Forgiveness: The Freedom of the GospelSample

The High Cost of Unforgiveness

One of the most shocking statements in the Bible is found in Matthew 18:21-35. Peter asks Jesus the question, “How many times should I forgive someone? Would seven times be enough?” Peter knew the Pharisees required the Jews to forgive someone twice, and if they really wanted to be generous, three times. Peter’s jaw must have dropped when Jesus set the bar at 490 times. In essence, Jesus said there is no limit to forgiveness. He then used a parable to make His point.

A wealthy ruler decided to settle accounts with those who owed him money. One servant owed him 10,000 talents. The servant did not have the ability to repay the debt, so the ruler ordered the man and his family to be thrown into debtor’s prison. The servant pleaded, “Please, please give me time. I will pay it back!” Notice he didn’t ask for forgiveness; he asked for time. The ruler compassionately gave him more than he asked for; he forgave his debt. 

Let’s work through the currency exchange. In Jesus’ day, a talent equaled 60 minas. One mina was the equivalent of three months’ wages. A talent then was worth 180 months or 15 years’ wages. So that means ten thousand talents equaled 150,000 years’ wages. Please, please give me time?!!! With the median annual income in the U.S. around $50,000, the debt equaled $7.5 billion. What a gift! One might think the forgiven servant would be grateful, ready to extend that same forgiveness to those who owed him. 

But that’s not what happened.

Incredibly, the forgiven servant went to another servant who owed him 100 days’ wages—around $17,000. Using the same appeal, the second servant begged for an opportunity to repay the loan. This time, there was a chance he could pay it back. It might take a few years, but it was doable. Yet the forgiven servant refused to extend forgiveness and threw his fellow servant into prison. Unbelievable!

When the news got back to the ruler, he summoned the forgiven servant, declared him to be a “wicked slave” and turned him over to be “tortured.” The word “tortured” here is from the same root word  found in Luke 16:23 where the rich man of the “rich man and beggar Lazarus” story, found himself in “torment” in Hades. This appears to be a stronger form of punishment than simply being put in debtor’s prison. The torture was to continue until the entire debt was repaid. What did he owe at this point in the story? He didn’t owe the money. When you forgive a debt, you legally cannot reclaim that debt. So what did he owe? He owed mercy to the person who was in debt to him.

After finishing the parable, Jesus then made a shocking statement in verse 35: “So shall my Heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” Wow! God is so serious about our willingness to forgive that He will allow us to be tormented when we refuse. 

Now it is important to note what Jesus is not saying here. He is not saying they will lose their salvation. He is not referring to eternal forgiveness, but rather the earthly relational benefits of His forgiveness. He’s also not saying that God the Father tortures us, but rather He disciplines His children. The ruler in the parable did not torture the servant but turned him over to the tormenters who did. The Father simply disciplines us by giving the enemy and his henchmen the legal authority to torment us when we don’t forgive. The torment often expresses itself through depression, anxiety, addictions, anger, fear, and some physical issues. It is important to recognize that these things are not allowed in our lives because we have been wounded, but rather because we haven’t forgiven the wounds.

This leads us to the big question, Why does God discipline the sin of unforgiveness by handing us over to the tormentors? 

In tomorrow’s devotion we will discover the answer.