Bible Study - Glue (3) - Stick with Forgiveness - Matthew 18:21-33 - May 10, 2015

Bible Study – Glue (3) – Stick with Forgiveness – May 10, 2-15

This is lesson three (3) in our series entitled “Glue: Making Relationships Stick.”

Our focus scripture is Matthew 18:21-28, 32-33.

Relationships grow deeper with forgiveness. It is easy to tell someone to forgive but often very difficult when it falls upon us to forgive.

Our lesson today focuses upon the forgiveness of an impossible debt for a person to pay. The debt was so large the person could never pay it in his lifetime under the best of circumstances. JESUS told about this debt using a parable, which JESUS intended for HIS followers to compare to the impossible sin debt they owe to GOD for their salvation.

JESUS often used parables for teaching Spiritual truths. Parables were being used before JESUS used them. 

One example is found in 2 Samuel 12:1-7:

1 So the Lord sent Nathan to David. When he arrived, he said to him: There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up, living with him and his children. It shared his meager food and drank from his cup; it slept in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. 4 Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man could not bring himself to take one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for his guest. 5 David was infuriated with the man and said to Nathan: “As the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 6 Because he has done this thing and shown no pity, he must pay four lambs for that lamb.” 7 Nathan replied to David, “You are the man!

Parables are earthly examples used to help convey Spiritual truths. Let’s explore!

Let’s read Matthew 18:21-22:

21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus said to him, “but 70 times seven.

JESUS had been teaching and preparing HIS disciples for HIS death, burial, resurrection and ascension. They would be the ones to help spread the Gospel of CHRIST.  They needed to know truth.

JESUS’ disciple, Peter, had a question regarding forgiveness. The teaching of the Jewish Rabbis regarding forgiveness was for a person to forgive a person up to three times with four being the upper limit. When Peter asked JESUS the question, he went beyond the three-four upper limits to seven times. In Jewish culture, the number seven was considered the perfect or complete number.  

JESUS went beyond Peter’s number of seven times to, as the scripture states, “but 70 times 7.” Some Bible scholars claim that the proper translation is “77 times.”

JESUS knew the Old Testament scriptures and some Bible scholars point out that JESUS may have used “77” in reference to the Old Testament reference regarding Lamech avenging anyone doing him wrong as found in Genesis 4:24:

24 If Cain is to be avenged seven times over, then for Lamech it will be seventy-seven times!

The idea JESUS was conveying was that HE wanted HIS disciples to have the opposite attitude of Lamech rather than seeking vengeance there is no limit when it comes to forgiveness as long as the person asks to be forgiven.  HIS disciples were to have a forgiving attitude and forgive and keep on forgiving.

JESUS set the example when HE spoke the words when HE hung on the cross as recorded in Luke 23:32:

34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.”

The idea was not to place a ceiling on the number of times to forgive but when a person genuinely repents of an offence and asks to be forgiven to forgive him or her. This attitude reflects the nature and character of GOD. In essence, when an offender is forgiven, the count is reset to zero. GOD forgives and forgets as recorded in Hebrews 10:11-17:

11 Every priest stands day after day ministering and offering the same sacrifices time after time, which can never take away sins. 12 But this man, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. 13 He is now waiting until His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are sanctified. 15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. For after He says: 16 This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws on their hearts and write them on their minds, 17 He adds: I will never again remember their sins and their lawless acts.

The key is for the person committing the offense to genuinely ask to be forgiven and when he or she is forgiven, the count is reset to zero. It is all about the heart. This in no way condones abuse.

JESUS immediately followed HIS statement to Peter with a parable to help elucidate this Spiritual principle.

In most parables when there was a reference to a king, the king referred to “GOD” and slaves or servants referred to those under the authority of GOD. In this parable, the use of the word “slave” renders the idea of a subordinate official in the king’s administration but Spiritually to all of mankind who owe a sin debt to GOD. 

Let’s read Matthew 18:23-27:

23 For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his • slaves. 24 When he began to settle accounts, one who owed 10,000 talents was brought before him. 25 Since he had no way to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt. 26 “At this, the slave fell facedown before him and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything!’ 27 Then the master of that slave had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan.

Forgiveness is the hallmark of GOD’S love for mankind which JESUS willingly fulfilled when HE gave HIS life on the cross to pay the sin debt, in full, for all who place their faith in HIM. Those who reject JESUS will face GOD on judgment day and will be held accountable for their sin. The parable JESUS told was depicting judgment day and the need for every person to look objectively at his or her life and the fact that he or she will be held accountable for his or her debt of sin.

JESUS told of a king settling accounts among those accountable to him. The king calls for an audience with a slave who had great responsibility in his kingdom. This slave owed him an impossibly large debt to pay. The debt was 10,000 talents.

The talent was the highest known denomination of currency of that time period. It is interesting that “ten thousand” was the highest number for which the Greek language had a word. Ten thousand talents can be compared to the national debt of a country and this slave who owed it was a hired hand without the means to ever pay it off.

The king demanded payment or his wife, children along with everything the slave had accumulated would be sold to satisfy the debt. The slave fell upon his knees begging the king to be patient with him while he paid off his debt. It is obvious to the king that the slave could never pay off the debt, so the king takes pity on him and forgives him. Oh what a relief it is to be forgiven for something so impossible to ever pay or satisfy in full.

I am sure that slave left with a since of great relief and gratitude. But did it have a lasting effect on him? Let’s read on.

Let’s read Matthew 18:28-31 and 32-33:

28 “But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him 100 • denarii. He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!’ 29 “At this, his fellow slave fell down and began begging him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30 But he wasn’t willing. On the contrary, he went and threw him into prison until he could pay what was owed. 31 When the other slaves saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and went and reported to their master everything that had happened.

You would think the slave who was forgiven would have looked differently on a person who owed him money. But did he?

What Spiritual truth is exposed in this parable? Does it reveal the hypocrisy in Christians who judge others?

It seems that since the king was having an accountability session, the forgiven slave thought he would have his own accountability session. He found a fellow slave who owed him 100 denarii. A “denarii” was a Roman silver coin and equivalent to a day’s wage. In comparison to 10,000 talents the 100 denarii could have been paid by working 100 days. But the forgiven slave grabbed this fellow slave and began chocking him.  Notice that the slave who owed 100 denarii began pleading with the slave to whom he owed the money using the same words “begging him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’”

But this fellow slave’s pleading fell on deaf ears and he was thrown into prison until he paid the debt.

Fellow slaves witnessed what had happened and they went straight to the king. We often do things without considering that others see our actions, which reveals our hypocrisy. So fellow slaves reported the actions of the forgiven slave to the king, as we read in our next scripture.  

32 “Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, ‘wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And his master got angry and handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed. 35 So My heavenly Father will also do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart.”

The king summoned the forgiven slave. The king had forgiven him because he begged him and the king had compassion on him. But when the tables were turned, the forgiven slave’s fellow slave begged him to be patient with him; he had him thrown into prison. Of all people, those who have been forgiven of a debt they cannot pay should be merciful to those who owe them a debt. The king explained this principle to the slave.

The king turned him over to be tortured in prison until he paid his debt in full.

JESUS then turned the parable into a learning experience applicable to all people, especially Christians. Notice, forgiveness is not superficial but comes from the heart. That is, forgive and mean it.

Do you want to be forgiven and not face judgment? JESUS said it best in John 5:24:

24 “I assure you: Anyone who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.

JESUS forgives all who place their faith in HIM because HIS shed blood paid in full their debt of sin which is impossible to be paid by human effort. Christians, in turn, need to show that same compassion to their fellow man when they are asked to forgive. They are also not to judge others. That is GOD’S business. Christians must keep in mind that they are all sinners saved by grace.

JESUS stated in the model prayer as recorded in Matthew 6:12:

12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

We are all sinners saved by grace and are in debt to GOD for our sins but to GOD be the glory, JESUS paid it all when HE gave HIS life upon the cross. How do we know that? GOD raised HIM from the dead as proof that HE conquered both sin and death for all who place their faith in HIM to have eternal life and to experience life upon earth more abundantly as JESUS stated in John 10:10:

I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

Sunday is Mother’s Day and next month we celebrate Father’s Day. If you have not forgiven your parent or parents for something, consider doing that. Forgiveness is the best gift you can give them. This includes siblings, relatives, friends and others who you may need to forgive. All Christians have been forgiven of a debt they could never pay.

Blessings!!!