God’s Nature of forgiveness
Parable Series 1 – Parable of the unmerciful servant, and its preamble
[Abbreviated article at http://defleuriot.wordpress.com]
“He has preserved our lives, and kept our feet from slipping” Proverbs 67:9
The preamble to the parable of the unmerciful servant
Matthew 18:1-21
Interestingly, the parable of the unmerciful servant is preceded by five values, which are almost exactly replicated in the parable. They are first, Jesus’ teaching on the value of childlike humility and gratitude; Second, Jesus’ teaching on what God thinks about us seeking out one broken human life. Third, Jesus teaches them how to challenge and to account for actions in a godly way, four, the value of unity among brothers, and the power it can generate; and five, with Peter’s question about forgiveness, we see the value of forgiveness and gratitude. Through these five heavenly principles, Jesus provides an ideal setting for the parable of the unmerciful servant, so that we might be less likely to reject its importance. Before beginning these themes, it should be plain to everyone that the hero of the parable is not the servant, but the King who forgives and keeps forgiving. The parable will show that none of these values are sustainable outside of a relationship with the King of Kings. This was a lesson that the servant had to learn and one that God would not want us to forget. These five themes will be re-enacted in the drama of the parable:
1. The value of childlike humility and graciousness
“And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” Matthew 18:3
Jesus gives us two of heaven’s clues on how to engage in perfect relationship with Him – first, to humble ourselves as a little child, and second, to welcome little children in his name. The Greek meaning of “child” is pais, and is the same word used for “servant” [quoting Isaiah’s “servant” of the lord in the NT], or slave, or child. An added bonus for the “children” is that their angels in heaven always see the face of the Father [verse 10] – not bad for representation. They could not have it better!
2. The value of compassion
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” Matthew 18:12-14
Jesus moves from the childlike to a description of three kinds of things people do with childlike hearts – first, they are filled with compassion for the disadvantaged, sick, and lost, second, they rejoice over those who are found. They are cheerers. When they hear of how others do well, their hearts leap with joy – God is pleased with such people! They love to see God’s healing at work. Paul showed us that heart when in prison. He had proclaimed a blessing even on those criticizing him [Philippians 1:18]. Third, how well people do is more important to them than the effort or inconvenience they themselves might have suffered in the process. To them, it is better to be selfless than self-aware!
3. The value of honesty and a proper accounting for actions
“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” Matthew 18:15-17
Teachings on childlikeness, tenderness, compassion, and a primary focus on those in need might have communicated to the sinners among them that they had been completely let off the hook. Yes, it is true. He had a plan to redeem them, but it would not ignore inappropriate behavior. The way of escape was through Him [in honesty, repentance, and forgiveness], and not in brazen disregard for sin, or through the back doors of concealment and subtlety! Jesus was calling the witnesses to stand up and declare truth about behavior. The great benefit to the proper administration of errors in community relationships would be the synergy and strength of what they would achieve together. We hear the echoes of Leviticus 26:8, “Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you”. Jesus’ statement: “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven…” had shown them how everyone could be encouraged to run for gold. Yes, even those treated as “pagans and tax collectors” would be given the opportunity to see their sin and to adjust in order to journey with their brothers. Punishment is not God’s preferred method of motivating his children, love is, patience is, grace is, and mercy is! This example does not advocate that one can lose one’s salvation, but is intended to show how God begins with us: first by showing us His love, and second by giving us his word as a guide to healthy living, then by showing us how to walk with our brothers and sisters as witnesses. Only if these do not work, does he suggest a dealing of sorts, which is designed to induce an adjustment in us, so that we might be more fully sanctified. God is confident that his process will work, and so should we! He is able to teach us both to fear him [the wisdom that He only can teach], and to love him [the fruit of unity with Him]. It is only through the filter of His love that we might understand his disciplining of us. David explains God’s mercy in our saving faith in Psalms 55:22, “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall“. This Scripture is a replica of 1 Peter 5:7, which repeats it but leaves out the last line “he will never let the righteous fall”. This is symptomatic of some of the Old Testament Scriptures quoted by New Testament leaders. By quoting it, Peter was not limiting but merely summarizing what was in the old covenant. Thus, to cast our cares on Him implied two things, first, that God would never refuse our need, and second, that His covenant with us is irrefutable – it is unbreakable! He was, and is still, the fulfiller of the promise, and the guarantor of the inheritance. His Spirit is given to us as a deposit guaranteeing the outcome of sanctification. We need to analyze three key words David uses in his verse. First, “sustain”, which is kul in the Hebrew, and means: to hold, seize; to provide, supply, sustain; to bear, endure. The word is significant in that it implies a powerful seizing of us by God [this is an important key of the parable. It shows that it was the King that “seized” his servant, and not the other way round]. The second is “never” – its meaning is made up of three words, which when put together amount to an unshakeable salvation by faith. They are:
- L§- – agency, by means of
- Lo} – no, not
- {Olaœm – everlasting, forever, eternity; from of old, ancient, lasting, for a duration.
In other words, that he does not intend to let us go. Summed up so far, the line “He will never let the righteous fall” is a clear explanation of God’s amazing grace toward humankind. Therefore, it is palpably incomprehensible that anyone would not hurl [“cast” – sûaœlak≈] his or her cares on God. The third is “fall”, which is mot√ in Hebrew, and means to be toppled, to cause to fall, to be continually shaken, or to slip. What makes the third word remarkable is that here we are reminded what it is God is saving us from. That God has a plan to rescue and to keep us is evident in Jesus’ words, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away” [John 6:37], but God will not ignore our actions. He will deal with us to prepare us for himself.
4. The value of unity among brothers
“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:19-20
Solomon writes that a man’s ways are in full view of the lord, and he examines all his paths [Proverbs 5:21]. Jesus is reemphasizing a key of divine success in this passage – that unity commands a blessing [Psalms 133]. The blessing is automatic on those who choose unity with Him. He has already shown by his lifestyle what the unity of the Trinity can produce – a human life lived for God! this principle also purports that if our unity with God is exercised in community, it results in increased blessing
5. The value of forgiveness and gratitude
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times [verses 21-22].
It is obvious by Peter’s question that he, and probably the others, had not understood the depth of what Jesus had been teaching in the first 20 verses of this chapter. The human mind wants to rationalize. It wants to reach for, and make understandable. It wants to believe only in what it understands. Jesus’ response was to set the bar so high that they would say, “Ok, we cannot do it” Peter’s customary boldness had propped him into speaking what was on all their minds. His question is really a disclaimer – he had set the limit of his forgiveness to “7 times”. Jesus’ response puts forgiveness out of the reach of human effort – an infinite number! To forgive [aphieœmi] means to pardon, remit, cancel; to leave, abandon; to allow, permit, tolerate.
The parable of the unmerciful servant
Matthew 18:22-35
Before embarking on the parable, it is important to mention the three things the parable is not teaching. First, “the jailer” that the unmerciful servant is sent to in Matthew 18:34 does not in any way indicate that God is the author of sickness or death. The meaning of “jailer” in the Greek is of “one who causes pain”. Moreover, the “king” in the parable is not God, though we can take some lessons from the story that would indicate some of the things God might do when faced by a disobedient servant. God is not the author of disease, death, or destruction – the wages of sin lead to death. Second, that not forgiving does not take away our salvation, and third, that forgiving does not earn us our salvation. Works does not gain salvation. Salvation is obtained by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ – it is the gift of God [Ephesians 2:8-10].
Peter was usually the one not to pretend. He had just asked the question that was on everyone’s mind – “How will we ever meet God’s standard?” Jesus begins with a ‘therefore’, indicating that the parable story would reaffirm what He had already said. A story well told can summarize complex principles as nothing else can. Any remaining confusion, in Peter, or in any of the others, would be washed away in the clarity, simplicity, and drama of the parable. The king is the hero of this story. The parable would have been better named, “the parable of the merciful king”.
A king that holds us to account
“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. [Verses 23]
The word in Greek for “accounts” is – logos, and means, word, spoken or written, often with a focus on the content of a communication. Implicit in the story are prior words spoken and actions carried out that had resulted in a debt of 10,000 talents. Important to the story is that the servant had been directly engaged in incurring his debt. He was aware of it, but whether he was of the consequences of non-payment is doubtful – he had seemingly done nothing up to that time to honor his debt. We are introduced to the king as someone who had decided to settle his accounts, but not yet to his full intent in the process.
A debt that cannot be repaid
As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. [Verse 24-25]
Many today owe their existence to the care, the hours of service, the immeasurable volume of prayers, and to the acts of love of others in their lives, and yet they continue to live on oblivious of those sacrifices. If they were but to stop and take stock of their situation for a moment, they would see the debt of gratitude that they owe to others. They would see that no retort, no quarrel, no slight, no abuse actually measures up to that debt. To add to that the debt we owe God who remains daily silent and protective of both our public and our private sins, must produce in us a life of thanksgiving and gratitude toward him, and toward others. 10,000 talents at a day’s wage of 1 denarius, adds up to 380,000 days of work [equivalent to 6000 lifetimes of work]. If the king’s intent was only to “settle accounts”, and not to extend mercy, we estimate that the servant would still be in jail today. 6000 lifetimes served concurrently adds up to approximately 383,000 years. Jesus had made his point – the debt we owe cannot be repaid!
A King whose mercy knows no bounds
“The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.” [Verses 26-27]
The king does not refuse the servant’s plea. He ignores the servant’s foolish claim, and forgives him his debt. He chooses mercy above sacrifice. He sets the standard for forgiveness at the ‘infinite” level. He cancels the debt without preconditions, without reserve, without retainers. He wipes the slate cleans. He blots up the transgression and renders it null and void. He completely removes it from the accounts. The largeness of the debt had revealed the largeness of the king’s heart, and answered any other possible questions the disciples might have conjured up in defense of their sense of human justice. What is more astounding about this part of the story is the servant’s blindness to the enormity of his situation. Having, to some degree, excused himself, he would later accuse another much less guilty than he.
A King that hates ingratitude
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. [Verses 28-31]
Though this king hated ingratitude, he did not take back his love. the story is not really about money, but about mercy. When we judge others, we end up being judged in the same way. The sentence the unmerciful servant pronounced over his own debtor, was fulfilled in his own life. The servant was an ungrateful, unforgiving, and ungracious servant. Ingratitude forgets what others have done. Gratitude is a choice to remember that we could never repay God’s love for us, and perhaps not even that of those who have helped us along the way. Ingratitude is evidence that the size of a debt is underestimated. The seeds of ungraciousness were already evident in the servant’s initial plea. He begged, “Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything” [Verse 26] – he still imagined that somehow his debt could be repaid. Ingratitude is evidence either that our debt to God is completely forgotten, or is being conveniently ignored. Some have anaesthetized themselves against the conviction of the Holy Spirit, presuming that He would ignore their condition. The parable makes two things certain: first that the debt is too big to repay, and second, that God will not leave us where we are. The choice is ours how long or how short the journey to healing is. Oblivious of the state of their true account with God, many live their lives judging others, criticizing others, dissatisfied with their circumstances, and envying what others have. They work a lifetime to get what others have, are constantly looking at the ‘greener’ grass on the other side of their situation; are wishing that they looked like someone else, or even that they were someone else. They are not satisfied, grateful, thankful, or full of the joy of the Holy Spirit, but God wants to bring them into a life of greater gratitude. His power is released through teaching them to thank Him – as Isaiah teaches, “the joy of the Lord is our strength”.
The King sanctifies his servant through discipline
Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” Matthew 18:32-35
The mercy God gives, is the mercy he works into those that are in Him. RT Kendall writes, “He doesn’t cancel our salvation, but he does, nevertheless, deal with us” [The parables of Jesus, Chosen Books, 2006, p. 161]. In other words, far from being discouraged, we have the benefit of serving a king who not only set the standard of righteousness for us, but also fulfilled them for us through His death and resurrection. The message of the parable is plain: that the debt others owed the servant was I million times less than the debt he owed the king [10,000 talents at 10,000 denarii per talent, equals 100,000,000 denarii, which divided by 100 denarii equals I million denarii]. Even in the drama caused by the servant’s ingratitude, the king’s mercy does not leave him, since the servant is only handed over to the jailers until… [The Greek word used is heoœs, which means “up to, until”]. The servant’s life had already been redeemed [debt fully paid], but it would need to be restored fully. Even in the face of such ingratitude, we are aware that the King’s mercy would find a way to change the servant’s heart for his eternal benefit. Paul picks up on this valuable principle in Ephesians 4:32 as follows: “And be ye kind to one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.” Jesus gave himself for us while we were yet sinners [Roman 5:8], how much more should we love him. Jesus, pointing to the woman who had washed his feet with her tears, said that those who have been forgiven much will love much, and that they who forgive little love little [Luke 7:47]. If the Scripture, “For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” [Luke 6:38], is true, then it is true also to say that everyone is receiving what they are sowing. The lesson the servant was bound to learn was that:
- Unforgiveness produces loss – [anointing, growth, relationships, inheritance, joy…]
- Unforgiveness grieves the Spirit – It grieves the Spirit’s ability to work His fruit in us, and quenches the Spirit’s ability to work His gifts through us [Kendall]
- Signs of unforgiveness causes us not to trust others – they are still present when we refuse to release even the tiniest bit of offense against others, such as that which causes us not to trust them.
- Forgiveness is infinite – It is not tied to the magnitude of the offense. In God, “7 times” becomes “infinite times”
- Our debt is not payable by us – It is as futile to try to pay the debt we owe, as to try to hold another to their debt to us
- Forgiveness is only achievable in a relationship with God – It is unachievable outside of a relationship with the one who forgives, and teaches us to forgive
- Revenge is ridiculous – It is the most ridiculous thing anyone can partake in
- God will hold everyone accountable to how they forgive
- Forgiveness has no fear or guilt – And those who forgive, have no fear, have no guilt, do not need to look over their shoulder, walk in healing, keep in step with the Holy Spirit, are safe, and are able to go forward without baggage. The same is not true of those who, having been forgiven in such a magnificent way, do not forgive others.
- Ingratitude is the source of every sin – at the source of every sin, if one is willing to probe deep enough, sits the shadow of ingratitude
The parable does not tell us the end of the servant’s story. The unspoken future would most likely have shown a king ready to re-cancel the debt when the servant released his own servant from prison. If we were there, might we have seen a glint in the king’s eye? We should not assume him lacking in humor at the ridiculous situation. He had seen his servant frantically beg to pay back a debt that he could not. The debt he owed, if the prison term was served concurrently, could not be redeemed in less than 383,000 years – now that is funny [depending, of course, on who looks at it]! A magnanimous and gracious God could find a lot of humor in such a situation. He had heard that the same unwise servant had seized, choked, and imprisoned someone else for a debt one million times smaller, but that could be paid with only 100 days of extra work. The King could have thought, “let’s see how long it takes for my servant to realize that his prison term depends on the state of his own heart – and on how he forgives?” We are not told the conclusion, but what is clear for us today is that without forgiveness there can no be peace, growth, or success. The extent of God’s forgiveness was seen on the cross when Jesus forgave them, and us! He said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” [Luke 23:34]. Yes, even in the hour of His greatest earthly agony, he had not forgotten the heart of His Father, as he had previously taught them, “In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost” [Matthew 18:14]. We cannot help wondering at how many relational agonies would be instantly resolved if we would choose [with the help of the Holy Spirit – 2 Timothy 1:14] to see even our worst enemies as one of God’s “little ones”!
Loys
Ps: On the morning I was to preach this parable I opened my computer to find a note from Charisma® Magazine – words written by R.T. Kendall:
Mean what you say when you Pray
Sunday, 06 June 2010
Simply let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No.”— Matthew 5:37
It may seem surprising to some that people who are not Christians can learn to forgive. I believe that there are degrees of forgiveness. A person who is not a Christian could demonstrate what may be called “limited forgiveness” and feel all the better for it. If a person is sufficiently motivated, he or she may achieve a great deal of inner satisfaction by overcoming bitterness. Mahatma Gandhi appealed to a sense of valor and heroism when he said, “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” On the other hand, President John F. Kennedy said, “Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.” That is hardly total forgiveness!
The Bible urges us to forgive—totally.
I suppose that the fifth petition of the Lord’s Prayer, “Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors”—or, as put another way, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”—has made liars out of more people than any other line in human history. But don’t blame Jesus for that. We should mean what we say if we choose to pray the Lord’s Prayer. And Jesus did not say we had a choice; He said, “This, then, is how you should pray.”
Jesus regarded this as the most important petition in His prayer. “Forgive us our debts” is obviously a plea for forgiveness from God. But then comes the following line (or possibly the big lie): “as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
Just after the prayer is finished, Jesus goes on to say, “If you forgive men when they sin against you … ” Jesus intended the meaning of sin when He said the word debt. It means “what is owed to God,” and because you owe Him pure obedience, falling short of that means you are indebted to Him.
Excerpted from Total Forgiveness (Charisma House, 2002)
Read more: http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/newsletters/daily-devotionals/by-love-transformed/22134-mean-what-you-say-when-you-pray#ixzz0q68nui2D
