Radical Forgiveness: The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
Dr. Bradford Reaves
Crossway Christian Fellowship
Hagerstown, MD
www.mycrossway.org
Matthew 18:21-35
A little girl’s Prayer: A little girl was eating alone in the corner of the dining room as part of her punishment. The family paid no attention to her until they heard her pray: “I thank Thee, Lord, for preparing a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.” (Brian McCutchen, Sermon Central)
In the musical Les Misérables, the antagonist is a policeman named Javert. He believes in judgment alone and not mercy. The main character is a man named Jean Valjean. He spends 19 years in hard labor because he stole a loaf of bread to feed his family. After he breaks his parole, he receives mercy from a Bishop. He lives the rest of his life trying to show the same mercy he received. Yet he is constantly on the run from Inspector Javert.
Javert, on the other hand, lives his life in pursuit of justice against Jean Valjean. He says things like “once a thief, always a thief.” At one point in the movie, he makes a mistake and requires the mayor to punish him – his justice must even apply to himself – but the mayor (Valjean in disguise) has mercy on him, finally ordering him to forgive himself because the chief of police must obey an order from the Mayor. At one point in the story Valjean’s true identity revealed and he is given the chance to kill Javert. Instead, he has mercy on him and sets him free. In the final scene, Javert and Valjean meet up again: https://youtu.be/ArBsOVlyX18?si=oKt4kCabP0tzsrZQ
Javert cannot live with the reality that Valjean has been redeemed, and the realization that Valjean is a better man than he is, when he catches up with Valjean in the end, he sets him free and kills himself because he cannot live with the mercy that was shown him and the mercy that he gave.
This is a great illustration of our Parable today and the bondage of a person who is unwilling to forgive and show mercy to others. We’ve talked before about radical forgiveness in our series of the Sermon on the Mount. If you remember, we used the example of the forgiveness shown by the Amish after the Nickle Mine School shooting in Lancaster. Today, we’re going to understand this concept even further.
Forgiveness is crucial for unity in the church, love between anyone, and for meaningful, ongoing relationships.
Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. (Proverbs 19:11)
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)
bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (Colossians 3:13)
The highlight of the Christian life is to be a person of radical grace, radical mercy, and radical forgiveness. This flies in the face of modern culture that tells is built upon cancel culture, the destruction of the preborn, and the decimation of marriage. Is it any wonder that forgiveness is so misunderstood in today’s church? With that, let’s look at Jesus’ parable:
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. 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.” (Matthew 18:21–35)
The first thing we must understand is that the Kingdom of God is built upon the foundation of Radical Forgiveness. If you don’t understand this, then you don’t understand the Cross or the Gospel. If you don’t understand this (or practice this) than you are not fit for the Kingdom of Heaven. When this spirit of unforgiveness (rooted in pride and arrogance) enters the church, Satan can divide the body. You heard me.
The Context
The parable is a response to Peter’s question about the extent of forgiveness, but it goes deeper than that. You see, Jesus has talked to his disciples about the Kingdom of God. In Chapter 17, Jesus had healed a boy that had a demon. This demon, according to the father, caused the boy to have seizures and he would fall into a fire. Then after that they were walking to Galilee and Jesus predicts his death and resurrection. As they walked further to Capurnem, Peter retrieves the temple tax from a fish. All of this show’s Jesus’ ultimate authority over all things, but models the humility that must also be shown.
This leads to the understanding of the Kingdom through child-like faith , the preciousness of children, and the parable of the Lost Sheep. Following that Jesus talks about reconciliation and being in agreement as believers. Which leads Peter to ask a very timely question, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Matthew 18:21–22)
Meaning that true forgiveness is boundless. Jesus is telling Peter that true forgiveness is not counted or limited. But rather is generous and continuous. In fact the issue of forgiveness is so paramount in the Kingdom of Heaven that unforgiveness will hinder your relationship with God and your prayer life.
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14–15)
The Bible says that we are not to let the sun go down on our anger (Ephesians 4:26) meaning that if you go to sleep with unforgiveness in your heart, you are in mortal danger not knowing if you will have the opportunity again to reconcile your differences with your brother. So lets look at the Parable:
The Forgiving King and the Servant
“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. (Matthew 18:23–27)
The storyline is pretty simple. A king decides to settle accounts with his servants. One servant, who owes the king ten thousand bags of gold (an enormous, unpayable debt), is brought before him. Unable to repay, the servant faces the prospect of being sold, along with his family, to settle the debt. The servant begs for patience, promising to repay the debt. Moved by compassion, the king forgives the debt entirely and releases the servant.
The King is an image of God the Father and the forgiveness of the debt to the servant. The amount used to describe the debt is the term murion. It is where we get our term myriad from and it’s like saying he owed the king a gazillion dollars. Here is a profound truth we must understand. The debt described here is describing the debt of our sin. When we are brought before God at the moment of judgement we are faced with the reality of our sin that is insurmountable and incalculable. The sum of our sin is beyond comprehension.
Jesus indicates in the parable that the man had embezzled money from the king. He didn’t even have the ability to pay any of it. The punishment was severe, but also just because the debt can’t be repaid. He and his family would be sold into slavery and everything he had would be liquidated. His life and the life of his family was essentially over. That’s the image of our sin before God and the realization of that debt should bring us to a place of seeking God’s mercy.
So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. 13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. (Romans 7:12–13)
Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (Romans 7:24)
And so, the man seeks mercy and forgiveness. That’s all he has; there is no other choice and in a moment of absolute pity and astonishing mercy the king forgives the debt. Jesus tells us that the king was moved with compassion because of the king’s love for the servant. This is the cross. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is you under the forgiveness of God by the payment made on your behalf by God’s own son.
“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. (Isaiah 1:18)
The Unforgiving Servant
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. (Matthew 18:28–30)
Now we come to the plot twist. In what seems like an unthinkable act of greed, the servant leaves the kings presence having received his full pardon and finds someone who owes him money; 100 Denarii. A denarii was a day’s wagers for a laborer, so this was still a good amount of money, but within the scope of repayment. Nothing in compared to what was just forgiven.
In finding this man he seizes him; lays his hand on him and he chokes him. He’s threatening his life. When this other servant asks for mercy; the first servant gives no mercy and has him thrown in prison. Notice that Jesus says found the fellow servant. In other words, he went looking for him and that this was a ‘fellow servant’ (sundoulon). He is a man of the family.
That’s what Jesus is intentionally doing here. He’s taking the parable into the family of God. He’s describing a fellow Christian brother or sister and he’s doing this to put a fine point on his warning. One of the greatest spiritual battles you are going to face as a believer is in the issue of being merciful and forgiving.
We know the feeling when a family member or friend pulls the same trick or continues with the same destructive behavior over and over again. The veins stick out of the side of our head and we say, “enough forgiveness, it’s time for some choking!” Every time you hold a grudge, every time you look down on another believer, every time you refuse to be merciful, every time you withhold forgiveness, you are just like this servant.
If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. (1 John 4:20)
Here’s a powerful truth that we have to get from this. Sin is a God issue. David said in Psalm 51:3–4 “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.” Every time you’ve ever sinned it has been against God and God alone. He’s provided your pardon. So when you withhold forgiveness you are declaring your judgement greater than God’s.
The Response of the King
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.” (Matthew 18:31–35)
Those who witnessed this whole thing are grieved by what they see and so they go and take it to the king and tell him everything that happened. Look at the king’s response, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave all your debt.” Look at that word ‘all.’ This was complete salvation in the life of the sinner. If I the king can forgive all your debt, who are you to go out and demand another’s debt to you be paid?!
Look at this now and pay attention. Verse 34 says, ‘in anger’ he was delivered to the jailers by the King. This is holy indignation. If you are unwilling to forgive someone who has wronged you, after receiving the full pardon from your sins from the Lord Jesus Christ, then God says he will discipline you. You will be chastened.
And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” (Hebrews 12:5–6)
In other words, if you are facing difficulty in your life, don’t be so quick to blame the devil, when it might be that you are resisting the Lord. You are withholding forgiveness from someone. You are harboring sin in your life. Do not minimize this. Yes the devil goes after God’s servants, but this is a strong warning from God. There is a serious condition where we are minimizing the affect of sin and especially the sin of unforgiveness.
John MacArthur says there are 3 stages in forgiveness. Three stages in forgiveness:
Stage one: Suffering. Suffering creates the condition that brings the need for forgiveness.
Stage Two: Surgery. This is the inner response where their forgiver performs spiritual surgery in his memory, just like God did, who remembers our sins no more. Sure you suffered, and now you’re going to do surgery and you’re going to cut out of your mind all of those things. And you do that by the power of God and the meditation on His forgiveness.
Stage Three: Starting Over. Forgiveness is complete when alienated people are fully reconciled It doesn’t mean that you excuse the sin or the wrong. It does mean that you end the cycle of pain and you restore the relationship. That’s what our Lord is after.
Our world of ‘Cancel Culture’ needs to practice radical forgiveness. Satan’s number 1 strategy in the body of Christ is division. Usually what he does is he preys on one weak person who can cause division by creating offense. Then that person goes from person to person telling everyone what went wrong. How the pastor offended them. Any way he can convince you to someone is the enemy instead of radical forgiveness and reconciliation.
We forget that this is spiritual warfare. He’s do it in families, he’ll do it in marriages, he’ll do it in churches. On the bigger scale that’s what is happening in America, isn’t it? That’s what is happening through Critical Race Theory. But we forget that it is a spiritual satanic attack that Satan uses to divide.
Your job, Christian is to be a reconciler. Your job is to forgive, because you are forgiven. The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant is a powerful reminder of the boundless nature of forgiveness and the responsibility to extend the same grace we receive. It calls us to examine our hearts, practice genuine compassion, and uphold the principles of mercy and forgiveness in our interactions with others.
There is no greater reminder of this than at the Lord’s Table.
