Matthew 18:31-35
Mat 18:31 (KJB)
So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and
told unto their lord all that was done.
The other fellowservants had seen what was done to this man and they also knew
that the king forgave the servant of all his debt mounting to multiple lifetimes
of work to repay it. They became grieved in their heart and they would not let
that man treat the fellowservant like that, so they came and told their Lord all
that this man had done to the other man for a mere pittance. His greed had
caused a complete breakdown of fellowship with the other servants and the king.
If he would have forgiven the fellowservant, it would have bolstered his
testimony and others would follow suit.
Mat 18:32 (KJB)
Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked
servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
This man was then labeled a “wicked servant” not because he had great
indebtedness but because he refused to forgive the other servant such a minor
amount of money. His lord told him that he forgave that large debt simply
because he begged him too and he did it out of compassion. The lesson here is
that God has forgiven us so many sins that we sinned against Him. (Psa 51:4
KJV) Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight:
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou
judgest. God graciously forgave our sin because of the sacrifice of Christ.
Then we must also adopt the same mindset that those who sin against us must also
be forgiven. The amount of sins that a person can do against another is equal to
100 pence but the amount of sins we do against God is equal to 10,000 talents.
If God can forgive us for the sake of Christ, then we ought also to forgive
others for the sake of Christ. (Eph 4:32 KJV) And be ye kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath
forgiven you.
Mat 18:33 (KJB)
Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had
pity on thee?
The king then asks him a straightforward question concerning compassion. Should
not this wicked servant have the same compassion on the fellowservant who owed
him the small amount? The king then likens the pity to the type of pity which
the king had on him. The pity the king had on him was tremendously greater
because his debt was greater. Should not the man have pity on the man who owed
him so much less? It is unfortunate but when people sin against us, we think
that it is a great deal or a world stopping event. When compared to how much we
have sinned against God, it fails in comparison.
Mat 18:34 (KJB)
And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay
all that was due unto him.
If you notice that this Lord did not deliver him into prison but instead
delivered him to the tormentors. In ancient days, this meant that the man would
be tortured and it would probably start with a scourging and then other torture
devices would be used. In other words, this man no longer had the ability to pay
off the debt and that means the torment would not end. Since we read that the
debt was forgiven and we likened it to the Christian being forgiven of all his
sins, here in this passage we can liken the torture of being excommunicated from
fellowship of a local church or it can be loss of fellowship with God because of
his sin. (1 Cor 5:5 KJV) To deliver such an one unto Satan for the
destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord
Jesus. For once a person is saved, they can never be lost, however, if they
act in the flesh, then they are subject to the serious chastising of God which
can include torturous things. If a Christian breaks the law, he is subject to
the same penalties anyone else is in the land where they reside.
Mat 18:35 (KJB)
So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts
forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
Forgiveness is not just a matter of speaking words but it must be from a heart
of sincerity. Every Christian must realize the immense amount of sins which they
have committed against God and the forgiveness they received having them all
blotted out. If a Christian sins against us and we refuse to forgive, then we
are placing ourselves in our own prison complete with torments because every
time we think of a person sinning against us, it will cause hatred to rise and
that will lead to loss of testimony and also physical problems. Forgiveness also
means that the person is no longer guilty in your eyes and they must never be
harassed once they are forgiven, that is, their infraction once forgiven,
remains buried. If a Christian does not want God to deal with them as He does
with one who is unsaved, then forgiveness will be the order of the day. Not
seven times but seventy times seven!