|
FORGIVENESS OF A DISCIPLE
MATTHEW 18:21-35
(December 8, 2019 – SUN a.m. – MBC baesa)
• In verse 1 we can see the context of this portion of Matthew chapter 18 that Christ has been pointing out who is that true great disciple in the eyes of God.
1. Christ teaches that great disciple address and confront sin issues – v.15-20
2. Christ teaches that great disciple forgives sin in order to be right with God and right with each other – v.21-35
• Now, verses 21-35 does not eliminate verses 15 -20. We all assume that the sinning brother has been confronted and has repented but Jesus said the unrepentant is to be treated as a Gentile and tax collector, so we see has a connection but not subject for forgiveness.
• After Jesus discussed about church discipline, Jesus proceeded to stress the importance of forgiveness.
→ Sometimes because of fervency, disciples spend too much time studying church discipline and too little time studying the importance of forgiveness.
I- INQUIRY ABOUT THE SUBJECT OF FORGIVENESS – v. 21
Matthew 18:21 “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?”
• After Peter had just listened to Jesus teaching on dealing sin issues, Peter now wondered how often they should forgive so he approaches Jesus and asks about the subject of forgiveness.
• In verse 17, Jesus had been talking about excluding rather than forgiving.
→ Because of this Peter inquired to Jesus in verse 21 how often a disciple like him should forgive an erring brother before he stopped forgiving.
→ Peter uses the term “my brother” which means he has specific brothers in mind. Christ defined a brother in Matthew 12:48-50, however Peter did not know it here. Certainly, the brother mentioned here would not be a Gentile or Samaritan, but a Jewish brother that is a Jewish believer.
→ When Peter asks Jesus if he should forgive seven times, probably he felt generous because the Jewish rabbis taught that a Jew should forgive a repeated sin three times, but after that there be no more forgiveness (Amos 1:3; Amos 2:6).
→ This number seven was sometimes regarded as a perfect number, obviously exceeding what the scribes taught
– Leviticus 26:21; Deuteronomy 28:25; Psalm 79:12; Proverbs 24:16; Luke 17:4.
II- INSTRUCTION ABOUT HOW MANY TIMES WE SHOULD FORGIVE – v. 22
• In verse 22, Jesus answered Peter by saying that forgiveness should be seven times seven.
→ Interestingly, they are biblical numbers. Jesus reply call attention to where the ungodly Lamech said in Genesis 4:24 "If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold." This is the number that Lamech would be avenged if he were wronged.
→ Significantly, Daniel prophecy in Daniel 9:24- 27 that number seven was the total number of years (70 times 7, or 490 years) that is from the time of Daniel until the time the Messiah would set up His kingdom for Israel. The Messiah would be cut off after 483 years (from the time of Daniel was the exact amount of years until Christ entered Jerusalem) which would leave seven years prior to the kingdom, which will be what the Bible teaches the seven years Tribulation. These numbers that we gave as an examples are grace numbers that shows how God graciously give Israel her kingdom in spite of persistent sin and rebellion of the Jewish chosen people of God.
• In His response, Jesus is teaching Peter that disciples should be gracious and forgive sin time and time again, when there has been repentance like the graciousness God given to Israelites.
• Different translation has different phrase: the NASB, KJV and ASV rendered it “seventy times seven”, while ESV and NIV renders it “seventy-seven times”.
→ Probably, some translation based on Jesus quoted the Septuagint of Genesis 4:24 “seventy-seven times.”
→ Even though there is great numerical difference between translations, it is not very important difference.
→ Clearly, Jesus did not specifying a maximum number of times His disciples should forgive their brothers. Jesus also not wiping out what He had just taught about confronting an erring brother in verses 15-20.
→ Jesus is teaching us that disciples who are humble should not limit the number of times they forgive one another nor the frequency of forgiving each other.
III- ILLUSTRATION ABOUT THE STORY OF FORGIVENESS – v.23- 35
• Jesus purposely illustrate and clarify the importance of forgiveness by telling a story.
A.) Every servant will give account to the Lord – v.23
Matthew 18:23 “Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.”
• God’s divine program is likened to a king who returns to settle for each servant’s account.
• Notice the phrase “the kingdom of heaven” is reference to God’s divine program on this earth which includes the Church Age, the seven years Tribulation period and the 1,000 years Millennium.
→ In our passage when the King returns all his slave will be called to face Him and settle up on what each slave successfully achieved.
→ Those who have been forgiven will be featured in this kingdom.
• The whole story taught a certain type of interpersonal relationship based on forgiveness.
→ This parable illustrates kingdom conditions, conditions that will prevail when Jesus establishes His kingdom.
→ Jesus was not saying the kingdom was in existence but He was saying that the conditions He described were already in existence. Jesus argued that kingdom conditions should be those that the King"s disciples should seek to follow in their lives now since they already live under the King’s authority (Matthew chapters 5-7; Matthew 6:12; Matthew 6:14-15).
• Jesus here put the disciples in the position of servants (Greek word “douloi”) of a great king who is God. Being a servant is one of the relationship that disciples have to God that we must not forget. We are God’s servants as well as God’s sons.
B.) Servant could not possibly pay his large debt – v. 24
Matthew 18:24 “And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.”
• This servant could not possibly repay his debt owed to the King because the amount is too large to be paid.
• Remember the author of this book Matthew was a tax collector and these math digits meant something to him.
→ A talent was a measure of weight equivalent to 75 pounds.
→ The word “talent” here during that day was worth 6000 denarii. A denarii was a day’s pay.
→ The exact relative buying power of 10,000 talents of silver only secondary to the point Jesus was emphasizing that the servant was impossible to repay his debt. There was no way the slave could begin to pay off his debt.
→ The word “Ten thousand” Greek word “myrion” hence our myriad is the largest numeral for which a Greek term exists, and that talent is the largest known amount of money. When the two are combined, the effect is like our zillions.
C.) Servant with his family and whole property was sold by the king – v.25
Matthew 18:25 “But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.”
→ It says in our passage that the King commanded his slave to sell everything he had to compensate the King even though what he could pay amounted to a small or tiny part of what he owed.
D.) Servant wholeheartedly humbled himself and promised to repay the king – v.26
Matthew 18:26 “The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.”
• The slave totally humbled himself before the king and appealed to the King’s patience and promised he would repay him, an obvious impossibility in view of the amount of the debt.
→ This is a very important part of the story because if the servant did not humbled himself and repented, there will no grant of forgiveness.
E.) Servant was forgiven and the entire debt was cancelled– v.27
Matthew 18:27 “Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.”
• The lord was moved by compassion for the hopeless servant, the lord graciously cancelled the entire debt.
• The Greek word for “debt” here is “doneion” and really means loan.
→ Evidently the king decided to write off the indebtedness as a bad loan (to eliminate (an asset) from the books or enter as a loss or expense) than view it as embezzlement (theft or misappropriation of funds placed in one's trust or belonging to one's employer.) This is indication of grace.
F.) Servant that was forgiven was owed by a fellow servant – v.28
Matthew 18: 28 “But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.”
• It says the forgiven servant went out and found a fellow servant who owed him 100 denarii.
→ Now the computation of 100 denarii in modern money at $5.15 per hour times 8 hours working days (41.20 per day times 100 days) = $4,120.
→ The reaction of the forgiven servant was shocking or horrific. The forgiven servant proceeded to try to collect a debt from a fellow slave and even resorted to physical violence to obtain it.
→ A denarius was a day’s wage for a common laborer. Therefore the debt owed was substantial, but compared with the debt the king had forgiven the creditor servant it was of little value or importance.
• Notice carefully here, let us see the huge gap between what we owe God and what others owe us.
G.) Servant that was forgiven was asked for mercy by a fellow servant – v.29
Matthew 18: 29 “And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.”
• Observe the similar appeal by the debtors to their respective creditors (Matthew 18:26, 29)
H.) Servant that was forgiven refused to forgive the fellow servant – v.30
Matthew 18: 30 “And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.”
• In spite of the same experience, the servant creditor remained unmoved, hardhearted and unforgiving.
→ The forgiven servant refused to forgive the fellow servant and threw him into debtor’s prison until he could extract the full amount of his debt from him.
I.) Servant that was forgiven was reported by other fellow servants to their lord – v.31
Matthew 18: 31 “So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.”
• When the other fellow servants of the king who were aware of the situation because they saw what the forgiven servant did, they were grieved or deeply distressed by it, reported everything to their lord.
→ The word “told” in KJV was translated “reported” in NASB and ESV which the Greek word “diesaphesan” means to make clear, explain fully or clear thoroughly or in detail.
J.) Servant that was forgiven was punished by his lord who responded with his wrath – v. 32-34
Matthew 18: 32-34 “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: 33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.”
• We can see in our passage that the lord responded with his wrath to the forgiven servant.
1. “O thou wicked slave, I forgave thee all that debt, because you pleaded with me but you did not forgive your fellow servant” – v.32
2. “Shouldest not thou also have had mercy on thy fellowservant, even as I had mercy on thee?” – v.33
3. The lord “was wrath” and punished the forgiven servant – v.34
• In Matthew 18:35 Jesus concludes by saying, “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”
→ Therefore if a disciple does not forgive from his heart his brother who asks for forgiveness, Jesus warns that there will be eternal consequences when we face God in His throne when we get to heaven.
• The word “forgiveness” is a theme in this church age – Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13.
→ All of us is largely indebted to God that we cannot even begin to compute it.
→ Knowing this truth, it is small debt that any owe us.
→ Therefore, Christ-like disciple will show grace, pity, mercy and love to anyone who ask for forgiveness.
Amen, God bless!
|
