Forgiveness or Resentment
Matthew 18:21-35
The depth of the parable in which Jesus answers Peter concerning how much he should forgive his brother, a.k.a those with whom we have a relationship, is easily missed. It is notable to observe that one individual is a king and another a servant. Our position with God should never be lost.
Secondly, the amount of the debt of ten thousand talents is a clear hyperbole, but it is also the largest numeral that existed in Greek at that time1. It would be incorrect to equate the term “talent” to the dollar. It would be better to equate talent to the term “salary”. A single gold talent would be like paying a single day's wages to 180,000 people, and Jesus said it was 10,000 talents. The forgiveness from God is unfathomable.
This is not the first time Jesus has taught on forgiveness. Clearly, the consequence of God refusing to forgive people because people failed to forgive others was not understood by the disciples (Matthew 6:14-15). This lack of understanding caused them to limit the forgiveness they thought they had obtained. One commentator put it this way: “We cannot go through heaven’s narrow door if our lives are bulging with resentments2. That door is the gate that Jesus instructs people to enter through to find the path that leads to the kingdom of God (Matthew 7:13).
Walking through the gate is the belief and trust in Jesus as the Christ and the Son of God, who sacrificed His life for the payment of our sins. To limit forgiveness is to choose resentment. When the opportunity comes, take steps that reflect the forgiveness given to you by God to forgive and encourage others to choose the life that takes steps with Christ. The payment may feel high today, but it will never meet the price that God paid through the life of Jesus.
The depth of the parable in which Jesus answers Peter concerning how much he should forgive his brother, a.k.a those with whom we have a relationship, is easily missed. It is notable to observe that one individual is a king and another a servant. Our position with God should never be lost.
Secondly, the amount of the debt of ten thousand talents is a clear hyperbole, but it is also the largest numeral that existed in Greek at that time1. It would be incorrect to equate the term “talent” to the dollar. It would be better to equate talent to the term “salary”. A single gold talent would be like paying a single day's wages to 180,000 people, and Jesus said it was 10,000 talents. The forgiveness from God is unfathomable.
This is not the first time Jesus has taught on forgiveness. Clearly, the consequence of God refusing to forgive people because people failed to forgive others was not understood by the disciples (Matthew 6:14-15). This lack of understanding caused them to limit the forgiveness they thought they had obtained. One commentator put it this way: “We cannot go through heaven’s narrow door if our lives are bulging with resentments2. That door is the gate that Jesus instructs people to enter through to find the path that leads to the kingdom of God (Matthew 7:13).
Walking through the gate is the belief and trust in Jesus as the Christ and the Son of God, who sacrificed His life for the payment of our sins. To limit forgiveness is to choose resentment. When the opportunity comes, take steps that reflect the forgiveness given to you by God to forgive and encourage others to choose the life that takes steps with Christ. The payment may feel high today, but it will never meet the price that God paid through the life of Jesus.
- Mangum, Douglas, ed. Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament. Lexham Context Commentary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020. (Matt. 18:21-22)
- Green, Michael. 2001. The Message of Matthew: The Kingdom of Heaven. The Bible Speaks Today. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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