Sunday School Lesson 07-24-05 - THE UNFORGIVING SERVANT!

THE UNFORGIVING SERVANT

LESSON EIGHT

MATTHEW 18:21-35

KEY VERSE: “Then the Lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt” (Matthew 18:27).

Here once again we find JESUS as we first found HIM at the beginning of this unit, TEACHING instead of “preaching.” Only this time, I believe that HE took advantage of the opportunity presented by HIS disciples who posed a question to JESUS, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?” (18:1) This entire chapter, in addition to most of those containing JESUS teaching, supports my position that HE was ‘primarily’ concerned with the “teaching and preparing” of HIS disciples for their mission without HIM physically present on earth. For just six verses prior to this question, JESUS had summarily predicted HIS death and resurrection again to HIS disciples (17:22-23).

In response to the disciples’ question, JESUS proceeded to call a little child to HIM and “taught” them that unless they (or anyone) were “converted and become as little children (another simile), you (they) will by no means enter the kingdom of Heaven” (18:2-5). But, as I fore stated, JESUS didn’t stop there but took full advantage of the opportunity to share the WISDOM of HIS answer. He warned them of the “offenses” of causing “little ones…to sin” and the consequences of such an offense (vv.6-7). Following with the consequences of ‘our body members’ causing us to sin; and that, we would be better off without the offending body member than “to be cast into hell fire” (vv.8-9).

Following this, JESUS taught The Parable of the Lost Sheep (vv.10-4); how to deal with a “sinning brother” (vv.15-20), and then to the WISDOM of our text on The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (vv.2-35).

1. THE ULTIMATE LIMIT OF FORGIVENESS (Matthew 18:21-22)

Here once again we encounter JESUS responding to another of the many questions posed to HIM by HIS disciples as they traveled with HIM. And, hence, another opportunity for HIM to teach (prepare) HIS disciple in HIS reply. The question was presented by Peter, who said, “’LORD, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’” (18:21). But I am not sure if Peter was ready for the answer that JESUS gave, for it far exceeded his initial figure of seven times, “…up to seventy times seven.” I’m not the greatest mathematician in the world, but even with my limited knowledge I know that seven times seven is four hundred and ninety (490) times. By any stretch of the imagination, that’s a whole lot of forgiving. As we were coming up in life, it was difficult enough to forgive a person one time ‘let alone’ seven times; and 490 times is unfathomable. How could I forgive a person for the 490^th infraction if I have not gotten over the “first” one, was our way of thinking. And, I believe that this is why JESUS, probably ‘knowing’ that the disciples were thinking the same way because of their question, responded with some profound WISDOM through The parable of the Unforgiving Servant.

2. THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS (vv.23-27)

In JESUS’ response to HIS disciples, HE told of a certain king who had a servant that owed him “ten thousand talents,” which research says is equivalent to approximately $3,840,000,000, almost four trillion dollars. But this servant was unable to pay to pay his debt and he was “commanded” to be sold, along with his wife and children, in addition to all that he had. However, after the servant went to the king and pleaded for mercy, the king, according to JESUS, “was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.” This is the most powerful and dramatic testimony of forgiveness by someone other than JESUS I find in the scriptures.

To fully understand this WISDOM contained in this dramatic and merciful act, we must explore the concept of forgiving and being forgiven. By definition, to forgive means; “to grant pardon (refrain from inflicting the penalty of) for an offense, insult etc.; to show forgiveness or cease to blame or feel resentment against another.” This simply means that if one has caused us to have anger or feel ill will toward them, whether for real or imagined wrong or injury, we must not hold them responsible for, find fault with, or place responsibility on them for their action or error. As difficult as this may be to carry out in today’s society, this is what is it means to forgive.

The king was the best example because he received no compensation whatsoever for his act, taking a loss of trillions of dollars, save probably a ‘clear’ conscious. This simply means that sometimes we too will have to suffer in order to forgive another by definition. But I can’t help but reflect on a certain scene that took place on Calvary Hill when our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, while just seconds before HIS death was able to ask on behalf of those who placed HIM there, “FATHER FORGIVE THEM….” If JESUS in that situation was able to forgive, it should be easy for a believer under less harmful conditions to follow HIS example, especially since HE DID IT FOR US!!!!

However, I must interject here that there are two sides to Forgiveness; one, is the act of forgiving, and the other is the state of being forgiven. In the ‘story’ that JESUS related to HIS disciples, the king committed the act of forgiving and the servant was the recipient of the act, thus placing into the “state of the forgiven. While the debt was still not paid, the servant was able to live as if it had been paid in full because of the benevolent forgiving spirit of the king. This is a human endeavor done with divine strength, for with GOD’S help alone are we able to carry out this act, in the name of our LORD and SAVIOR (TEACHER and EXAMPLE) JESUS CHRIST.

3. THE REST OF THE STORY…UNFORGINENESS (vv.28-35)

As always, there is a tragic flip side to the ‘story’ that JESUS used to make HIS point with the disciples on Forgiveness. The other side of forgiveness is unforgiveness. It would seem that if one has been forgiven, by another for a wrong committed against them that forgiven person should, in turn, be willing to forgive someone else for committing a wrong against him or her self. But sad to say that was not the case in this Parable of the unforgiving Servant.

In the ‘rest of the story,’ we find the servant in a different capacity under different circumstances (the shoe is now on the other foot). While it should not be the motivation for forgiving, one never knows when they will be the one needing to be forgiven. On the other hand, when one is forgiven they never know when they will be called on to do some forgiving of their own to someone else, as was the situation in the last half of our lesson.

Just as GOD would have it, the servant had an opportunity to show the same kind of mercy toward another that had been shown toward him. He had an occasion to display the spirit of forgiveness that he had just been the recipient of. That is the way GOD works in the establishment of HIS KINGDOM here on earth, HE will show MERCY toward us so that we can, in turn, show compassion toward others. That is THE PLAN OF GOD. However, man does not always do things according to GOD’S PLAN, as was the case here.

The servant, not only did not show compassion when begged for mercy, instead, he deliberately went out to seek his fellow servant who owed him just a small fraction of the debt he had just been forgiven ($3,200 as opposed to 3,840,000,000). Then when he found him, according to our text, he “took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’” (v.28). As if this initial attack was not bad enough, the servant, after being begged for just a little more time to pay, not for relief from the debt, not only did not forgive his fellow servant but, in addition to this hardship, had the fellow servant thrown in jail. How ‘cold’ can you get?

As ‘fate’ would have it, when others who were aware of the unforgiving servant himself having been forgiven his great debt by his master, therefore went to the master and told him of the events that had occurred. When the master heard these things, he immediately sent for this unforgiving servant, and “said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you ALL that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’” (vv.32-33). Finally the master did what he could have done in the first place when he showed compassion on him, he had the “wicked” servant delivered “to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him (the master)” (v.34).

JESUS concludes HIS TEACHING by telling the disciples, and us today, that this is the way that THE HEAVENLY FATHER works HIS PLAN. If we, as believers, will simply show the compassion of forgiveness toward all those of GOD’S children we encounter in life, “from your hearts,” then and only then can we expect GOD THE FATHER to show his Grace and Mercy of FORGIVENESS to us.

THINK ABOUT IT!!!!

Spiritually Yours.

Rev. Chris Lowe, Sr. DD