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SCRIPTURE: Matthew 18:21-35
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You can access the following sermons on this text FREE:
• "Corpses in the Corridor," by the Rev. Charles Hoffacker
• "Forgive from the Heart," by the Rev. Dr. James D. Kegel
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 becomes humble like this child 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, if another member of the church (Greek: ho adelphos mou –– my brother) sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?" 22Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times (Greek: hebdomekontakis hepta).
"Lord, if another member of the church" (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.
"how often should I forgive?" (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?
"As many as 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).
"Not seven times, but, I tell you, 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
23"For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand (Greek: myrion) talents was brought to him; 25and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. 26So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' 27And out of pity (Greek: splanchnistheis –– a bowel-deep feeling of compassion) for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt.
"For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves" (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 the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand (myrion) talents was brought to him" (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.
"and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and chilren and all his possessions, 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.
"Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything" (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.
"And out of pity (splanchnistheis –– a bowel-deep feeling of compassion) for him, the lord of that slave 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.
VERSES 28-30: HE THREW HIM INTO PRISON
28But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, 'Pay what you owe.' 29Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' 30But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt.
"But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a 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 seizing him by the throat, he said, 'Pay what you owe'" (v. 28b). Seizing the debtor by the throat is rough treatment –– intended to intimidate.
"Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay 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.
"But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt" (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
31When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed (Greek: lupeo –– full of sorrow), and they went and reported to their lord (Greek: kyrios –– a word often used for Jesus as Lord) all that had taken place. 32Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?' 34And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt.
"When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed (lupeo), and they went and reported to their lord (kyrios) all that had taken place" (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 summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?" (vv. 32-33). As the writer of Ephesians puts it, "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:32).
"And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt" (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 every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart."
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, "If you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (6:15).
–– Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. All rights reserved. Used by permission
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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