He Lied to the King by Dr. Johnny O. Trail, LMFT
Matthew chapter eighteen has an interesting parable regarding a wicked servant who needed to have a debt forgiven by his king. The text reads in Matthew 18:24-26, “And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.”
Depending upon the type of “talent” that is referenced in this passage, the wicked servant could have owed well over ten thousand years’ worth of wages. When he proclaims that he would “pay…all” to the king, he was lying! No person in recorded history could have paid off the debt that was owed.
In comparison, the fellow servant owed a paltry amount of money. Matthew 18:28 says, "But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!'” According to some writers, this would have been the equivalent to one hundred days’ worth of wages. It was a sizeable debt, but one that could have been paid off given enough time.
In comparison, the wicked servant had much more to be forgiven of than his fellow servant. One would think that the compassion of the king on the servant who owed ten thousand talents would translate into compassion on the servant who owed a few denarii, but this was not the case. Since God has been compassionate with us to the extent that He offers potential forgiveness through His Son, we ought to be just as considerate.
Along these lines of reasoning, have you ever had someone hurt you so badly, that you did not know how to forgive them—even when they asked? Perhaps they killed someone you loved in a drunk driving accident. Maybe they committed adultery and destroyed the trust that once existed in the marital relationship. Whatever the reason, has someone ever hurt you so much that you wondered how you would ever get beyond it?
In one respect, every person who reads this parable is the ten thousand talent servant. We owe a debt to God regarding our sins that we can never repay. If the ten thousand talent man had reasoned about his condition before the King, he would have reached this inescapable conclusion. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Similarly, 1 Peter 2:24 says, “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”
Since we owe a debt that we cannot repay without the forgiveness of God, we are expected to forgive those who have wronged us on a much smaller scale. Simply stated, one cannot receive forgiveness for transgressions and then refuse to forgive a brother who is repentant over past wrongs. Luke 17:4 says, “And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him." To do otherwise (i.e. express unwillingness to forgive), imperils the one who refuses to offer forgiveness. Mark 11:25-26 says, "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."
If one harbors anger or hatred toward his brother, it is tantamount to committing murder. 1 John 4:20-21 says, “If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.” If one cannot forgive a repentant brother who seeks forgiveness, how can he proclaim to love that person?
Forgiveness and a willingness to offer forgiveness is much needed in our world today. Carrying the burden of a grudge, coupled by anger or hatred, weighs one down psychologically speaking. In the final summation, the one who fails to forgive is doing more harm to themselves than the person with whom they are angry. We should be ready to offer forgiveness to the one who seeks it.
[1][1] “He was forgiven of his debt of ten thousand talents, a huge amount of money that would have taken him 160,000 years to earn, during which time he could not even spend a single penny to repay the debt. Nevertheless, he did not forgive the person who owed him only a hundred denarii, equal to about 100 days’ wages.” How much is ten thousand talents and a hundred denarii in the parable of Matthew 18 worth according to today’s monetary standards? - World Mission Society Church of God (watv.org)
