Lesson 16 The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

Lesson 16: The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant: The Background Matt. 18: 21 -35 • Jesus had been speaking about a brother sinning against another (Matt. 18: 15 -17). • Peter asked the Lord how often forgiveness should be extended to a brother—“up to seven times? ” (18: 21 -22). • The Jewish rabbis taught that one was obligated to forgive three times, but that is the limit. Peter likely felt he was generous to double three and add one. • The design of this lesson is to show: (1) no saved person has earned his salvation, but has been forgiven graciously; (2) as forgiveness is received, so must it be offered.

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant: The Narrative Matt. 18: 21 -35 • A king settled accounts with his servants – The king symbolizes God. – The settling of accounts is God’s call through the gospel (cf. 2 Thess. 2: 14), whereby our consciousness of sin and the need forgiveness are awakened.

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant: The Narrative Matt. 18: 21 -35 • A servant was found who owed the enormous debt of 10, 000 talents. – The servant represents the sinner—each of us. – Put this debt (10, 000 talents) in perspective: • The annual taxation for the whole of Palestine (Judea, Idumea, Samaria, Galilee & Perea) was less than 1, 000 talents. • Talent of silver = ~$1, 000/ea. == $10, 000 debt • Talent of gold = ~15, 000/ea. == $150 mil. Debt

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant: The Narrative Matt. 18: 21 -35 • A servant was found who owed the enormous debt of 10, 000 talents. – The servant represents the sinner—each of us. – Put this debt (10, 000 talents) in perspective: • Tabernacle, 29 gold talents to construct (Ex. 38: 24) • King David’s crown, 1 gold talent (2 Sam. 12: 29 -30) • Lying Gehazi (Elisha’s servant) asked Naaman for 1 silver talent (2 Kings 5: 22) • Solomon made only 666 gold talents in a year’s time (2 Chron. 9: 13). • In parable of talents, most any man had was 5 talents

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant: The Narrative Matt. 18: 21 -35 • A servant was found who owed the enormous debt of 10, 000 talents. – The servant represents the sinner—each of us. – Put this debt (10, 000 talents) in perspective: • One talent = 3, 000 shekels • One shekel = 4 days’ wages • One talent = 12, 000 days’ wages • 10, 000 talents = 120, 000 days’ wages • In our day, one day’s wage for laborer = $100 • For man today, debt = 12 trillion dollars – Picture of enormity of our debt & inability to pay

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant: The Narrative Matt. 18: 21 -35 • The servant was not able to pay; the master was going to sell him, his family & possessions – While trying to calculate 1 st-century money into today’s values is difficult, it has been estimated that the debt would have taken 200, 000 -300, 000 years to pay off, which he never could have accomplished. – This illustrates man’s complete inability to earn his way out of the sin-debt. Salvation is of divine grace, period! – Selling a man’s family, etc. , was Roman law & practiced in those days, which shows the accuracy of the Bible. – Consider this: A man and all his possessions belong to God anyway (Psa. 24: 1). All men are debtors to God!

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant: The Narrative Matt. 18: 21 -35 • The servant came worshiping and begged, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you all. ” – He realized (1) his master’s supreme authority, which compelled him to worship, and (2) his hopelessness and unworthiness in response. – His pledge to “pay all” shows his lack of appreciation regarding the vastness of the debt. Is it possible that we scarcely comprehend the nature of sin? – It’s interesting that he did not ask forgiveness but pretended that he could pay off an insurmountable debt.

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant: The Narrative Matt. 18: 21 -35 • The master “was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. ” – The master was inwardly pained at the suffering of his servant (“moved with compassion” is strong wording). – This evinces the love of God and His merciful disposition (cf. 1 John 4: 8; Eph. 2: 4). Try to comprehend the magnitude of what God has forgiven us—this is God being moved with compassion. – The word “forgive” means to send away (cf. Psa. 103: 12; Micah 7: 19). There is no way that we can “earn” forgiveness, but God has promised to forgive (Rom. 6: 23).

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant: The Narrative Matt. 18: 21 -35 • “But that servant found one of his fellow servants who owed him 100 denarii…and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’” – The Roman and Greek laws of the day would have allowed a “citizen’s arrest” and he could literally have dragged the man into court. – The fellow-servant represents one who has sinned against his brother. – The 100 denarii amounted to about $17 - $20 – quite insignificant when compared to the $10, 000+ debt he had been forgiven.

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant: The Narrative Matt. 18: 21 -35 • “But that servant found one of his fellow servants who owed him 100 denarii…and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’” – What others have done against us is not nearly as great as what we have done against God! – The man’s lack of compassion for his fellow servant throws a floodlight on how ungrateful he was for the pardon that had been extended to him. (Short memory!) – He demanded of his neighbor that which he himself had been unable to accomplish. How often such is exhibited in our everyday lives. – How easy it is to see others’ failures, and to expect more of others than we do ourselves (cf. Matt. 7: 1 -5).

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant: The Narrative Matt. 18: 21 -35 • “His fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all. ’ And he would not…” – Christians can sometimes be unforgiving. – Though others may refuse to give forgiveness, God will not (when he approaches God in His prescribed way).

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant: The Narrative Matt. 18: 21 -35 • “So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. ” – An unforgiving spirit arouses indignation in others. – Our actions are noticed by others.

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant: The Narrative Matt. 18: 21 -35 • “The master called the unmerciful servant to account. He rebuked him and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all. ” – The unforgiving disposition makes God “angry” (v. 34), which should emphasize to us the awfulness of the unforgiving spirit. – The torturers represent the punishment of hell (cf. Rev. 9: 5; 11: 10), which also implies consciousness. – “Until he should pay all” means “forever, always” (cf. Matt. 25: 46). If he could not pay $10 mil as a free, working man, he could never have paid it as an inmate in prison. Eternal torment/punishment is real.

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant: The Narrative Matt. 18: 21 -35 • Christ’s application: “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses. ” – God will punish those who withhold forgiveness (cf. Matt. 5: 7; 6: 12; 7: 2; James 2: 13). Our forgiveness is conditional. – Judgment will be to the individual—“each of you. ” – Forgiveness must come from the heart, not merely from the lips. – Forgiveness will not be achieved until one repents (Luke 17: 3), yet we must always keep the door open with a forgiving attitude (Eph. 4: 32).

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant: Lessons/Truths Matt. 18: 21 -35 • By virtue of the king/servant relationship, God owns us. • Because of our sins, we are under an enormous debt to God. Sin is so horrible! • We can never earn and thus merit our release from this debt. • God is lovingly compassionate toward the sinner. • The Lord must be sought through His appointed way. • If we appreciate our salvation, we will be forgiving toward others. • The debts that are committed against us are small in comparison to the things we have done against our King. • God will punish those who are unforgiving. • The punishment will be conscious and unending.