The Unforgiving Servant

Background

Matthew is organized in a series of discourses followed by narratives.

Sermon on the mount, most well known, this is at the tail end of the 4th discourse.

Thread that connects this discourse is relationship with believers.

Read Matt 18:10-20

Parable of the Lost Sheep/Church Discipline

Both of these passages are about restoring people within the church.

Discipline isn’t about how to kick someone out of the church, it’s about doing everything possible to restore that person.

Matthew 18:15 ESV

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

This guides our understanding of what the process should be, but I think the point Jesus is really getting at here is don’t just let your brother go. Do everything in your power and get everyone possible involved to restore him.

End of this set of teaching, so this is tied to the two passages before and essentially shows us Peter’s response to this talk of restoration.

When Can We Say Enough is Enough?

Peter asks how often, essentially asking the question, When is it ok for me to say enough is enough and just cut ties with that person.

We ask questions like these sometimes, how close can I get to the line before I sin.

Seven times?

Amos 1:3 “Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron.”

Job 33:29–30 ““Behold, God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man, to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be lighted with the light of life.”

Idea of the day was 3 times (Rabinnic Law) (one in some cases)

Peter is doubling that plus one. (seven is a number of perfection)

Point is Peter is actually trying to be generous and gracious.

Jesus’ response is mind-blowing

Jesus responds with 77 times (some translations 70 times 7 times) - point is, infinitely

Point is forgiveness and the restoration of relationships is critical

We should carry the spirit of forgiveness with us always.

There is no point where “Enough is Enough”

A Story of Grace

Parable paints a picture of why forgiveness is so important.

It tells us why we should be motivated to forgive.

Great debt is forgiven (23-27)

Read 23-24Ten thousand talents - 1 talent is roughly 20 years of laborers wages (200,000 years worth of day laborers wages) - roughly equivalent of $10 billion (not a great translation)

essentially a guy making minimum wage owing $10 billion

impossible to fathom ever getting out of it (for generation after generation)

If you have ever been in debt, (student loans or otherwise), it can be overwhelming. No idea how to pay that off.

This is so much worse than that.

Read 25 To be sold (a just penalty under the civil law) Harsh, but just.

Not just under Biblical law, selling others for debt is mentioned, but is condemned.

King isn’t going to get enough money from this man, his family and his possessions to cover the debt. This is a punishment.

no doubt this is harsh, we don’t have anything relatable to that today.

our sins are a penalty that we can’t pay for, it’s not possible and our harsh, but just punishment is condemnation and hell.

no amount of work, no amount of good we can do to pay off that debt.

not a one-to-one parallel of salvation (see at the end)

Read 26-27 He is forgiven the debt

Have patience, I will pay.... Throws himself on the mercy of the King.

Is there really any way he is going to be able to pay it back?

Begging for mercy, King was moved by pity (not belief that he would pay it back)

not simply, ok, i’ll give you more time. I will forgive the debt.

mom - student loans

sense of relief, gratitude (should translate to how we act towards others)

Grace is forgotten (28-30)

Read 28 100 denarri - denarri is a days wage (10-15K) - again, not a great translation, but gives us an idea

Compared to what the first servant owed, this is nothing.

not an insignificant amount - points to the fact that this applies not only to “little sins,” but to things that really hurt as well.

Finish 28 Violent encounter

choked him (Before saying anything)

Read 29-30 No forgiveness

29 repeats exactly what the servant said in 26

Put him in prison to pay the debt. He was not moved by pity like the king, did not forgive, or give any grace.

At this point we can feel with the disciples, this isn’t ok.

The King Responds (31-35)

Read 31-33 Mercy was given, so why isn’t mercy shown?

Massive debt was forgiven because you pleaded, why would you not do the same?

Jailed till he could pay the debt (never)

Read 35 - so also.. bringing it back from the story

This is the point of the parable - if you do not forgive your brother from your heart, condemnation awaits you.

stated in a positive way, one commentator put it this way: Prompted by gratitude the forgiven sinner must always yearn to forgive whoever has trespassed against him, and must do all in his power to bring about complete reconciliation

Tough questions - does this mean you can lose your salvation if we don’t forgive?

Address quickly, but ultimately, that’s not the point.

Ephesians 2:8 ESV

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Saved by grace period. It is through faith, which in and of itself is a gift of God. One of the manifestations of that faith, is forgiveness. (James 2)

It ultimately begins and ends with God’s work in us, but we still have a responsibility to grow in the fruit of the spirit. So, we have to work at forgiveness.

The Point: God Desires Us to Reconcile Relationships

God desires us to reconcile relationships so far as it is in our power.

There are situations where that is not possible, and that is the situation described in Matthew 18:15-20.

So far as it is up to us, we must forgive

What that doesn’t mean

That we forgo criminal justice. (Romans 13)

There are other places in Scripture where it condemns suing each other.

That we simply overlook unrepentant sin. (point of 15-20)

How, what does it look like?

We need to foster an attitude of forgiveness more than simply a process.

Martin Luther - Forgiveness is not an occasional art, it is a permanent attitude.

It is an attitude that encompasses how we see ourselves, how we see others and how we see what God has done.

First and foremost we must remember who we are:

This is the point of this parable, remember what you have been forgiven.

Each and every one sinners. (Romans 3) We all deserve condemnation

God is Holy and perfect and created us to reflect his image. Any time we sin, we profane His name. What that means is our debt is insurmountable on our own.

So, when we look at the harm others do to us, we need to remember two things.

We are fallible sinners and we may have a part in this hurt.

Matthew 7:4 ESV

Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?

My college ministry loved talking about marriage. Great advice, tried to hold on to: when you have a fight with spouse, first pray and ask what have I done wrong? Change me.

We have a huge debt of our own.

Second we need to remember who others are.

Look back at the parable of the lost sheep. The good shepherd values each and every one of his sheep.

The shepherd goes after the one and rejoices when they are brought back into the flock. The Father desires that none of the little ones should perish.

That person that you don’t like, that you are holding something against is made in the image of God just like you.

they fall short, just like you

they will hurt people, just like you.

They need forgiveness, just like you.

Finally we need to remember what God has done!

That debt that we hold, the massive, un-payable debt, has been paid.

This is more than simple forgiveness, the debt has been paid in full by Christ.

There is incredible freedom in this. There is no need to ‘measure up’ so we can humbly admit our faults and shortcomings and seek forgiveness. We need to remember that freedom, and grant that grace to others.

We are also given the Holy Spirit which gives us the power to choose not to sin, to choose to forgive.

Attitude of forgiveness spills over into other things as well

-grace in how we communicate instead of gossiping.

-Do wonders in our marriages, relationship with children

-helps us to grow in humility

-Political discourse in light of yesterdays events.

We cannot make our politics our religion

No politician is our savior, they are sinners just like us and need our grace and prayers.

Are you cultivating and attitude of forgiveness?

-so important to put remind yourself of these truths each and every day. Bible reading, prayer, listening to solid biblical music, meeting together with fellow believers, church each and every Sunday.

Are we as a church creating a culture of forgiveness?

As part of creating a culture of forgiveness, we end every service with the Lord’s Supper

-reminds us of the debt that we owe

-reminds us of the payment of that debt, that Christ took our punishment upon the cross.