Parable of the unmerciful servant and the laborers.

Matthew 18:23–34 ESV

“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 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. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 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.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 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. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.

Matthew 18:

Talent is a measurement of weight, not a measure of worth. A talent would measure either gold or silver and equals around 75 pounds.

Modern day silver estimate= $17.24/oz = $275.84/lb.= $20,688/talent

10,000 talents of silver = $206,880,000

Modern day gold estimate= $1,348.50/oz= $21,576/lb.= $1,618,200/talent

10,000 talents of Gold = $16,182,000,000

-If this sum is measured in gold there is only 56 people out of 7.4 billion who could pay this amount back.

Denarii- a Roman silver coin worth about 15 cents. Equaled a day’s pay for a common laborer.

-Actual value in silver content would be $3.62 for a denarii.

-100 denarii would be $300.62

-Based on a days wage- median pay/hour for general laborer $15/hr.= $120/day

-100 denarii would be $12,000

What are some culture items to think about to help us interpret this parable?

What does this parable tell us about the grace and forgiveness of God?

Does God’s mercy and grace depend on our ability to show mercy and grace to others?

Is our own salvation dependent on showing forgiveness and grace to others?

Is our own salvation dependent on showing forgiveness and grace to others?

How do we reconcile passages such as and ?

Are we called to never judge or is there a healthy way to judge others?

Matthew 20:1–16 ESV

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.”

How does this parable address the concept of fairness?

Who gets to determine what is fair?

What warning is contained with in this passage for believers?

What kinds of attitudes and practices may need to change to allow a church to live out this parable?

Personal Reflection

How are you practicing the grace and compassion of Christ?

Are your actions condemning other or seeking to reconcile others?

Are there practices or attitudes in your life that are inadvertently keeping others from Christ?