The Unforgiving Servant
THE UNFORGIVING SERVANT
MATTHEW 18:23-35
If we know God’s love and compassion, we would begin to live like this.
The number of parables which have their scene set in a royal court reminds us that Herod Antipas had his palace at Sepphoris, some four or five miles distant from Nazareth, until in AD 22 he built himseff a new capital at Tiberias, by the lakeside. The happenings at his court would be the common talk among Galilean countryfolk and fishermen.
The present parable enforces Jesus’ words to Peter about the brotherly duty of unlimited forgiveness; it might also be regarded as an expansion of 6:14f. The first servant, whose debt ran into millions, must be envisaged as the king’s grand vizier: no other “servant” could have incurred so colossal a debt. Nor would the confiscation of all his property come anywhere near defraying the sum. His promise to make repayment in full (18:26) was a mere form of words: he could never have done it. This his master knew full well, but in his compassion he cancelled the whole amount. The forgiven servant showed immediately how little he shared his master’s merciful nature by enforcing the law against his fellow servant who owed him a trifling sum (18:28-30). On hearing of this, the king revoked his cancellation of the enormous debt, and treated him as he had treated his fellow servant. Lest it should be said, “But this is just a detail in the story; God would not do that,” Jesus emphasizes that this is precisely what God will do to any unforgiving servant of his.
If we find it difficult to accommodate 18:35 within our theological system, we should modify our system to make room for it rather than try to make 18:35 mean something different from what it says.
“So ends the fellowship section of the Gospel, and one of the greatest chapters in the New Testament” (J.A. Findlay).