New Testament : Parable of the Unforgiving Servant? Christianity has undeniably been one of the greatest cultural influences on the history of Western Civilization. The ideologies, moralities, and even anecdotes found in the Christian Bible have reappeared time and time again. From political decisions to art and literature, these ideas helped shape European lives for millennia. One example is the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, a tale found in the Gospel of Matthew, 18:23-35. The story is one of forgiveness, surrounded by other stories of forgiveness, and what it means in the Christian doctrine.
In Matthew, Jesus and his disciples discuss various issues of morality, faith, and the nature of the forgiveness of sins. It’s important to remember that these Jews are living in a time where Jewish law is absolute and very strict. Atonement for sins is difficult, and only achievable through very specific actions and rituals. That concept of spiritual forgiveness has impacted their culture beliefs about forgiveness on a personal level as well.
In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, Jesus is presenting a new principle that is similar to the basis of the forgiveness command for believers found in Ephesians 4:32, “And be ye kind to one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Jesus is teaching His disciples pre-cross, and therefore in the pre-church age, but the basis for forgiveness is the same. Because God has forgiven us, we are to forgive each other. Therefore, because we have received much grace, “while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8), we are commanded to give that same grace to others. In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, the first servant’s debt was forgiven, and he was not required to repay until his unforgiving nature was discovered. In contrast, our sin debt was paid in full by Christ and is the only basis for God’s forgiveness. We cannot repay our debt to God or earn our salvation. It is a gift of grace (Ephesians 2:8-9).
{The danger is that there is at least one thing that will keep Him from offering us this act of mercy. It’s our obstinacy in failing to forgive those who have wronged us. This is a serious requirement of God upon us and one we should not take lightly. Jesus told this story for a reason and the reason was that He meant it. We can often just think of Jesus as a very passive and gentle person who will always smile and look the other way when we sin. But don’t forget this parable! Don’t forget that Jesus is serious about obstinate refusal to offer mercy and forgiveness to others.|Why is He so strong on this requirement? Because you cannot receive what you are not willing to give away. Perhaps that doesn’t make sense at first, but it’s a very real fact of the spiritual life. If you want mercy, you must give mercy away. If you want forgiveness, you must offer forgiveness. But if you want harsh judgment and condemnation, then go ahead and offer harsh judgment and condemnation. Jesus will answer that act in kind and severity.|Reflect, today, upon those powerfully piercing words of Jesus. “You wicked servant!” Though they may not be the most “inspiring” words to reflect upon, they may be some of the most useful words to reflect on. We all need to hear them at times because we need to be convinced of the seriousness of our obstinance, judgmentalness and harshness toward others. If that is your struggle, repent of this tendency today and let Jesus lift that heavy burden.
It is a parable of Jesus, which appears in the gospel of Matthew. Make sure you’ll listen right to the end to find out who is this unmerciful servant. You might be surprised we find this parable in Matthew chapter 18 please follow with me on the screen as I will read from the Bible. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven maybe compare to a King who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him 10,000 talents. And as he could not pay, his Lord 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, Lord, have patience with me. See extra information on the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant video on YouTube.
This is an important message to the Jews of the time. Christ’s message was that the Jewish law was insufficient. The law needed to be replaced. That’s the entire concept behind the messianic prophesy in Jewish culture, that a messiah would appear and replace the old laws with a new covenant, or a deeply held promise. So in this parable, Christ is also affirming that the Messiah has arrived and this new era of history has begun.