Slide 1
Matthew 18:21-35 teaches that Christian forgiveness must be limitless, mirroring God’s mercy, rather than a calculated, limited action. Following Peter’s suggestion to forgive seven times, Jesus urges forgiveness “seventy times seven” (an infinite amount) through the parable of the unforgiving servant, emphasizing that receiving God’s grace requires extending it to others.
Slide 2
Matthew 18:21-35New International Version
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus rejects the human desire to set boundaries on forgiveness, challenging Peter’s suggestion with “seventy-seven times,” signifying that forgiveness should be an ongoing, continuous practice rather than a tally
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a]
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[b] 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.
Here aservant is forgiven an insurmountable debt (10,000 talents) by a king, symbolizing the immense grace God shows humanity.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him.‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity 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 silver coins.[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘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 it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged 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 of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed 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 or sister from your heart.”
Slide 3
Peter questions, Jesus about forgiveness and don’t we sometimes do that? In today’s message, Peter raised the question about how often someone should forgive another who has sent them or wrong them. That question wasn’t response to Jesus outlining how believer should deal with sin and wrongdoing that might occur among them. (See versus 15 through 20.) the objective in addressing such issues is both redemptive and restorative, with the hope that a church member who has sand will repent, and that the estranged parties will be reconciled.
Given this context, Peter”s question, seems a bit irreverent to what Jesus has taught, even though he likely thought that his suggestion of forgiving seven times to be extravagant in comparison to the expectation of Jewish law. Jesus’s initial response, counteracts Peter’s suggestion by eliminating the limits that Peter initially placed on forgiveness. Although we often hear the topic of forgiveness left as an open, ended discussion, Jesus offered additional clarification about what this might mean.
Jesus used a powerful story to clarify forgiveness as defined by the kingdom of heaven. The story is about a king settling business accounts with those who were tasked with those responsibilities, but one person stands out because he owes the master and enormous amount of money. The debt was so preposterous that it had caused interpreters to wonder who this man was, since no single individual could ever accumulate that much debt, even with excessive interest rates. What is clear is that the situation was utterly hopeless. The orders to sell his wife, children, and all of his possessions, which would not cover a small fraction of the debt merely highlighted how desperate this man was in the sight of the king. There was nothing he could do to make things right, because he simply owed too much money.
Slide 4
In that moment of desperation, the enslaved man, helpless fell before his master and promised that he would make things right and pay back the entire debt.
The king‘s response to the subject was amazing. Today, we would expect the judge to mock him or put him into prison, but this king was moved with compassion.
This form of compassion is the same word used to depict Jesus‘s response to others. Let’s look at Mathew 9:36.
Slide 5
Matthew 9:36 (New International Version) “36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
Slide 6
Let’s also consider Mathew 14:14
Matthew 14:14 (New International Version) “14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”
Now, here in Mathew chapter 18 verse 27 the king for gave the slaves debt. I found no mention of additional conversation, but we would expect this dramatic event to affect the slaved person.
Slide 7
In my research, the debt of 10,000 bags of gold in the new living version or talents in other versions of the Bible would have been beyond comparison for Jesus‘s audience. Since a single bag of gold or a single bag of talents was equivalent to 6000 denari. A denarius was a Roman coin that approximated one days wage for a laborer. To put that in a reason, it would be about 20 years of debt. The total debt would have totaled wages to equal a staggering 200,000 years. Since it would’ve been an impossible for a common person or laborer to accumulate so much debt, this could have been a person like a tax collector who borrowed or one who embezzled from the collections.
Slide 8
We read in verses 28 through 31 about the problem with unforgiveness. The over reaction of the forgiven man to a colleague who owed him a little bit of money and comparison is quite shocking. Since he had just been blessed by his masters, mercy and grace, we would expect the man to consider his friends personal request. We would expect that the slave would also forgive his friends debt. It is likely that those who witnessed his punitive treatment of the debtor was distressed, not only by what happened to the man who was now confined to a deters prison, but also by what they saw in the life and attitudes of the one whom the king had forgiven. After all, when faced by similar circumstances, the forgiven man did not respond with the same mercy and grace which he received.
Slide 9
When we do not forgive others, we are not giving them the same mercy and grace, which Jesus has provided for us.
The man’s refusal to extend for giving grace to his colleague caused extreme between them and more broadly among the community that witnessed his actions.
Slide 10
In verses 32 through 35 the masters cancellation of the forgiveness that he had granted earlier and punishment of the man_the forgiveness is more than a get out of jail, free card. The master presumed that the same mercy he extended to the man would then be shared with his colleagues or with others. That he responded with such harshness and no leniency, not to mention neither grace nor forgiveness, indicates that he had not taken to heart with the master had graciously done for him.
Slide 11
Therefore, when we do not forgive, and we give harshness, we take grace for granted. We need to take to heart with the master has graciously done for us.
The masters, anger toward the man is consistent with how God is depicted throughout scripture: God‘s anger is typically directed toward the people of God (not other nations) when they fail to live into the story of God and God’s grace.
The king’s action did not negate his forgiveness, but clarified the essence of forgiveness. It is important to remember that forgiveness is a decision before it is a feeling. Too often we are tempted to wait until we feel like forgiving, or until we feel more like loving the person who needs our forgiveness. God would have us understand that forgiveness is a decision before it is a feeling.
Slide 12
What we find in Jesus is parable is not a forgiven, forget approach to debt, sin, or wrongs that often faced the community of believers, forgiveness does not brush issues under the rug and pretend everything is fine. But it is as we pray in the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:12) that is, we forgive those who have recognized and own their sin, their wrongs, and they’re shortcomings. We forgive those who cannot make right on their own what has fallen short, but who turned and say in your mercy, will you forgive me? This is the kind of forgiving grace from God that brings reconciliation and restoration to broken relationships and to the community of believers. So that turning the other cheek and going the extra mile confront justice, rather than tolerate it.
This week the Holy Spirit wants us to think about the forgiveness God has given us through his son Jesus Christ. Then he wants us to compare that forgiveness to the forgiveness we give others, especially in the family of God. 
