MATTHEW 18:21-3521Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. 23Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. 24And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 25But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 28But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 33Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. (Matthew 18:21‑35).
Verses 21, 22. "Then came Peter to Him, and said, `Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? ' Jesus saith unto him, ' I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”
A BELIEVER in Christ, even though he be a little child, is to be RECEIVED in His name (verse 5): he is not to be OFFENDED or STUMBLED (verse 6): he is not to be DESPISED however humble; for the angels in heaven minister to him, and the Son of Man came to save him (verse 10). If he STRAY, he is to be sought for and restored, for such is the will of the heavenly Father (verses 12-14). If he TRESPASS, he is to be dealt with privately, with brotherly fidelity, or, if need be, in Church discipline, in order that he may be regained (verse 15), and if all fail, disowned as a brother; but if it be a matter of PERSONAL forgiveness, though faithfully to be dealt with, he is to be received with unlimited forgiveness. See Luke 17:3, 43Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. (Luke 17:3‑4)—"Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him, and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent,' thou shalt forgive him." Not only seven times a day on his repentance, but seventy times seven, after the pattern of Divine forgiveness, and as disciples of Him of whom we sing—
“Unwearied in forgiveness still,
His heart could only love.”
Verses 23, 24. "Therefore is the kingdom of heaven [the heavens] likened unto a certain king, which would take account of [with] his servants [bondservants]. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents”
This is a parable of the kingdom of the heavens, illustrative of Divine actings in the present dispensation.
The King is God in His sovereignty taking account with His servants, who are regarded as His absolute property, and entirely at His disposal His bondservants. This is the beginning of reckoning; it is not the final judgment of the Great White Throne, nor of the bema, or judgment seat of Christ, it is the judgment which begins at the house of God (1 Peter 4:27, 1818And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? (1 Peter 4:18)). One case is taken as a specimen of others, and as showing the indebtedness of man to Divine justice as a sinner against God in thought, and word, and deed. Gen. 6:55And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5): "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
This indebtedness of man to the justice of God may be estimated in three ways:
First, If the talent be taken as a talent of silver; according to Roman calculation ten thousand talents would amount to more than one million pounds sterling. This may be regarded as the HUMAN estimate: such an estimate as civilized and educated man might form of sin.
Second, According to the Jewish calculation it would be more than three millions. This may be regarded as the LEGAL estimate: such an estimate as the Jew under law might form of sin against his God.
Thirdly, But if the talent be taken to be a talent of gold, it would be upwards of fifty millions. This may represent the DIVINE estimate, or sin judged of in the presence of God, and secret sins in the light of His countenance.
Verses 25-27. "But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.' Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.”
Man has nothing wherewith to meet the claims of Divine justice, and the folly of promising to meet these requirements by future reformation is forcibly illustrated by this parable. For abstinence from sin in the future, if possible, could not wipe off the old score. And no amount of outward religious observances could ever atone for sin.
Mercy alone can meet the case, and the ground on which God can be just, and yet the justifier of the ungodly, is the atoning sacrifice of Christ: and thus alone can man be set free aid forgiveness granted. On the ground of the sacrifice of Immanuel, the spotless Lamb of God, the victim provided and accepted by God Himself, infinite justice is satisfied, and pardon for all sins can be extended to the uttermost to every one that comes to God through Him.
Verses 28-35. "But the same servant [bondservant] went out, and found one of his fellow-servants [fellow-bondservants] which owed him a hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.' And his fellow-servant [fellow-bondservant] fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.' And he would not; but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt [that which was due]. So when his fellow-servants [fellow-bondservants] saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, ‘O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst [besoughtedst] me: shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall MY heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.'”
One hundred pence or denarii, at seven pence halfpenny the denariüs, would be about three pounds two shillings and sixpence-out of all proportion with the debt which had been forgiven.
Grace bestowed lays the receiver under an obligation to manifest the same; he should forgive as he has been forgiven. "Be ye kind," says the apostle, "one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake [God in Christ] hath forgiven you" (Eph. 4:3232And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32)). Failure in thus manifesting grace may be an indication of one or other of two things-either of failure in grace by a child of God who is really a subject of Divine grace, bringing such an one under Fatherly discipline, as our Lord teaches in Matt. 6:14, 1514For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14‑15): "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Such an one is left to the upbraidings of his own conscience, or to the assaults of Satan, until he is brought to act in conformity with the will of God; the former act of pardon is not annulled, although he may himself lose the consciousness and joy of it, but payment is required for what had been contracted.
On the other hand, the forgiveness of sins may be received intellectually, as a doctrine, apart from faith in God and in Christ, and not in the power of the Holy Ghost. The doctrines of grace apart from the Spirit of grace will leave the heart still hard, and the conduct and character unchanged, so that, whatever the profession, the conduct of the individual may prove that he has neither part nor lot in the matter, for his heart is not right in the sight of God. A Spirit-taught apprehension of the grace of God in Christ will lead to a corresponding character and walk. But the nominal reception of the doctrines of grace, unaccompanied by the grace of God in the heart, leaves sin unpardoned, and the sinner exposed to the retributive justice and judgment of God.