Matthew 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)
Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 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. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him an hundred pence; and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellow-servant 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. So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, 0 thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst 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.” — 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 commences with the word, “therefore,” and is thus joined on with what precedes. Peter had come to our 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, in perpetuity.” Therefore” was the above parable spoken to them, and this, indeed, explains its meaning. We who have been forgiven our many sins — the ten thousand talents — ought we not to forgive our brother his hundred pence?
The proportion of the two sums mentioned is surely not without significance. Ten thousand talents would be about £3,420,000, and a hundred pence about £3. How small anything we can be called upon to forgive in another, is, in comparison with that which God has to forgive us, before we can be His! And then, when we are His, the many grievous things we have to be forgiven!
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, notwithstanding our being Christians, and this accounts for many of His dealings with His people. 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 to-day, he would owe another debt to-morrow. This we see exemplified in Israel. On the day of atonement, the Jew’s sins were atoned for, and forgiven; when he again began 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)), and a new atonement made, and forgiveness given. Now the one sacrifice of Christ perfects the believer forever; but the parable does not enter into the subject of justification, nor was the work of atonement then completed.
The last part of the parable has also presented another difficulty to some, because it seems to imply the loss of the soul. The unmerciful servant was delivered to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due; but 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; and the parable may also apply to those Jews who had been forgiven their “ten thousand talents,” but who would not forgive their Gentile fellow-servants their “hundred pence.” Their condition was indeed hopeless; for they could never repay to God what they owed.
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; and 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.