SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 18:21-35
Jesus tells the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant when Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother. Jesus answers with 77 and then tells the parable of a man who owed the king money. The king was about to sell his family to pay the debt, but the man begged him to be patient with him. The king forgave his debt and let him go. However, this man did not show mercy to a man who owed him money. When the king found out, he had him tortured and ordered him to pay back the money he owed. You must forgive your brother from your heart, Jesus says.
BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 19, Day 5: Matthew 18:21-35
13a) That he had the same person sinning against him repeatedly.
b) That he must forgive his brother 77 times.
c) To show mercy to others as Jesus shows us mercy every day.
14a) It’s important to realize when things are just petty and don’t matter in the grand scheme of things, especially in terms of eternity.
b) I find it hard to forgive those closest to me. The hurt is just too great.
c) My parents. Unsure. Call them. Visit them.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 19, Day 5: Matthew 18:21-35
Jesus has done so much for us that it truly is little to forgive others and treat them as we want to be treated.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 19, Day 5: Matthew 18:21-35
At the time, the accepted standard was to forgive someone three times as set forth by the rabbis. Peter probably thought he was being extremely generous when he more than doubled this number — that is, until Jesus put him in his place.
Jesus’s answer means we forgive unlimited amounts of time.
Settling accounts was a common and regular practice in biblical times.
Ten thousand talents would be worth anywhere between $12 million and $1 billion in today’s terms. It was a huge debt.
The man would never be able to pay (so how he racked up that much debt in ancient times is unclear). The selling of his family was merely a drop in the hat for payment.
The other servant’s debt was about 100 days worth of work, which was a large amount, too.
Note the plea is the same, and the forgiven man turns a blind eye.
The forgiven man seems to have no regrets over his actions, which helps to explain the harshness of the king’s judgement.
Any debt someone owes us is insignificant in comparison to the debt that Jesus paid for us on the cross.
Forgiveness can be one-sided. After all, it’s for your benefit to forgive so you aren’t consumed with bitterness.
You must forgive with the heart, or it’s meaningless and worthless.
If you will not forgive, you cannot expect to be forgiven.
Fun Fact: Matthew, a tax collector, records Jesus’s teachings on money found nowhere else in the Gospels. He also records Jesus’s words on how to treat the poor and the needy.
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