Bible Study - Relationships (3) - Forgive - Matthew 18:21-28, 32-35 - May 10, 2020
Bible Study – Relationships (3) – Forgive – May 10, 2020
This is lesson three (3) in our series entitled, “Dealing
with Messy Relationships.”
Our focus scripture is Matthew 18:21-28, 32-35.
Relationships grow deeper with forgiveness.
Satan loves divisions and barriers between people
especially church going and professing Christians. Two brothers in my wife’s
lineage did not speak for many years. They were urged to settle their
differences and when they did neither could remember why they had such a
falling out.
I know in my life it has been very hard for me to forgive
and the LORD has dealt with me. It has been hard to forgive myself of the dumb
things/sins I have done in life. It is vital for us to confess our sins to
accept our LORD’S forgiveness and then to forgive ourselves.
In our study, we are studying about an unforgiving
servant. JESUS used this parable as a teaching tool for HIS disciples and the
religious people of HIS time period and forward to today. Let’s explore!
It all begins with a question from Peter ---
Let’s read Matthew 18:21-22:
The
Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
21 Then Peter
approached him and asked, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or
sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?”
JESUS’ disciple Peter wanted to know how many times a
person should forgive another person. The Jewish rabbis taught that three times
was the maximum number with four being the ultimate limit.
The number seven in the Jewish religion was considered a
number showing completion. Peter used what he thought would be a generous, safe
number. But JESUS went far beyond the number 7 by a factor of 70 or 490 or
another way to consider what JESUS said is 77’s. In Genesis 4:24, we read “If Cain is to be avenged seven times over,
then for Lamech it will be seventy-seven times!”
then for Lamech it will be seventy-seven times!”
In essence, JESUS was not establishing a number but an
attitude reflecting the heart of a true follower/disciple of JESUS. Christians
are to forgive an unlimited number of times.
1 Peter 1:3-9:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new
birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead 4 and into an inheritance that is
imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. 5 You
are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is
ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 You
rejoice in this,[b] even though now for a
short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials 7 so
that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which,
though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and
honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though
you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you
believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 because
you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Let’s read Matthew 18:23-28:
23 “For
this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who
wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When
he began to settle accounts, one who owed ten thousand talents[o] was
brought before him. 25 Since he did not have
the money 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
servant fell facedown before him and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay
you everything.’ 27 Then the master of that servant
had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan.
28 “That
servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred
denarii.[p] He
grabbed him, started choking him, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!’
Often,
it is hard for us to see the gravity of our sin compared to the sin of others.
Some how we attempt to justify our sin or minimize it when we compare our sin
to others who sin. But GOD considers sin, sin and it took the sinless life of
JESUS to pay for all sin, in full.
Notice
the servant/manager was “brought before the king.” There will be a day when
every person will stand before GOD and give an account. No one will have a way
to escape, except? Let’s read what JESUS said in John 5: 24 “Truly I
tell 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 is the only way to eternal life in Heaven.
Let’s
consider the example in the parable JESUS told:
In
the spring issues of Advanced Bible Study published by LifeWay Plaza,
Nashville, TN, page 134 is an excellent overview of talent.
The
servant owed the king ten thousand talents or about $12 billion dollars at that
time period.
1.
A talent was both a measure of weight and a monetary
unit. As a measure of weight, a talent was the amount of weight a soldier could
carry on his back. Such was between 75 and 100 pounds – thus the weight was not
exact.
2.
As a monetary unit standard. The talent could be either
silver or gold – and the text in this parable does not specify which JESUS
intended. However, in the NIV translation of Matthew 18:24 - 24 As he began the
settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[h] was brought to him. We see that it refers
to gold. This put the amount owed to the king in the gazillions (A very large
number that never will be reached.) Some scholars believe when gold was not
specified it was understood to refer to silver.
3.
The exact amount of a talent of silver or gold varied in the ancient
world.
The
bottom line, it was an amount impossible to be repaid, just like there is
nothing any person can do to earn his or her salvation. LORD forgive me for my
sin ------
JESUS
would establish the kingdom of heaven when upon earth. When HE completed GOD’S
plan, upon earth - which was HIS physical death, physical resurrection,
ascension and sending the Holy Spirit to indwell all who place their faith in
JESUS.
All
people upon earth owe a sin debt to GOD that is impossible for them to pay. That
is why GOD had to send HIS only SON to earth to live as 100% human, yet 100%
GOD. JESUS had to be tempted in all ways as humans are tempted as 100% human.
HE had to fulfill both the letter of the Law and the Spirit of the LAW. JESUS
had to be 100% sin free for HIM to be the perfect sinless sacrifice to conquer
sin once and for all eternity. JESUS had the freedom to choose and HE chose not
to sin. HE fulfilled the letter and spirit of the Law. As proof that HE was and
is acceptable to GOD is that GOD raised JESUS from the physically dead to be
eternally alive in HIS Glorified Body. By removing the barrier of sin, JESUS
opened the pathway between GOD and all mankind. The pathway is open but every
person must accept JESUS as his or her personal Savior to be restored with
eternal life, which was lost by our human ancestors, Adam and Eve, in the
Garden of Eden.
Just
as GOD forgives each of us who have placed our faith in JESUS for our sin,
which is a debt impossible for us to pay, as Christians, we must forgive
others. The kingdom of heaven refers to the place where the perfect king rules.
Where the sovereign king who owns everything and always seeks the best for HIS
subjects. First Corinthian 6:19-20 - 19 Don’t
you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in
you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for
you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.[e]
What
did it cost for you to be redeemed from eternal death? It cost the life of
GOD’S Only SON, JESUS. You are of great value, embrace it. You are of great
value and GOD has compassion for you!
The
servants in this parable were not common labors but they were servant/managers.
The king entrusted them to manage the affairs of his estate. The king had
entrusted them with petty cash to keep the estate running on a day to day, week
to week and month to month basis. Then the king had an accountability meeting.
At this meeting, the king learns that the servant/manager to whom he had given
a very large sum of money did not have the means to pay it back period or with
profit. This was cash flow problem resulting from the estate not running
properly, thus not being sovereign. The king was going to have him, his wife,
his children and everything he had to be sold. The servant/manager pleaded with
the king, who had compassion on him and forgave him.
It is
interesting that the king in the parable used the Greek word “splanchnizomai,” for
“compassion,” which carries the idea of the king having heart felt pity on the
servant/manager.
Notice
that the amount “owed” which was considered “debt.” When the king had
compassion on his servant/manager, the king referred to the “debt” as a “loan.”
The
forgiven servant was forgiven of his enormous debt/loan, yet he went to a
fellow servant and demanded that he pay a much smaller debt owed to him.
The
forgiven servant threatened the fellow servant/manager who owed him money with
his very life; the most precious possession a person has is his or her life.
One
would think that the servant/manager would extend forgiveness to others, but does
he? No! What is the heart of the servant/manager who was forgiven have toward
another servant/manager who owes him money? A fellow servant/manager begs for
time to repay a much smaller sum of money? What does this reveal about the
servant/manager’s heart toward others? What is the message to us who are
forgiven of so much sin? Let’s read on ----
Let’s read Matthew 18:28-35:
28 “That
servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a
hundred denarii.[p] He
grabbed him, started choking him, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!’
The forgiven servant “went out and found” carries the
idea that he left the moment he was forgiven with the purpose in mind to seek
the servant who owed him money. When he found the servant who owed him money,
he got physical. Oh my, pay up or else. No mercy!
JESUS’ desire is for those who place their faith in HIM
to realize GOD’S Grace that has been extended to them and extend Grace to
others.
29 “At this, his
fellow servant fell down[q] and
began begging him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30 But
he wasn’t willing. Instead, he went and threw him into prison
until he could pay what was owed. 31 When the
other servants saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and
went and reported to their master everything that had happened. 32 Then,
after he had summoned him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I
forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Shouldn’t
you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And
because he was angry, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured
until he could pay everything that was owed. 35 So
also my heavenly Father will do to you unless every one of you forgives his
brother or sister[r] from
your[s] heart.”
This is a message to all Christians. As GOD’S Children,
we must realize the enormous debt each of us had before GOD sent JESUS to earth
to give HIS sinless life to pay that debt in full for all who place their faith
in JESUS. First Corinthians 6:19-20:
19 Don’t you know that your
body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have
from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were
bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.[e]
Yet, we as Christians, find it hard to forgive those who
ask us to forgive them. Christians do not internalize what JESUS has done for
them in order for them to experience the miracle of forgiveness, the joy of Spiritual
rebirth and GOD’S Grace.
What does JESUS tell Christians as recorded in Matthew
6:12 -And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our
debtors. Blessings!!!
posted by Bible Study | 5:18 PM
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