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Matthew 18:21-35 NIV
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
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When raising children, all parents teach their children to say "I'm sorry" after they have wronged someone. However, it is rare for them to teach their children to say "I forgive you." This is because innocent children naturally accept apologies and continue playing together, often forgetting about the incident. But this childlike quality fades as they grow older. Not only does apologizing become difficult, but forgiving others becomes even harder. This unforgiving heart is the source of bitterness, a major cause of insomnia, a leading factor in depression, and extremely harmful to the body.
Today's scripture reading is the climax of what Jesus said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3). The way people interact with each other reflects their relationship with God. Therefore, when the Apostle Peter encouraged believers who were persecuted and would face death to submit, he spoke of a major premise: "for the Lord's sake" (1 Peter 2:13), which enabled them to make choices completely opposite to those of the world. The entire eighteenth chapter reminds believers of the interactions within the body of Christ, all for the purpose of manifesting God's glory.
In human interactions, forgiving others is an extremely important principle, because people, tainted by sin, are like porcupines—inevitably hurting others and easily getting hurt themselves. Apart from doing it for the Lord's sake, people are generally more willing to forgive the childishness of young children. Therefore, Jesus wants people to forgive others with the same mindset as they would forgive a child. This is a primary characteristic of the new life.
After the disciples heard Jesus remind believers that they must point out the sins of those living in sin to restore them, the Apostle Peter asked an important question: How many times should we forgive them? Essentially, Jesus wanted believers to forgive their fellow believers countless times (Matthew 18:21-22). The reason is that believers have received the incomprehensible forgiveness of Jesus Christ. When He was crucified, He even asked God the Father to forgive those who committed the great sin of crucifying Him (Luke 23:34). How much more should sinners forgive one another?
Jesus used a simple parable to explain that no one has the right to be unforgiving (Matthew 18:23-34). Forgiving others is not an option; it is a condition for receiving God's forgiveness (Matthew 18:35). The Apostle Paul repeatedly emphasized that believers must forgive one another (Ephesians 4:2, Colossians 3:13, 2 Timothy 3:10). Learning to forgive is a goal for the growth of the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, in order to live out the likeness of Jesus and to have the assurance of salvation. Forgiveness relies on God's great power; it is a supernatural force, requiring the power that raises the dead, which believers already possess (Ephesians 1:19-21).
Do we treat our fellow believers like children? Are we willing to completely depend on God like little children? Are we finding excuses not to forgive others? Do we desire to be forgiven?
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