The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive someone who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

* “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.*

“The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’

“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive a brother or sister from your heart.” (TNIV, Matthew 18:21-35)

Jesus told this parable in response to Peter's question, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jewish tradition required forgiving another person three times, so Peter probably thought he was being generous to offer seven times. But Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." In other words, forgiveness must be unlimited.

The servant owed the king an absurdly large amount of money; he could never hope to pay it back. But just as the king was merciful and forgave his servant's impossibly huge debt, God is also merciful and will forgive our sins, no matter how many or how large.

But just as the king angrily revoked the unforgiving servant's pardon, God will not forgive our sins unless we extend our mercy to others and sincerely forgive them for any wrongs they have done to us.

The lesson is clear: we must forgive if we wish to be forgiven by God. There is no room in the Christian life for revenge, retaliation, getting even or holding a grudge.

Related verses: Proverbs 19:11, Matthew 5:44-45, 6:12, 6:14-15, Mark 11:25, Luke 6:37, 17:3-4, Romans 12:14, 12:17-19, Ephesians 4:31-32, Colossians 3:12-14, 1 Peter 3:10, James 2:13, 1 John 4:20-21.

Related article: What Does the Bible Say about Forgiveness of Sins?

History of publications!

The Parable of the Sower
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure and The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price
The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
The Parable of the Prodigal Son
The Parable of the Good Samaritan

source text
source text
http://www.christianbiblereference.org/jparable.htm
source foto