Matthew 18:23-35…Working

Matthew 18:23-35…Working

18:23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven (God’s grace, forgiveness) is like a king (God) who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. (humanity/mankind. Who had borrowed or embezzled money from the royal treasury) 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents (A talent was a unit of weight of silver. 1-talent equaled 95 pounds. Equivalent to several millions dollars. Metph.-Great Sin debts owed to God) was brought to him.25  Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.  26 “The servant fell on his knees before him. (Expresses reverence, humility, desperation.)  ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master (God) took pity (compassion) on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow-servants who owed him a hundred denari. (A Roman silver coin equaling about 50 dollars or three months wages. Metph.-Small and insignificant wrongs committed against us.) He grabbed him and began to choke him. (Not literally, but to throttle, wring, censor) ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 “His fellow-servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’(Same appeal made by his creditor.-{V. 26})  30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. (Was known as a debtor’s prison until restitution is made.) 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt (sins) of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow-servant as I had on you?’ 34 In anger, his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother (Fellow believer) from your heart.”(sincerely)

Continued From Book

“Warns how a unforgiving spirit can have a chokehold on our lives, leading to anger, bitterness, and revenge” ⇒ Refusing to forgive can throw us in prison, holding us captive to our pain. Holding onto grudges can lead to spiritual and relational consequences, as seen in the punishment of the unforgiving servant. A grudge that stems from a minor offense or a major problem with someone will continue to grow in sin as the offended person finds more at fault with the person they are frustrated with. Do you feel good when you hold onto anger & hate? When someone has hurt you, does it help to relive it over and over? .

Additional Notes & Applications

Teaches when we compare all the sins we committed against God a fellow brother’s sin will seem quite small and insignificant.

Teaches how our sin debt owed to God is beyond our capacity to repay. We could never, of our own doing, offer to God the full amount for of our debt.  We can’t even offer a smaller portion that would be enough to satisfy God’s perfect justice, the payment His righteousness demands.  We need God’s forgiveness.  Notice also how God doesn’t just cancel the debt, He eats the cost and pays the price by having His own Son die for our sins.

Warns against experiencing God’s forgiveness and not allow it to change our hearts.

Teaches though our sin debts are forgiven by God. But this isn’t just a “get out of hell free card.” We were forgiven so that we can forgive.

Teaches how our love for God is shown in our treatment of those around us.

Teaches how true forgiveness is not just a verbal declaration but must come from the heart in way of our actions.

This parable isn’t about fairness. But it is a way out of the cycle of unforgiveness so many are trapped in. All this is possible through Jesus and what he has done for us and is doing in us. You can experience the freedom of forgiveness when you run into His grace.

Just as this Servant asked for mercy, yet still thought he could do something to repay his debt. That’s like a lot of Christians today, who don’t really believe they are forgiven unless they have done some kind of penance and good works. Are you ever tempted to believe you could work hard enough to pay off your sin debt before God?

Servants here were not slaves, but rather court courtiers who worked in the kings palace.  Given the context of “settling accounts” suggests their duties were collecting revenue or taxes which by implication suggests the debt the servant owed was a result of embezzlement. (Suggests why he  would later be tortured to tell what he did with the money-V. 34)