accounts. A man comes in who owes the king a huge sum. The NLT says its a million dollars. Some scholars believe it may be equivalent to a billion or more dollars today. There was no way this man could repay the king.
The king orders that this man, his wife, and his children should be sold — they are to become slaves to settle the debt.
Matthew 18:26 | But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’
The man realizes there is nothing he can do on his own and he asks the king for help. The king goes much further than just giving the man more time—
Matthew 18:27 | Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.
The king forgives it all. How amazing!! The man should be overwhelmed by the mercy and grace he was shown. But instead—
Matthew 18:28 | “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.
This debt is nearly worthless, especially compared to the debt the man was just forgiven of. The debtor appeals to him with the same plea the man made to the king, but he responds in the opposite way. He won’t forgive and instead, orders the man be thrown in prison until the debt is paid off.
The king who forgave the man’s enormous debt hears about what happened and is furious.
Matthew 18:32-34 | Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.
Jesus’ parable is all about the follower of Christ. The man who owes the original debt that he can’t repay is you and me. It is every sinner in need of a Savior. The king in the story is God the Father. When we fall on His mercy and admit our inability to save ourselves, He lavishes us with undeserved forgiveness. Why? Not because of anything we’ve done, but because of His great love and the sacrifice of Jesus.
Jesus warns that the similarities between us and the man should end there. In this life, we are wronged by many. Man is sinful and with that sin comes hurt and pain. Many times, the people who wrong us don’t deserve our forgiveness. The hurt is too great and the grievance seems unforgivable. Even worse, the person isn’t even sorry. But Jesus’ parable teaches us that doesn’t matter.
Our forgiveness of others should be as unconditional as the Father’s forgiveness to us. Otherwise, Jesus likens the consequence we receive to the torture the unforgiving debtor receives at the end of the parable—
Matthew 18:35 | That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”
Willingness to forgive others should overflow from believers because of the enormous amount of forgiveness we’ve received from the Father. It is a fruit of our salvation because we realize that we’ve been extended far more mercy and grace than we would ever need to show to others.
When we choose not to forgive, we are tortured by our bitterness. It consumes our hearts and minds and separates us from the father. So how many times do you forgive your offender? Unlimited. And how do you offer that forgiveness? Unconditionally.
What tremendous debt have we been forgiven of?
Did you deserve God’s forgiveness? Why or why not?
Do you offer others the same mercy (freedom from the consequence they deserve) that God showed you? In what ways or why not?