Subscription Lists
Thoughts of a saint and slave
by Sam Isaacson
I have heard this parable before, but even so the title is not a pleasant one. Jesus is about to talk about ‘the unforgiving servant’; who would ever want to bear that title? There are some serious challenges in this text, so let’s get right to work:
‘Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 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. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 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.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 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. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.’ (Matthew 18:23-33)
The main message
Let’s clarify right at the beginning what Jesus’ real message is. Some quite prominent church leaders have spoken messages and released books (normally with a title like ‘The Message Jesus Told But They Don’t Want You To Know About’) that hint that the true message of Jesus is social action, or morality, or just simply being nice, but it is abundantly clear that Jesus did not intend that from this parable, however it may appear at first! We can see this from his conclusion; the message of this parable is not a recommendation of how to live life better, it is a message about forgiveness from the Father (‘So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you’). The king in the parable is intended to represent God the Father; it’s about His action, not ours.
The message for non-Christians
Therefore, let us see what this message tells non-Christians. The message is that we are the servant, and the king (God) has offered to entirely wipe out our debt! And the debt is enormous. Ten thousand talents is approximately equal to £5,000,000,000. That’s close to $10,000,000,000. I’m not even sure that I know what that number is! Five trillion pounds? That’s a ridiculous amount for a servant to owe, and it is absolutely mind-blowing to think that the king would simply write all that debt off. So here’s the message: you have built up a phenomenally large debt, larger than you can even imagine, and certainly larger than you could ever pay off on your own. God, however, has offered to bear that debt himself. You need to accept this gift and know that it is not of your own doing, but all because of what God has already done! Simply put, that’s all being a Christian is. (1) Admitting that we have built up a debt (the Bible calls it sin), (2) realising we can’t do anything about it on our own, and (3) receiving the gift of forgiveness by faith.
The message for ‘Christians’
The real challenge comes when we see what the servant does, however. The hundred denarii he was owed is about equal to £4,000. Enough to peak some interest, but certainly almost nothing in comparison to the amount he owed. And this is what’s important. In reality, the servant was still owed the money. We have been sinned against, and have the choice of seeking payback or forgiving, but if we’re even going down that route it shows that we haven’t understood what we have received; it’s so clear that the servant should have forgiven the other servant who owed him the small amount of money, but how much does that actually hit us?
Jesus makes it clear here that the servant is sent away to prison in order to pay for his unpayable debt; that’s an analogy for hell here. Does this mean that a Christian can lose his salvation? I don’t think so, because in this parable the important thing is that the servant did not realise what had happened. As a Christian reading this, ask yourself these questions, and make sure that you know that your salvation is secure:
- Do I realise that all the work required for me to receive eternal life has been finished?
- Do I realise the cost that Jesus paid for me?
- Do I realise that, in God’s eyes, I am righteous and holy?
- Am I quick to forgive those who sin against me?
Rate it:
Receive the newest devotional each week in your inbox by joining the "Thoughts of a saint and slave" subscription list. Enter your email address below, click "Go!" and we will send you a confirmation email. Follow the instructions in the email to confirm your addition to this list.