Matthew 18:21-35

Intro

Have you ever owed someone money?

Like you borrowed money from them and then had to pay it back?

You better not owe any money to the shake eye twins!

Owing someone money is stressful!

I one time borrowed 25 bucks from my roommate in college to go get wings.

Have you ever gone out to eat somewhere and you didn’t have any money on you so you just decide not to eat but then your buddy says “I got you”

It’s like the heavens have opened and God has blessed you personally!

So that’s where I was at, I owed this guy 25 bucks and I didn’t have the money to pay him back.

And day after day after week after week he kept asking me to pay him back until finally I paid him back.

Jesus actually talks about a similar story in Matthew 18 when he is talking about forgiveness

Matthew 18:21–35 ESV

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Notice that the first two verses here Peter is asking Jesus about how many times he should forgive someone who has wronged him.

He says should I forgive him seven times?

If you’re a bible scholar you would know that numbers in the bible hold meaning

For instance seven is the Hebrew number for fullness or completion

So Peter here is asking, do I forgive him completely by forgiving him 7 times

Jesus says you should forgive him seven times seventy-seven

Now remember I said that numbers have meaning in the Bible.

Seven often times represents completion

Three also represents completion or complete unity

So Jesus responds to Peter by saying forgive not just seven times but 7x77

completely forgive

Then Jesus goes into this parable and I want to point out how this parable applies to us as believers.

In the parable there are three major people

The King - God

The servant who owed the king - Us

The servant who owed the other servant - others

Matthew 18:23–27 ESV

23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.

Okay a couple things I want you to notice here in this passage

First is that this servant owed the King ten thousand talents.

One talent was equal to 20 years wages

The average person in America who has no college degree makes roughly 40k dollars a year

One talent in todays culture would be worth 800k dollars

The servant owed 10k talents

This equates to 8 billion dollars that he owed the King

Secondly its that he could not pay that debt back when the King came to settle accounts

Whether you like it or not, you will stand before God one day with either the insurmountable debt of sin or the free gift of grace given through your faith in Christ.

So this servant begs and pleads with the king and in return he is forgiven from billions of dollars in debt.

This insurmountable debt has been forgiven by the king.

And what does this servant do?

Matthew 18:28–31 ESV

28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.

So after being forgiven this insurmountable debt the servant goes out and finds someone that owes him money

1 denarii = a days wage

100 denari = roughly 15k dollars in todays culture

That’s a lot of money!

But would you rather be in debt 15k dollars or 8 billion?

15k dollars compared to 8 billion is so insignificant.

So after being forgiven this servant goes out and chokes another man who owes him money and then puts him in jail until he can pay him back.

Even after the other servant asked him for the same kind of grace and mercy “have patience with me and I will repay you”

He did not understand just how great a debt he had been forgiven.

Matthew 18:32–35 ESV

32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

So a few things things we can learn from this passage.

Just like the servant in the story, we all owe an insurmountable debt for our sin.

Romans 3:23 ESV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

There will come a day whether you like it or not that that debt will be charged.

Meaning that the King will require that debt to be reconciled?

Without Jesus it is impossible to pay that debt

Romans 6:23 (ESV)

23 For the wages of sin is death,

We have been forgiven of that debt by the King of the Universe (God)

Romans 6:23 ESV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And FINALLY, our job is to show and extend that same grace to others.

How do we do that. By sharing with them the truth of the Gospel.

You don’t have to agree with the world or sacrifice your beliefs you can boldly and confidently proclaim Christ by sharing how Christ has changed your life.

By sharing the insurmountable debt that you owed that He has paid for you.

If you have unforgiveness towards someone I would ask that you pray and ask the Lord to reveal to you how much you have been forgiven from your own sin!

Romans 10:9 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.