The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

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Lesson 16 The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
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The Parable of the Unmerciful ServantThe
Background
Matt. 1821-35

• Jesus had been speaking about a brother sinning
  against another (Matt. 1815-17).
• Peter asked the Lord how often forgiveness should
  be extended to a brotherup to seven times?
  (1821-22).
• The Jewish rabbis taught that one was obligated
  to forgive three times, but that is the limit.
  Peter likely felt he was generous to double the
  three and add one.
• The design of this lesson is to show (1) no
  saved person has earned his salvation, but has
  been forgiven graciously (2) as forgiveness is
  received, so must it be offered.

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The Parable of the Unmerciful ServantThe
Narrative
Matt. 1821-35

• A king settled accounts with his servants
• The king symbolizes God.
• The settling of accounts is Gods call through
  the gospel (cf. 2 Thess. 214), whereby our
  consciousness of sin and the need for forgiveness
  are awakened.

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The Parable of the Unmerciful ServantThe
Narrative
Matt. 1821-35

• A servant was found who owed the enormous debt of
  10,000 talents.
• The servant represents the sinnereach of us.
• Put this debt (10,000 talents) in perspective
• The annual taxation for the whole of Palestine
  (Judea, Idumea, Samaria, Galilee Perea) was
  less than 1,000 talents.
• Talent of silver 1,000/ea. 10,000,000
  debt
• Talent of gold 15,000/ea. 150 mil. Debt

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The Parable of the Unmerciful ServantThe
Narrative
Matt. 1821-35

• A servant was found who owed the enormous debt of
  10,000 talents.
• The servant represents the sinnereach of us.
• Put this debt (10,000 talents) in perspective
• Tabernacle, 29 gold talents to construct (Ex.
  3824)
• King Davids crown, 1 gold talent (2 Sam.
  1229-30)
• Lying Gehazi (Elishas servant) asked Naaman for
  1 silver talent (2 Kings 522)
• Solomon made only 666 gold talents in a years
  time (2 Chron. 913).
• In parable of talents, most any man had was 5
  talents

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The Parable of the Unmerciful ServantThe
Narrative
Matt. 1821-35

• A servant was found who owed the enormous debt of
  10,000 talents.
• The servant represents the sinnereach of us.
• Put this debt (10,000 talents) in perspective
• One talent 3,000 shekels
• One shekel 4 days wages
• One talent 12,000 days wages
• 10,000 talents 120,000,000 days wages
• In our day, one days wage for laborer 100
• For man today, debt 12 trillion dollars
• Picture of enormity of our debt inability to pay

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The Parable of the Unmerciful ServantThe
Narrative
Matt. 1821-35

• The servant was not able to pay the master was
  going to sell him, his family possessions
• While trying to calculate 1st-century money into
  todays values is difficult, it has been
  estimated that the debt would have taken
  200,000-300,000 years to pay off, which he never
  could have accomplished.
• This illustrates mans complete inability to earn
  his way out of the sin-debt. Salvation is of
  divine grace, period!
• Selling a mans family, etc., was Roman law
  practiced in those days, which shows the accuracy
  of the Bible.
• Consider this A man and all his possessions
  belong to God anyway (Psa. 241). All men are
  debtors to God!

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The Parable of the Unmerciful ServantThe
Narrative
Matt. 1821-35

• The servant came worshiping and begged, Have
  patience with me, and I will pay you all.
• He realized (1) his masters supreme authority,
  which compelled him to worship, and (2) his
  hopelessness and unworthiness in response.
• His pledge to pay all shows his lack of
  appreciation regarding the vastness of the debt.
  Is it possible that we scarcely comprehend the
  nature of sin?
• Its interesting that he did not ask for
  forgiveness but pretended that he could pay off
  an insurmountable debt.

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The Parable of the Unmerciful ServantThe
Narrative
Matt. 1821-35

• The master was moved with compassion, released
  him, and forgave him the debt.
• The master was inwardly pained at the suffering
  of his servant (moved with compassion is strong
  wording).
• This evinces the love of God and His merciful
  disposition (cf. 1 John 48 Eph. 24). Try to
  comprehend the magnitude of what God has forgiven
  usthis is God being moved with compassion.
• The word forgive means to send away (cf. Psa.
  10312 Micah 719). There is no way that we can
  earn forgiveness, but God has promised to
  forgive (Rom. 623).

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The Parable of the Unmerciful ServantThe
Narrative
Matt. 1821-35

• But that servant found one of his fellow
  servants who owed him 100 denariiand took him by
  the throat, saying, Pay me what you owe!
• The Roman and Greek laws of the day would have
  allowed a citizens arrest and he could
  literally have dragged the man into court.
• The fellow-servant represents one who has sinned
  against his brother.
• The 100 denarii amounted to about 17 - 20
  quite insignificant when compared to the
  10,000,000 debt he had been forgiven.

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The Parable of the Unmerciful ServantThe
Narrative
Matt. 1821-35

• But that servant found one of his fellow
  servants who owed him 100 denariiand took him by
  the throat, saying, Pay me what you owe!
• What others have done against us is not nearly as
  great as what we have done against God!
• The mans lack of compassion for his fellow
  servant throws a floodlight on how ungrateful he
  was for the pardon that had been extended to him.
  (Short memory!)
• He demanded of his neighbor that which he himself
  had been unable to accomplish. How often such is
  exhibited in our everyday lives.
• How easy it is to see others failures, and to
  expect more of others than we do ourselves (cf.
  Matt. 71-5).

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The Parable of the Unmerciful ServantThe
Narrative
Matt. 1821-35

• His fellow servant fell down at his feet and
  begged, Have patience with me, and I will pay
  you all. And he would not
• Christians can sometimes be unforgiving.
• Though others may refuse to give forgiveness, God
  will not (when he approaches God in His
  prescribed way).

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The Parable of the Unmerciful ServantThe
Narrative
Matt. 1821-35

• So when his fellow servants saw what had been
  done, they were grieved, and came and told their
  master all that had been done.
• An unforgiving spirit arouses indignation in
  others.
• Our actions are noticed by others.

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The Parable of the Unmerciful ServantThe
Narrative
Matt. 1821-35

• The master called the unmerciful servant to
  account. He rebuked him and delivered him to the
  torturers until he should pay all.
• The unforgiving disposition makes God angry (v.
  34), which should emphasize to us the awfulness
  of the unforgiving spirit.
• The torturers represent the punishment of hell
  (cf. Rev. 95 1110), which also implies
  consciousness.
• Until he should pay all means forever, always
  (cf. Matt. 2546). If he could not pay 10mil as
  a free, working man, he could never have paid it
  as an inmate in prison. Eternal
  torment/punishment is real.

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The Parable of the Unmerciful ServantThe
Narrative
Matt. 1821-35

• Christs application So My heavenly Father
  also will do to you if each of you, from his
  heart, does not forgive his brother his
  trespasses.
• God will punish those who withhold forgiveness
  (cf. Matt. 57 612 72 James 213). Our
  forgiveness is conditional.
• Judgment will be to the individualeach of you.
• Forgiveness must come from the heart, not merely
  from the lips.
• Forgiveness will not be achieved until one
  repents (Luke 173), yet we must always keep the
  door open with a forgiving attitude (Eph. 432).

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The Parable of the Unmerciful ServantLessons/Tru
ths
Matt. 1821-35

• By virtue of the king/servant relationship, God
  owns us.
• Because of our sins, we are under an enormous
  debt to God. Sin is so horrible!
• We can never earn and thus merit our release from
  this debt.
• God is lovingly compassionate toward the sinner.
• The Lord must be sought through His appointed
  way.
• If we appreciate our salvation, we will be
  forgiving toward others.
• The debts that are committed against us are small
  in comparison to the things we have done against
  our King.
• God will punish those who are unforgiving.
• The punishment will be conscious and unending.