The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

6:20-6:30—FELLOWSHIP/CHECK-IN

6:25—START COUNTDOWN

6:30-6:35—WELCOME & PRAYER

6:35-6:45—GAME

6:45-6:50—ANNNOUNCEMENTS

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6:50-6:57—Bible Project Video—Micah

6:59-7:02—PRAY

7:02-7:20—MUSIC

He is Faithful

Brokenness Aside

All the Poor and Powerless

Go Tell It on the Mountain

7:20-7:25—THE GOSPEL & DISMISS MS SG

Dismiss/HS SG—Binders

7:25-7:45—MESSAGE—The Talents

7:45-7:55—SG PRAYER TIME

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Lord, here we go again!

Pray.

Think myself empty.

Read myself full.

Write myself clear.

Pray myself haught.

Be myself.

Forget myself. (From Alister Beggs)

Lord, let this message be a beacon for you. Let me be forgotten and invisible. Let them see and know you, only you. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14

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The gospel is the good news that God, the loving Creator, sovereign King, and holy Judge of all, has looked upon men and women wonderfully and uniquely made in His image who have rebelled against Him, are separated from Him, and deserve death before Him, and He has sent His Son, Jesus, God in the flesh, the long-awaited King, to live a perfect and powerful life, to die a sacrificial and substitutionary death, and to rise from the grave in victory over sin, Satan, and death. The gospel is a summons from God for all people in all nations to repent and believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, turning from all idols to declare allegiance to Jesus alone as King and trust in Jesus alone as Lord. All who turn from Jesus will experience everlasting, horrifying suffering in hell, while all who trust in Jesus will experience everlasting, satisfying communion with God in heaven. (Secret Church 2020, David Platt, Radical.net) For now, Jesus remains in heaven, changing the world one person at a time, but one day he will return and judge the world in righteousness. He will remove from this world all sin and all causes of sin and he will restore the cosmos to a state of peace, prosperity and flourishing and all those who have received him as their Lord and Savior will participate in his rule and enjoy his goodness forever. _____________________________________________________

PRAY

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Have you ever owed something and have the debt forgiven? What was that and how did you feel after?

EACH WEEK: A parable is a simple story that explains a spiritual truth.

Matthew 18:23–35 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. 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.”

Part I: Background information for understanding the main characters

This parable occurs only in the Gospel of Matthew. Explain to the students that even though most translators call the unforgiving man a "servant", the Greek word doulos means slave (that is, someone owned by someone else). Translators have opted for the word "servant" so as not to confuse readers with the modern experience of slavery. Slavery in the ancient Mediterranean world was very different. It was not racially based but primarily an economic arrangement wherein the person worked off a debt. Slaves during this period were "persons" and not property. They could be educated and even have citizenship. In this parable it appears that the unforgiving slave is a government official who has been carrying out the business of the king (which partially explains the enormous amount of money given to him.

Jesus is addressing Peter.

To whom is the parable directed and why?

To Peter (and through him to the rest of the disciples) who has asked how often he must forgive his "brother" who has sinned against him (v. 21). Matthew is using the story to raise the question, "How often do you forgive a fellow Christian (or Christian leader, if "slave" is used by Jesus to refer to them) after they repent?"

1. Who are the main characters?

a. The main characters are the king and the unforgiving slave. The second servant and the fellow servants are necessary for the story, but their actions are not designed to teach one of the main lessons.

2. How much is a talent worth?

Denarii is a day’s wage.

c. Talent is worth ~6,000 denarii.

d. Arkansas’ minimum wage is $9.25/hr. 8 hours = ~$74.00/day

e. Using Arkansas wages:

i. 1 talent = $444,000

ii. 2 talents = $888,000

iii. 5 talents = $2,220,000

Some of the learners may remember that when we examined the parable of the talents last week that a talent would be equivalent to what a day laborer could earn after working for 20 years. So, the slave owed the king something equivalent to what a common laborer's wages would be after 200,000 years.

This is an unfathomable amount. Even Herod the Great, one of the richest persons to live during this time, could not have paid this amount. A "talent" was the highest currency in the Near East at the time and 10,000 was the highest number used in calculating figures. The excessiveness of the size of the debt helps the listeners to remember it. Draw the learners' attention to the fact that the slave was brought (v. 24) to the king. This may indicate that he went reluctantly because he knew that his debt was being called in and was unable to pay it. At first the king behaves in a way that Jews would expect a Gentile king to behave, he orders the man and his family to be sold to recoup some of the losses (even if this is unimaginable).

3. What do you make of the slave's promise to repay back everything?

Hopefully some of the learners will recognize that the slave's promise is arrogant and naive. It would take several lifetimes for anyone to pay back such a huge amount.

4. What emotions do you think this slave would have had upon hearing that his punishment is remitted, and his debt canceled?

There may be several answers such as euphoria to bewilderment. Explain to the students that now in contrast the fellow slave only owes the first slave roughly four months wages. One talent is equal to 6000 denarii. The unforgiving slave has just been forgiven 600,000 times more what the fellow slave is asking mercy for to repay. The slave is either a Gentile or a disobedient Jew since he is willing to do what the law does not permit, namely throw this person in prison to pay off a debt. However, a person could be sold into slavery if they were guilty of theft and could not make restitution (Exodus 22:1).

5. Why do you think that the other slaves respond in the way they do?

There may be several explanations such as they feared that they would be similarly mistreated, or they were outraged at the severity and injustice of this man's imprisonment. Draw the learners' attention to the fact that one of the shocking and disturbing observations of this parable is that even though the king granted forgiveness of the debt he still had the authority and ability to reinstate it (v. 34).

Part II: Issues raised in the minds of a Jewish audience

Draw the learners' attention to the fact that when Jesus refers to a king, the only "king" at the time was the Roman Emperor. Since Jews would have been accustomed to Old Testament images of God as king, they would immediately realize that Jesus is talking about what God does. Only now Jesus is comparing God to a merciful Roman Emperor!

7. Would Jews have seen the king as an honorable person?

While they certainly could recognize his act of mercy towards the unforgiving slave, they would have also seen him as ruthless because of the extent to which he will punish a debtor. It may have been startling for them to hear God compared to a king who can act with mercy but can also act with ruthlessness.

Part III: Lessons from the main characters

The Primary lessons for Jesus’ disciples and believers are:

God can and desires to forgive any amount of sin when we seek his mercy.

The disciple of Christ who will not forgive their fellow disciple will not receive God's forgiveness.

Because God has forgiven us, be willing to forgive those who have sinned against you.

Part IV: Contemporary Applications of the main lessons

Ask the learners to give some reasons why Christians will not forgive other repentant Christians who have injured them?

Note: During this period you will have to help some learners distinguish between forgiveness and "holding a grudge". "Holding a grudge" is an emotional response to a person who has wronged us. When we hold a grudge we have a desire to get revenge on those who have hurt us. Christians must resist the personally damaging effects of the desire for revenge and instead trust God's justice. On the other hand, when we forgive a person, we are asking God to forgive them and not punish them for their sin. God does not forgive sins unless there is repentance or a spirit of contriteness (In other words, a person may not know they have committed a specific sin but is humble before God and knows that they are constantly in need of his mercy.). It would be a mockery of God's forgiveness to forgive someone of a wrong when they continue to claim that their wrong actions are right. It is certainly understandable if someone wants to say that we should have a "forgiving heart" if they mean that we should also be ready to forgive if a person is repentant. Now ask them to describe God's reaction to those unforgiving Christians.

​Matthew 25:14–30 ESV14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

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PRAY

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