Untitled Sermon (2)

forgiveness-Imagine getting a gift card for a restaurant you love. You enjoy a great meal, but when the bill comes, you realize you forgot to bring it! You're now in a bit of a bind – you owe the restaurant for that delightful experience you just had. In a similar way, being in debt to God doesn't mean owing money; it's about recognizing the joy of His gifts in our lives and our responsibility to acknowledge and express gratitude for them.#how often - i.e. boundary/limit- take account/records for preserving history may not be specific- when he had begun to reckon - settle i.e in the present not future- to be sold

The Lexham Analytical Lexicon to the Greek New Testament πιπράσκω

to sell

Lexham Theological Wordbook ἀποδίδωμι

This word can refer to paying back a loan (e.g.,

The Lexham Analytical Lexicon to the Greek New Testament μακροθυμέω

to be patient

Lexham Theological Wordbook σπλαγχνίζομαι

splanchnizomai). vb. to have compassion, pity, deep empathy. Expresses having deep compassion. This verb is similar to what is expressed in modern language as a feeling in one’s “gut” or “heart” of deep empathy for another person.

This verb is often used in the NT to describe Jesus having compassion on various people (e.g.,

Lexham Theological Wordbook ἀπολύω

vb. leave, give leave, forgive. Refers to giving permission for an action or not taking a misdeed into account.

Most often, apolyō indicates the physical dismissal or (when some form of custody is involved) release of a person from one location or relationship to another (

Lexham Theological Wordbook See Also

: to be forgiven, to be forgiven ⇔ be covered, to be forgiven ⇔ lifted up, to forgive, to forgive ⇔ cover over, to forgive financially, to forgive graciously, to forgive ⇔ lift up, forgiveness (absolution), forgiveness (offense), forgiving, to remit (release)

The Lexham Analytical Lexicon to the Greek New Testament κρατέω

seize; arrest. Cognate words: ἀκρασία, ἐγκράτεια, ἐγκρατεύομαι, ἐγκρατής, καρτερέω, κοσμοκράτωρ, κραταιός, κραταιόω, κράτιστος, κράτος, κρείσσων, κρείττων, παντοκράτωρ, περικρατής, προσκαρτερέω, προσκαρτέρησις. Heb. equiv. fr. LXX: חזק (14×), אחז (6×), לכד (4×); + 8 more

13.34 (9) to hold fast to

by instructing him to forgive “seventy times seven” (Matt 18:21–35)—a formulation that Christians have consistently understood to mean never stopping forgiveness1. This radical command frames forgiveness not as a limited resource to be rationed but as an essential characteristic of kingdom life.

Jesus illustrates this teaching through the parable of a king settling accounts with servants, where a servant owing an astronomical debt receives complete forgiveness when he pleads for mercy (Matt 18:21–35). Yet the parable’s central tension emerges when this same servant encounters a fellow servant owing him a small debt and refuses to forgive it, instead having him imprisoned (Matt 18:21–35).

The parable teaches that God’s forgiveness is unconditional initially—God does not wait to see whether sinners will forgive others before God forgives them2. However, the servant is expected to forgive others as God first forgave him2. Those who truly understand the magnitude of God’s mercy must extend it to their debtors1. The king confronts the unforgiving servant, asking why he did not show compassion to his fellow servant as the king had shown compassion to him (Matt 18:21–35).

The consequences are severe: the king delivers the unforgiving servant to tormentors until he pays his debt, and Jesus warns that God will do likewise to those who refuse to forgive their brothers from their hearts (Matt 18:21–35). This suggests that refusing forgiveness doesn’t merely fail to reflect God’s character—it actually reverses the forgiveness already received.

Matthew 18 also contains Jesus’ teaching on confronting a brother who sins, beginning with private conversation, then involving witnesses, and finally bringing the matter before the church if the person refuses to listen.

1Kathryn D. Blanchard, “Theological Perspective on Matthew 18:21–35,” in Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year A, ed. David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011), 68, 70.

2Alistair McFadyen and Marcel Sarot, Forgiveness and Truth (Edinburgh; New York: T&T Clark, 2001), 168.

The Bible presents unforgiveness as a serious spiritual obstacle that disrupts both our relationship with God and our relationships with others.

Forgiveness is reciprocal: if you forgive others, God forgives you, but if you refuse to forgive, neither will God forgive you. (Matt 6:14–15) This principle extends to prayer—you must forgive others to receive God’s forgiveness. (Mark 11:25–26) Jesus illustrates this through the parable of the unforgiving servant: a king forgives a servant’s enormous debt, yet that servant refuses to show mercy to a fellow servant who owes him far less. The king responds with anger and delivers the servant to tormentors, warning that God will do likewise to those who refuse to forgive from their hearts. (Matt 18:21–35)

Unforgiveness also produces destructive internal states. Bitterness, wrath, anger, and malice must be abandoned in favor of kindness and tenderhearted forgiveness, modeled on God’s forgiveness through Christ. (Eph 4:31–32) A root of bitterness that springs up can trouble you and defile many others. (Heb 12:15) Refusing to forgive gives Satan an advantage over believers. (2 Cor 2:10–11)

The biblical standard is radical and countercultural. When Peter asks if forgiving seven times is sufficient, Jesus responds that forgiveness should extend to “seventy times seven”—indicating unlimited forgiveness. (Matt 18:21–35) Rather than seeking revenge, believers are called to relinquish vengeance to God and overcome evil with good. (Rom 12:17–21) Those who show no mercy will face judgment without mercy, whereas mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:13)

Additional biblical passages on forgiveness:

Jesus teaches that reconciliation takes priority even over worship—if you remember someone has something against you, leave your offering and first be reconciled to them. (Matt 5:23–24) When someone repents of sin against you, you must forgive them, even if the offense is repeated multiple times in a single day. (Luke 17:3–4

servants’ accounts. (Matt 18:23–35) This king represents God the Father.1

The parable operates on two levels. At the narrative level, the king functions as a feudal authority collecting tribute—a role that involves demanding ten thousand talents, the very sum Rome extracted from Judea in the 60s BCE.2 This historical resonance would have struck Matthew’s audience as immediately recognizable. Yet theologically, the enormous debt illustrates the magnitude of human sin, while its cancellation celebrates God’s extraordinary grace.1

The king’s character unfolds through his responses. When the servant begs for patience and promises repayment, the king is moved with compassion and releases him from the entire debt (Matt 18:23–35)—an act of mercy that transcends mere leniency. This merciful response functions as a mirror bringing the servant to self-awareness and repentance; only when debtors grasp the overwhelming magnitude of their obligation can they perceive the true scope of God’s mercy.3

The parable’s turning point reveals the king’s other dimension. When the king learns that the forgiven servant refused compassion to a fellow servant and had him imprisoned, the king responds with anger, delivering him to tormentors. (Matt 18:23–35) God does not accept “cheap grace”3—forgiveness received but not extended. Refusing to forgive fellow believers demonstrates that one has never truly grasped God’s forgiveness.1

The king thus embodies both divine mercy and divine justice, modeling the paradox at the heart of Christian discipleship: those who have experienced radical forgiveness must become conduits of that same forgiveness toward others.

1J. Knox Chamblin, “Matthew,” in Evangelical Commentary on the Bible, Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1995), 3:745.

2Warren Carter, The Roman Empire and the New Testament: An Essential Guide (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2010). [See here.]

3Kathryn D. Blanchard, “Theological Perspective on Matthew 18:21–35,” in Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year A, ed. David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011), 70.

On the practical level, Paul instructed Christians to “owe nothing to anyone,” meaning at minimum that Christians should repay loans promptly1. Yet this directive doesn’t prohibit borrowing entirely—rather, it emphasizes responsibility. Simultaneously, Christian economic activity should be marked by kindness toward those in need, generosity, and willingness to help1. This tension reflects the cultural context: the New Testament shows how various cultures handled loans and debts, with Jewish people adhering strictly to Mosaic law and refusing high interest to fellow Jews, while Hellenistic and Roman legal practices penetrated Jewish society1.

Jesus’ parables illustrate the harsh realities of his time. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, Jesus alluded to non-Jewish economic practices where jailing or restraining debtors was customary—a practice that forced debtors to sell property, seek family help, or sell themselves into slavery1. The parables of the talents and pounds mention earning interest on invested money, suggesting that banking and financial investment were normal features of the economy.

Beyond economics, the New Testament employs debt as theological language. Jesus referred to sinners using a word literally meaning “debtors,” and in the Lord’s Prayer, “debts” parallels “sins”1. This metaphor runs deeper: sin is presented as enslavement, with all people as debtors to God, and redemption possible only through God, who gave his only Son to set people free1. Paul felt indebted to all people because of his own salvation, a debt payable through preaching the gospel, and the New Testament teaches that all who receive the gospel are likewise in debt and should devote themselves to serving others1.

The remaining biblical passages illustrate these principles: Matthew’s Lord’s Prayer connects forgiving debtors with receiving forgiveness (Matt 6:12), while Luke’s teaching on lending emphasizes lending to enemies with no expectation of return, promising great reward (Luke 6:34–35).

1Walter A. Elwell and Philip Wesley Comfort, in Tyndale Bible Dictionary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), 370.

Forgiveness is not the same thing as ‘tolerance’. Being forgiven doesn’t mean that sin doesn’t matter. On the contrary: ‘forgiveness’ means that sin does matter—but that God is choosing to set it aside.

N. T. Wright