The consequence of Unforgiveness

There is a valuable lesson for us as believers to learn in Matthew’s gospel in the 18^th chapter. Let’s search the scriptures to see what the Lord would like to teach us.

Our text will come from Matthew 18:21-35. It reads:

 Then came Peter and said to him, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? until seven times?  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven.  Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, who would make a reckoning with his servants.  And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, that owed him ten thousand talents.  But forasmuch as he had not wherewith to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.  The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.  And the lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.  But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred shillings: and he laid hold on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay what thou owest.  So his fellow-servant fell down and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee.  And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay that which was due.  So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were exceeding sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.  Then his lord called him unto him, and saith to him, Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou besoughtest me:  shouldest not thou also have had mercy on thy fellow-servant, even as I had mercy on thee?  And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due.  So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts.

In these passages of scripture Jesus is teaching a parable about a king and his servants. One of his servants owed him 10,000 talents – an enumerable debt. A talent was a unit of measure that weighed 100 lbs. In our American currency, the monetized value of one silver talent would be around $384,000. For one gold talent $5,760,000. Here it says the man owed his master 10,000 talents! You do the math. Since he was unable to pay, his master proceeded to sell him and his family into slavery along with liquidating the man’s assets to exact payment for his servant’s debt.

The man pleaded with his master for patience and he would pay him all. The master knew his servant was unable to pay had compassion and forgave him all the debt he owed which once again if you do the math was at least 3 billion dollars in today’s currency if it was silver. But, if it was gold he owed, it would be at least 58 billion dollars, incredible!

So in this parable we see the incomprehensible forgiveness of the king. But something unfortunate in the parable develops. Jesus tell us the servant who was relieved of all that debt found one of his co-workers who owed 100 denarii (a day’s wage was one denarius a Roman coin about $32)  which today would amount to under $3,000.00 grabbed hold of the man and threatened him by choking him said, “Pay me what you owe me!” The co-worker begged him like he did the king, and asked him to be patient and he would pay. Unlike the king the one forgiven much refused to forgive his co-worker, and threw into prison until he paid the debt. Incredible ingratitude.

The 100 denarii was exactly 3 months wages the co-worker owed the man, not a small sum but compared to what he was forgiven he should have immediately forgiven the man with joy the amount he was owed.

When the king heard about his ungrateful servant’s treatment of his co-worker. He was furious with and threw him to the tormentors which most likely was a jailer so he could be punished in the same manner for which he threw his co-worker in prison (Matthew 18:34). Obviously the man wasn’t saddled with the same debt, but now he was to be severely disciplined for his evil behavior toward his co-worker.

So the question I’m sure would be asked, “did the king revoke his promise to forgive?” The answer would be no. The man was forgiven forever the debt he owed, but now because of his sin of unforgiveness,  had to be severely disciplined for it. He had to learn a lesson. Instead of paying a debt of money he now owed of a debt of the sin of unforgiveness and ingratitude; he should have imitated the attitude of his Lord. The Lord will chastise those he loves. Hebrew 12:5-11 says:

 and ye have forgotten the exhortation which reasoneth with you as with sons, My son, regard not lightly the chastening of the Lord, Nor faint when thou art reproved of him;  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, And scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.  It is for chastening that ye endure; God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father chasteneth not?  But if ye are without chastening, whereof all have been made partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.  Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?  For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed good to them; but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness.  All chastening seemeth for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yieldeth peaceable fruit unto them that have been exercised thereby, even the fruit of righteousness

Also in dealing with our brothers Ephesians 4:31-32 commands us to:

 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice:  and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you.

So, the over arching point of the parable that Jesus is teaching is that if we do not forgive one another, the Father will not forgive us our trespasses (Matthew 18:35). What a terrible position to exist in. Although we’re children of the King of kings, we do not have an audience with Him due to evil that’s residing in our hearts due to unforgiveness.

Now in case someone gets confused, Jesus is not saying that a true believer will lose his or her salvation as some do unfortunately believe and teach for Jesus’ atonement was efficacious; it cleansed our sins judicially forever. We will never owe that debt again. However in this current time and space, when we withhold forgiveness from our brother or sister, God in his Holy justice exerts the right to withhold your forgiveness until you forgive the sins committed against you.

How graciously the Father has forgiven our sins forever by sending Jesus Christ to die for them; an un-payable debt.  How much more should we imitate the Father and the Son by forgiving one another. For one to refuse to forgive is to show contempt and disparage the work of Christ on the cross just like that worthless servant dealing with his co-worker. He showed contempt and disregarded the compassion of his master when he forgave him all that financial debt. His attitude went from desperation and despair when he had to give an account for his debt that he worshipped his Lord for mercy and was forgiven. Unfortunately he did not keep that same worshipful posture in heart and mind when it was his turn to show mercy to his co-worker. Although he had the right to exact payment from his co-worker he should have showed mercy (Matthew 5:7). His Lord the king had every legal right to sell him and his family along with his possessions and exact payment but released his servant. God has every right to be furious with  and severely chastise us for our ungodly attitudes when we operate in unforgiveness. Let’s forgive immediately and resume our fellowship with the Lord and our brethren.