DIGGING DEEP NO. 927 – MARCH 22, 2022 THE UNFORGIVING SERVANT Matt.18: 21- 35

In forgiving one another; Peter asks for limits and measures, but where there is love, there can be no limits or dimensions Ephe.3: 17- 19. Peter thought he was showing great faith and love when he offered to forgive at least seven times. After all, the rabbis taught that three times was sufficient. Our Lord’s reply, 490 times must have startled Peter. Who could keep count for that many offenses? But that was exactly the point Jesus was making: Love keeps no record of wrongs 1Pet.4:8. By the time we have forgiven a brother that many times, we are in the habit of forgiving. But Jesus was not advising careless or shallow forgiveness; Christian love is not blind Phil.1: 9- 10. The forgiveness Christ requires is on the basis of the instructions He gave in Matt.18: 15- 20. If a brother is guilty of repeated sin, no doubt he would find strength and power to conquer that sin through the encouragement of his loving and forgiving brethren. If we condemn a brother, we bring out the worst in him. But if we create an atmosphere of love and forgiveness, we can bring out the best in him.

The main character in this parable went through three stages in his experience of forgiveness.

1. He was a debtor – Matt.18: 23- 27. This man had been stealing funds from the king and, when the books were audited, his crime was discovered. The total tax levy in Palestine was about 800 talents a year, so we can see how dishonest this man was. In terms of today’s buying power, this was probably equivalent to over $10 million. His case was hopeless’ except for one thing: The king was a man of compassion. He assumed the loss and forgave the servant. This meant that the man was free and that he and his family would not be thrown into a debtor’s prison. The servant did not deserve this forgiveness; it was purely an act of love and mercy on the part of the master.

2. He was a creditor – Matt.18: 28- 30. The servant left the presence of the king and went and found a fellow servant who owed him one hundred pence. The average worker earned one penny a day, so this debt was insignificant compared to what the servant had owed the king. Instead of sharing with his friend the joy of his own release, the servant mistreated his friend and demanded that he pay the debt. The debtor used the same approach as the servant: Have patience with me and I will pay you all of it. But the unjust servant was unwilling to grant to others what he wanted others to grant to him. Perhaps he had the legal right to throw the man in prison, but he did not have the moral right. He had been forgiven himself; should he not forgive his fellow servant? He and his family had been spared the shame and suffering of prison. Should he not spare his friend?

3. He became a prisoner Matt.18: 31- 34. The king originally delivered him from prison, but the servant put himself back in. The servant exercised justice and cast his friend into prison. “So, you want to live by justice? Asked the king; then you shall have justice. Throw the wicked servant in prison and torment him. I will do to him as he has done to others.”

The world’s worst prison is the prison of an unforgiving heart. If we refuse to forgive others, then we are only imprisoning ourselves and causing our own torment.

What was wrong with this man? The same thing that is wrong with many professing Christians: They have received forgiveness, but they have not really experienced forgiveness in their hearts. Therefore, they are unable to share forgiveness with those who have wronged them. If we live only according to justice, always seeking to get what is ours, we will put ourselves into prison. But if we live according to forgiveness, sharing with others what God has shared with us, then we will enjoy freedom and joy. Peter asked for a just measuring rod; Jesus told him to practice forgiveness and forget the measuring rod. Our Lord’s warning is serious: God cannot forgive us if we do not have humble and repentant hearts. We reveal the true condition of our hearts by the way we treat others. When our hearts are humble and repentant, we will gladly forgive our brothers. But where there is pride and a desire for revenge, there can be no true repentance, and this means God cannot forgive. It is not enough to receive God’s forgiveness or even the forgiveness of others. We must experience that forgiveness in our hearts so that it humbles us and makes us gentle and forgiving towards others. Ephe.4: 32; Col.3: 13.