Matthew 18:21-35 Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹ Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. ²³ Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. ²⁵ 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. ²⁶ The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ ²⁷ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. ²⁸ “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!’ ²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ ³⁰ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. ³¹ 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. ³² Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. ³³ Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ ³⁴ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. ³⁵ “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

Commentary

Vs. 21-22 ²¹ Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

The Lord Jesus having just taught on what steps we are to take when sinned against, and then dealing with an unreconcilable brother (or sister). Peter now comes to Jesus with a question, saying: “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Now the Lords response by saying not just seven times but seventy times seven (thus by multiplying two perfect numbers) Jesus is saying that we are to forgive our brethren without limits. Something that goes way beyond what Peter thought, and what was commonly held to be, the upper limits of extending grace and forgiveness to someone, by allowing one forgiveness only up to seven times. Which if you think about it, if one set a limit, then you would likely end up with people just counting down till the limit was reached! Something that is just not conducive with the King, nor the Kingdom of heaven. Therefore, by saying as much the Lord Jesus Christ was setting a new standard; the Kingdom of heavens standard; something that applies to us all.

Vs. 23-30 ²³ Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. ²⁵ 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. ²⁶ The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ ²⁷ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. ²⁸ “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!’ ²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ ³⁰ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.

Now to help Peter visualize and fully understand how this plays out in the Kingdom of heavens economy, the Lord Jesus now tells a parable; i.e. a brief story that contains within it some very real spiritual realities. To begin then Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants (vs. 23). Now one servant was brought to the king who owed him ten-thousand talents; which in terms of monetary value is too equate with being an absolutely unpayable debt, (vs. 24). Therefore, with the debtor being utterly unable to repay his debt, his master commanded that he, his wife and children and all that he had be sold and that payment be made (vs. 25). Now though this seems harsh to us, in ancient times this was a common practice, and so Jesus’ use of it here is His bringing His Spiritual truth into the light of the social context and culture in which He is giving it. Now with the command that the indebted servant and all that he had be sold, the servant having absolutely no legal ground to stand on falls down before his master saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ (vs. 26) At this point ones heart just breaks for the indebted servant, because anyone who has ever faced the reality of complete bankruptcy, of losing all of one’s loved ones, possessions, and or freedom knows that feeling of utter helplessness and despair. Now the Lord Jesus says when the master of the servant saw that, he was moved with compassion for the servant and he forgave him all his debt (vs. 27). A very gracious and merciful act on his part. However, what should’ve produced an overflowing amount of thankfulness and grace in the heart of the now forgiven servant, instead was soon forgotten by him. And instead of being a person of mercy and grace to those indebted to him, that forgiven servant soon forgot all the grace and mercy that had been so freely and unconditionally extended to him. Therefore, Jesus in continuing His parable now says of him: “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!’ (vs. 28). Quite a shocking turn of events given how his master so freely forgave him. And so instead of being merciful and forgiving towards the servant who is indebted to him, instead he lays his hands on his fellow servant and taking him by the throat he demands repayment. Notice too the size of the debt, 100 denarii. Now a single denarius (according to my Logos calculator) equates with 8.00 US. While a talent equates with 66 pounds (and thus if silver or gold) ten thousand talents is a massive debt, and thus the contrast between the two responses of those who were owed, first the Master, and then the forgiven servant is striking! And yet that servant having been so freely forgiven all of his debt, seems utterly bent on getting repayment from his fellow servant whose indebtedness to him is totally insignificant in the light of the debt he was just forgiven. Now with the demand for repayment from his fellow servant who is indebted to him, he likewise falls down before him and begs him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ (vs. 29) However, the forgiven servant will not forgive his fellow servant and instead throws him in prison till he should repay him (vs. 30). It is at this point that one should note that throwing one in prison can very well be done by us when we too refuse to forgive others their sins and trespasses against us, and choose instead to keep those who are indebted to us in our own “prisons” until those indebted to us “repay” us, something that is not only cruel and unjust given what we know. And so, as we will see, there are consequences (as a citizen of Christ’s Kingdom) that will come to us if we choose to follow that unforgiving and selfish path.

Vs. 31-35 ³¹ 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. ³² Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. ³³ Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ ³⁴ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. ³⁵ “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

And so, when the other servants saw how cruelly the forgiven servant was now acting towards his fellow servant who was indebted to him they were very grieved, and they came and told their master all that had been done (vs. 31). Now when the master heard of all that had been done he called that servant to himself and said to him, … ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. ³³ Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ ^{Vs. 32-33} Clearly the Master is fully just in being angered at his servant for being so cruel and unforgiving. And so, no one should misunderstand this parable because it applies to us all and through it, God who is our Master is speaking with each and every one of us, telling us that just as He has so freely forgiven us all of our debt, so must we forgive those indebted to us. Therefore, to conclude His parable the Lord Jesus Christ says: ³⁴ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. ³⁵ “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” ^{Vs. 34-35} The message then is clear, God will not stand for our being unforgiving. For nothing is more contrary to the grace of God than that. Indeed, the Lord Jesus says that if we as Christians do not forgive from the heart our fellow brethren just as we have so freely been forgiven all our sins and transgressions, then God our Father will deliver us over to the tortures, (think spiritual tormentors here) until we should repay all that we owe Him.

Scripture Quotations

The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.