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SCRIPTURE: Matthew 18:21-35
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CHAPTER 18: THE CONTEXT
The chapter begins with the disciples asking who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven (verses 1-6). Jesus puts a child among them, and says, "Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven." Jesus continues by saying that it would be better for us to drown in the depths of the sea than to put a stumbling block in the path of one of these little ones.
Jesus continues with the Parable of the Lost Sheep (verses 10-14). The Great Shepherd is not content to have ninety-nine safe sheep, but risks everything to save one lost sheep.
Jesus then offers detailed guidance regarding the handling of conflict in the church (verses 15-20). The object is reconciliation, and our obligation is to pursue reconciliation even at great cost of time and energy.
The common element in these portions of this chapter is that they call us to throw away the calculator when dealing with relationships. No care is too great when dealing with the little ones. No risk is too great when seeking one sheep that is lost. No effort is too great when trying to restore peace in the church.
Our text for this Sunday, then, simply extends the concerns of the earlier parts of the chapter by calling us to throw away the calculator when it comes to forgiveness.
VERSES 21-22: HOW OFTEN SHOULD I FORGIVE?
21Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother (Greek: ho adelphos mou –– my brother)sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?"
22Jesus said to him, "I don't tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven (Greek: hebdomekontakis hepta).
"Lord, how often shall my brother" (ho adelphos mou –– my brother) (v. 21a). In its attempt to avoid gender-specific language, the NRSV loses the sense of brother/sisterhood conveyed by adelphos. This text is about forgiving Christian brothers and sisters.
"and I forgive him?" (v. 21b). Peter's question hearkens back to verses 15-20, where Jesus gave detailed procedures to effect reconciliation when a Christian sins. Peter raises a very practical issue. How far must disciples go with respect to forgiveness?
"Until seven times?" (v. 21c). Rather than listening for Jesus' answer, Peter proposes his own –– seven times. Seven is generous. The rabbinical standard is three, based on Amos 1-2.
Seven is a holy number to Jewish people, symbolizing "perfection, fullness, abundance, rest, and completion" (Lockyer, 968).
"I do't tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven" (v. 22). Jesus' answer demolishes Peter's careful construct. The Greek, hebdomekontakis hepta is ambiguous, and can mean either seventy-seven or seventy times seven. Regardless, Jesus is not inviting us to keep careful records, but is setting a standard that makes record keeping impractical. He does not give us a math-lesson, but a grace-lesson.
In verses 15-20, Jesus outlines a rigorous process for dealing with an unrepentant brother or sister –– a process that can lead to excommunication. Jesus clearly intends for us to take serious problems seriously and to take tough corrective action where needed. The goal of verses 15-20 is the discipline (and hopefully the restoration) of the unrepentant sinner. The goal of verses 21-35 is the forgiveness of the repentant sinner.
VERSES 23-27: HE RELEASED HIM AND FORGAVE HIM THE DEBT
23Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who wanted to reconcile accounts with his servants. 24When he had begun to reconcile, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand (Greek: myrion) talents. 25But because he couldn't pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26The servant therefore fell down and kneeled before him, saying, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!' 27The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion (Greek: splanchnistheis –– a bowel-deep feeling of compassion), released him, and forgave him the debt.
"Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who wanted to reconcile accounts with his servants" (v. 23). We must be careful. This parable is not an allegory, and we will distort Jesus' meaning if we press its details too far. For instance, the king represents God, but some of his behavior –– i.e., the order to sell the slave's wife and children –– is not Godlike.
"When he began to reconcile, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand (myrion) talents" (v. 24). A talent is the largest unit of money in New Testament times. Ten thousand is the largest number for which the Greeks have a word. Here Jesus multiplies the largest unit of money by the largest Greek number, and the result is unimaginably large –– a working man's wages for 200,000 years.
But it matters not whether it is one talent or ten thousand. No slave has any hope of paying either of those amounts.
"But because he couldn't pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that hehad, and payment to be made" (v. 25). The king orders the slave to be sold, along with his wife and children –– a common enough practice in that day, but not by Jews. The revenue would be applied to the debt, but would be a drop in the bucket.
"Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all" (v. 26). The slave knows that he can never repay the debt, but he is biding for time. Every day of freedom is one less day of misery, and who knows –– the king might change his mind –– or the king might die –– or some unforeseen event might redeem the situation.
"The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion (splanchnistheis –– a bowel-deep feeling of compassion), released him, and forgave him the debt" (v. 27). The miracle happens. The king goes far beyond what the slave has asked. He grants, not just a little more time, but forgiveness of the great debt.
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VERSES 28-30: HE THREW HIM INTO PRISON
28"But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him one hundred denarii, and he grabbed him, and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!'
29"So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will repay you!' 30He would not, but went and cast him into prison, until he should pay back that which was due.
"But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him one hundred denarii" (v. 28a). The hundred denarii debt is tiny compared with the ten thousand talent debt, but becomes significant when immediate payment is required. One hundred denarii represent a working man's wages for one hundred days (see Matthew 20:2).
"and he grabbed him, and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe'" (v. 28b). Seizing the debtor by the throat is rough treatment –– intended to intimidate.
"So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will repay you'" (v. 29). The second debtor uses exactly the same words that the first debtor used in verse 26. However, the first debtor had no chance of ever repaying his ten-thousand talent debt, but it is quite conceivable that the second debtor will be able to repay his hundred denarii debt.
"He would not, but went and cast him into prison, until he should pay back that which was due" (v. 30). We cannot imagine the first slave's lack of compassion, given his recent narrow escape, but we must keep in mind that this is a contrived story in which everything is exaggerated for effect.
VERSES 31-34: HE HANDED HIM OVER TO BE TORTURED
31So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry (Greek: lupeo –– full of sorrow), and came and told to their lord (Greek: kyrios –– a word often used for Jesus as Lord) all that was done. 32Then his lord called him in, and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me. 33Shouldn't you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?' 34His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due to him.
"So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry (lupeo), and came and told their lord (kyrios) all that was done" (v. 31). "When poor crops or other circumstances forced a ruler to forgive taxes, he did so with the understanding that his people would...in turn ...release the debts of those indebted to them. This principle was widely known, and the first servant should have understood it" (Keener, 292).
"Then his lord called him in, and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me. Shouldn't you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?" (vv. 32-33). As the writer of Ephesians puts it, "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32).
"His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due to him" (v. 34). If we wondered earlier if Jesus' ethic of forgiveness leaves any room for accountability, this verse assures us that it does.
We enjoy salvation by the grace of God, but this parable warns that God expects us to manifest at least some small portion of that grace in our relationships with our Christian brothers and sisters.
This parable tells of free grace –– but not cheap grace.
VERSE 35: SO MY HEAVENLY FATHER WILL ALSO DO
35So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don't each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds."
Suddenly Jesus is no longer telling a story about a distant king but is speaking directly to his disciples –– and to us. He repeats his Sermon on the Mount warning, "But if you don't forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (6:15).
SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS are from the World English Bible(WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Bible, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament. The ASV, which is also in the public domain due to expired copyrights, was a very good translation, but included many archaic words (hast, shineth, etc.), which the WEB has updated.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Barclay, William, Gospel of Matthew, Vol. 2 (Edinburgh: The Saint Andrew Press, 1957)
Bergant, Dianne with Fragomeni, Richard, Preaching the New Lectionary, Year A (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 2001)
Blomberg , Craig L., New American Commentary: Matthew, Vol. 22 (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1992)
Boring, M. Eugene, The New Interpreter's Bible, Vol. VIII (Nashville: Abingdon, 1995)
Brueggemann, Walter; Cousar, Charles B.; Gaventa, Beverly R.; and Newsome, James D., Texts for Preaching: A Lectionary Commentary Based on the NRSV –– Year A (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995)
Bruner, Frederick Dale, Matthew: Volume 2, The Churchbook, Matthew 13-28 (Dallas: Word, 1990)
Brunner, Emil, Sowing and Reaping: The Parables of Jesus (London: The Epworth Press, 1964)
Craddock, Fred B.; Hayes, John H.; Holladay, Carl R.; Tucker, Gene M., Preaching Through the Christian Year, A (Valley Forge: Trinity Press International, 1992)
Gardner, Richard B., Believers Church Bible Commentary: Matthew (Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 1990)
Hagner, Donald A., Word Biblical Commentary: Matthew 14-28, Vol. 33b (Dallas: Word, 1995)
Hare, Douglas R. A., Interpretation: Matthew (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1993)
Johnson, Sherman E. and Buttrick, George A., The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 7 (Nashville: Abingdon, 1951)
Keener, Craig S., The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: Matthew, (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1997)
Long, Thomas G., Westminster Bible Companion: Matthew (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1997)
Lockyer, Herbert Sr. (Gen. Ed.), Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1986)
Morris, Leon, The Gospel According to Matthew (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1992)
Senior, Donald, Abingdon New Testament Commentaries: Matthew (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1998)
Shuster, Marguerite in Van Harn, Roger (ed.), The Lectionary Commentary: Theological Exegesis for Sunday's Text. The Third Readings: The Gospels (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001)
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