Matt. 18:23-3523Therefore 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 18:23‑35)
This parable of the unmerciful servant commences with the word, "therefore," and is thus a continuation of the subject which precedes it. Peter had come to the Lord, and asked how often he was to forgive an offending brother-till seven times? "Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven," that is, without limit. "Therefore," was this parable spoken to them, and, indeed, the Lord's words to Peter explain its meaning. We who have been forgiven our many sins-the ten thousand talents-ought to forgive our brother his hundred pence.
The proportion of the two sums mentioned is surely not without significance. Ten thousand talents would be more than 10 million dollars, and a hundred pence about 15 dollars. How small is anything we can be called upon to forgive in another, in comparison with that which God has forgiven us.
In this parable is a principle often overlooked by Christians; namely, that according to what we measure out to others, such will be measured out to us (Matt. 7:22For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. (Matthew 7:2)). God in His government brings this about in His dealings with His people, notwithstanding their being Christians. God's grace does not do away with His government.
Some may feel a difficulty as to how the unmerciful servant could be punished after he had been forgiven, as if the forgiveness of God were a sort of conditional pardon that could be withdrawn if we were unfaithful afterward. But there is no such thought in Scripture, and the parable does not say that the servant was punished for the same debt he had been forgiven.
He was forgiven that debt, and then punished for what was afterward due. Man is such a failing creature that, if he were forgiven today's debts he would owe another debt tomorrow.. This we see exemplified in Israel. On the day of atonement the Jew's sins were atoned for and forgiven, but he continued to sin, and there was of necessity a remembrance made of sins every year (Heb. 10:33But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. (Hebrews 10:3))-another day of atonement and forgiveness. Now the one sacrifice of Christ perfects the believer forever, but the parable does not enter into the subject of justification, nor was atonement then wrought.
The last part of the parable has also presented another difficulty to some, because it seems to imply the loss of the soul, for the unmerciful servant is delivered to the tormentors until he should pay all that was due. In Scripture, persons are taken up in the character they assume. Here the persons spoken of are "servants," and the parable must not be taken out of its connection. Professed servants may be thus unmerciful, and may be lost eventually. The parable may apply also to those Jews who had been forgiven their "ten thousand talents," but who would not forgive their Gentile fellow servants their "hundred pence."
Still, it has a lesson for us all. Let us not forget the mighty debt we have been forgiven. The unmerciful servant "went out" from the presence of his lord, or he could not have dared to seize his fellow servant. So we may forget what we have been forgiven, and fail to forgive our brethren seventy times seven. As we have seen, God in His government will measure to us according as we have measured to others. The merciful shall obtain mercy, and we surely need this to the journey's end.