MATTHEW 18
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Survey of the chapter
After the seven parables of the kingdom in chapter 13, we learn in Matthew chapters 14 to 18 what the character of those in the kingdom of heaven must be like if they are to enter the kingdom of God. Remember that the kingdom of heaven is the sphere of profession, whereas the kingdom of God is the sphere of reality.
Structure of the chapter
| (a) | Verses 1-6 | The need for humility |
| (b) | Verses 7-14 | The need for consideration |
| (c) | Verses 15-20 | The importance of harmony between brethren |
| (d) | Verses 21-35 | The duty of forgiveness |
(a) Verses 1-6
The need for humility
18:1
At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus- we know from Mark 9:30-34 that the disciples had been disputing among themselves about who was greatest, and when they were inside the house in Capernaum the Lord confronted them. Matthew does not mention this, but he does tell us about the conversation with Peter in the house about the tribute money.
Is he linking the need for humility with the fact that the Lord had associated Himself with Peter in the matter of paying the tribute money? The coin that Peter took up from the fish was for “me and thee”, and this, coupled with the fact that the disciples had been arguing about who should be greatest whilst they were travelling along to Capernaum, brought things to a head. Did some of them resent that the Lord paid with the same coin as Peter did, as if he had some sort of equal status?
Saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? They had clearly not come to a decision about this matter, so agree to let the Lord settle the it. This question is most inappropriate, for the Lord has just told them that He is going to be betrayed and killed, 17:22,23. They had been exceeding sorry about this, but He had also said that He would be raised again, so perhaps they still thought there was hope of an imminent setting up of the kingdom. There should be no room for pride in the hearts of those who follow the rejected Man of Calvary. By going there He took the lowest place of all.
18:2
And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them- it is said traditionally that this was a child of Peter. It is probable that the house they were in was Peter’s, (since the collectors of the tribute money seem to have come to the door of the house), and that the Lord Jesus made it His base when He was in Galilee, see Luke 4:38.
The child is put in the place of prominence to teach a lesson about not seeking prominence. It is safe to do this because a child will not normally seek position.
Notice that the child is happy to respond to the Lord’s invitation. In fact, Mark tells us that the Lord took him into His arms, Mark 9:36. The Lord Jesus was very interested in the welfare of children, and was most severe on those who ill-treat them, as we shall see in verse 6.
Child-abusers should be handed over to the civil authorities, even if they claim to be believers. To cover up their sin may be successful for a time, but the eventual scandal will be far more damaging to the testimony.
18:3
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven- they were already converted in the sense that they believed in Him, but they need a further conversion from the attitude of pride and self-seeking evident in their striving to be greatest. Although he had been set in the midst, we may be sure that the child did not seek that place of prominence, and was pleased when he was allowed to go. Children are valued members of the family, but their proper place is in the background. It is not in order for them to rule the household, and certainly should not be allowed to hold their parents to ransom.
18:4
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven- this is the other side of the truth. Not only is self-seeking condemned, but self-abasement is commended. They learn that the way to show themselves to be converted is to show humility. This solves their dispute as to who was the greatest. The answer is who is the most humble. This is still the answer.
18:5
And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me- He so identifies Himself with the welfare of children, that to receive a child, (meaning to have its best interests at heart), is as good as receiving Him. In Mark’s account He adds, “and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me”, Mark 9:37. This elevates the care and welfare of children to a very high level, and should encourage greatly those who have the care of children, either their own or other’s.
18:6
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me- this is the opposite of receiving a child. To cause a child to stumble so that he takes a wrong path may mean that he is astray the rest of his life. Children are very impressionable, and great care must be taken to introduce them only to the truth of God’s word, and not the ideas of men.
It is not just the child the Lord selected to illustrate His point that is in view. “These little ones” may be a reference to Peter’s family, for they are said to believe in Him.
It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea- we understand the strong feeling behind this statement, for the Lord is angry when children are harmed, whether physically, emotionally or spiritually. He is not laying down the precise penalty for child abuse, but is using a graphic metaphor to express extreme displeasure. There were two sorts of millstone, one being turned by hand, and the larger one, turned by an ass. It is the latter here. It would be better for him to be drowned in this way, never to be buried with honour, so as to cut short his evil works, and preserve little children from his wicked attentions, than to continue to accumulate sins.
(b) Verses 7-14
The need for consideration
18:7
Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
Woe unto the world because of offences! The sins against children He has just spoken about are just a sample of the ways in which men sin against one another. As He surveys the scene, the Lord assesses the world as a place of misery and woe, and men’s offences are the cause.
For it must needs be that offences come- this supposes that the manifest kingdom of Christ has not yet been set up, since when He reigns offences will be dealt with immediately. It is necessary for evil to manifest itself so that the need for Him to reign becomes more apparent. It is also necessary so as to expose the wickedness of men to the full.
But woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! The woe is not now general but specific, “that man”, for each offence will be judged individually, unless, of course, it has been genuinely repented of and therefore forgiven.
18:8
Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee- in view of the foregoing statements, (hence the “wherefore”), drastic action must be taken. Again a strong metaphor is used, but it must not be taken literally. A similar statement is found in the passage in Matthew 5:27-32 where the Lord speaks of divorce. There it is only the eye that lusts after a woman and the hand that writes her a bill of divorcement that is mentioned, the foot not being relevant in that situation. Here it is the hand that performs an action and the foot that takes the person to perform the action that is in view.
A person may be offended by his own hand or foot in the sense that he can be enticed to sin by the thought of what that hand or foot can do.
It is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire- the Old Testament views everlasting life as life under the Messiah’s rule in the kingdom. It is better to be halt (lame), or maimed, (with one hand cut off) when the Messiah comes to set up His kingdom, than to be entire, (with both hands and feet, none having been cut off, metaphorically, meaning the tendency to offend has not been dealt with), but destined for the lake of fire, because the failure to deal with sin is a sign of an unconverted person.
18:9
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire- in Matthew 5 it was the eye that saw a woman that began the process which ended in adultery, but here the teaching is more general. Having had suggestions made to her by the Tempter, Eve “saw the tree that it was good for food”, so the lust of the eyes led her astray, Genesis 3:6. She was promised that her eyes would be opened, and indeed they were, but in the wrong sense, for she realised that she was no longer fit for the presence of God, verses 7 and 8.
The hand, foot and eye are not only to be dealt with initially, but are to be cast away, so that they are not used in a wrong way any more.
18:10
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones- children should be valued, and not lightly esteemed. Those who do not value them are likely to abuse them in some way. We despise children when we think that sinning against them is of little account.
For I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven- what better indication could there be of the value of children than to say that their guardian angels are ever present before the Father? This is the complete opposite to despising them. This is a great comfort for the children, and an encouragement to treat them with care. It is also a warning to those who might be tempted to despise them, (or worse), for their angels give account before their Father.
18:11
For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost- whilst this is a general statement of the grace of Christ in coming to save the lost, the particular context is that His love for children is so strong that it brought Him down from heaven to save them. It is a wonderful thing that angels are in the presence of God on their behalf; it is a more wonderful thing that the Son of God should become the Son of man in order to go to Calvary to save them.
18:12
How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
How think ye? In case such thinking is strange to them, the Lord gives them an illustration.
If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray- some might be tempted to suggest that to lose one per cent of the flock is of little account.
Doth he not leave the ninety and nine- these sheep are safe in the fold, and can be left.
And goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? No matter the hardship or the difficulty, the true shepherd will persevere in his search, such is his concern for just one sheep which is in danger.
18:13
And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
And if so be that he find it- such is the folly of some sheep that they stray so far that the most concerned shepherd cannot find them, so it is “if so be”, not “when”.
Verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray- it is not that he rejoices because the one sheep went astray. The rejoicing is because he was able to find it.
18:14
Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish- we may measure the concern of the Father for the little ones by the trouble the Son of Man took to find it so as to rescue it from perishing. This does not mean that all shall be saved from perishing, (for it is “if”, not “when” in verse 13, as we have noticed), but it does show the desire of the Father for all. The desire of the Father may be disappointed through the wilfulness of the child.
(c) Verses 15-20
The importance of harmony between brethren
Survey of the section
Whilst it has a broadly different subject to the first half of the chapter, the word “moreover” which begins this section does alert us to the connection between the passages. For those who lack humility, and are full of themselves, are very likely to trespass against their brethren. In that situation those trespassed against must take righteous steps to deal with the matter, whilst themselves maintaining humility in that they do not remedy the situation by their own resources, but by God’s.
In the passage we have:
| Verse 15(a) | A sin committed |
| Verse 15(b) | A sin condemned |
| Verse 15(c) | A sin confessed |
| Verse 16 | A sin continued |
| Verse 17 | A sin confirmed on earth |
| Verse 18 | A sin confirmed in heaven |
Structure of the section
| (i | Verses 15-18 | The process to deal with trespasses |
| (ii) | Verses 19,20 | The prayer for wisdom |
| (iii) | Verses 21-35 | The parable about forgiveness |
(i) Verses 15-18
The process to deal with trespasses
18:15
Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
Moreover- as noted, this word suggests a link with the foregoing, but also a fresh aspect of truth. There is more, over and above what has already been said. The word also carries the idea of “but if”, so if it should come to pass that a brother does more than stumble another, (the subject of the previous verses), then the next line of approach should be adopted.
If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone- Matthew’s gospel is the gospel of government, and order and righteousness must prevail amongst those who are in the kingdom of God. Since he claims to be a brother, he will be one of those who hears the word of God and does it, and will respond to the charge against him in a responsible way. The word trespass is translated sin in verse 21. Trespass is a crossing of a clearly-marked boundary. The word trespass, being in the aorist tense, is looked on as a definite act, not an imaginary one. We should remember the word of 1 Corinthians 8:12- “When ye sin so against the brethren, ye sin against Christ”.
There are those who are proud, and feel that they should always be pandered to, and when they feel that they have been deprived of their rights, they sulk, or get angry. Such will sometimes feel that they have been sinned against, when it is only their pride that has been hurt.
Go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone- the first stage is to confront the brother with his sin. The word for “tell” here is not simply to inform, but convict and rebuke. The fact that this is the first step will prevent flippant matters being raised, since there will be an awareness that those who bring light-weight charges are themselves liable to be examined.
There is nothing here about discussing the problem, or “praying it through”, or coming to an arrangement. If the matter is so clear-cut that a brother is free to meet another about it, then there is nothing to discuss, and repentance and forgiveness can follow. One genuinely repentant will want to make amends, in the language of the parable which follows, “I will pay thee all”, verse 29. The trespass offering included an element of recompense for the offended party, Leviticus 6:4,5.
Of course, if the other brother claims that he has been misunderstood, then righteous dealings will require that his case should be put forward.
If he shall hear thee– that is, if he takes note of the brother who has been sinned against, and responds to what he has to say.
Thou hast gained thy brother- he has been temporarily lost to fellowship, for two cannot walk together if they are not agreed, Amos 3:3. If he repents, however, he has been recovered for fellowship.
18:16
But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
But if will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more- the next stage in the process. The brother who has been sinned against should persist, and not give up on this prescribed process halfway.
That in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established- if the brother takes one other, there are two witnesses, if he takes two, then there are three witnesses. Note that the brother sinned against is allowed as a witness. The position of these others is not specified, for they are present only to testify to what is said; they have no mediating role. Not have they necessarily witnessed the event which caused the rift between the two brothers. They simply witness to the admission or rejection of the accusation, so that they can bear testimony to what was said on both sides. This, in itself, is a curb to any tendency for one party in the dispute to brow-beat or intimidate the other, knowing that words spoken and attitudes adopted are all noted by credible witnesses.
18:17
And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church- the double refusal of the offender now means that the matter is made more public, but only in the assembly. The law-courts of men are not the place to settle such matters. The Corinthian believers were making the mistake of taking one another to the law-courts, and the apostle had to rebuke them, see 1 Corinthians 6:1-8.
But if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican- clearly the church of chapter 16 is not available to deal with this matter. The Lord Jesus at this point introduces the idea that there will be a company in a locality that also can be named the church. This is developed in the epistles of Paul, to whom was entrusted the task of being a minister of the church, “to fulfil the word of God”, Colossians 2:24,25. In other words, the truth the apostle made known about the church finalised God’s revelation to His people.
This church is the final court of appeal in a locality, and no council, gathering of brothers from afar, or consultation with any supposed earthly headquarters is envisaged in this or any other situation. We should be clear, however, that if the offender has committed some crime that comes under the civil law of the land, he must be handed over to the authorities.
A heathen man is a pagan, who has no knowledge of God. A publican would be of the class that were notorious for their false dealing. Whether it be an unbeliever by nature, or one by practice, the unrepentant one is not now to be reckoned a believer at all, since he has not responded to the process laid down for believers to follow. This is why in 1 Corinthians 5:11 the apostle speaks of one who is “called a brother”. Whether he is or not is determined by whether he responds to the word of God by repentance.
18:18
Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven:- note the “ye”, indicating that it is not the single brother who was sinned against, but all the church. If the man does not repent, then his sin is to be bound upon him until such times as he does turn from his sin. The decision, if arrived in accordance with scripture, has the sanction of heaven. This is why no earthly law-court needs to be involved in church matters, for civil courts have not the competence or right to deal with church matters. If it is a question of a civil offence, then it should be reported immediately to the appropriate authorities.
And whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven- when he does repent, the sin is loosed from him in the eyes of the church, with the assurance that this is the view of heaven too. The Jews had a saying that whatever was decided in the Sanhedrin was decided in heaven.
(b) Verses 19,20
The prayer for guidance
18:19
Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
Again I say unto you- we should note the relevance of the word “again”. Matthew uses this word seven times in a special sense. The references are as follows: 5:33; 13:44,45,47; 18:19; 19:24; 22:1. When these passages are examined it becomes clear that “again” in those settings means more that simply “another thing”. There is a continuation of a theme, but with a difference of emphasis. For instance, when the Lord says, “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time”, 5:33, He then goes on to cancel what was said, rather than deepening the meaning of what was said of old time, which is what He does in the other examples He gives in His address on the mount.
So with that in mind we can say that the Lord is introducing a fresh idea, but one which has some connection with what has gone before. So the fresh idea is guidance during the process set out in verses 16-18. The connection is found in the mention of the two and the three of verses 19 and 20.
That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask- this promise is especially relevant to the two or three witnesses that were involved in the procedure of verse 16. They have carried out the instructions of that verse, and the man who has trespassed has failed to hear them. (This could be either by refusing to meet them, or rejecting what they had to say if he did meet with them). They now need wisdom as to how to proceed righteously.
They meet together to discuss the matter, and because of the promise the Lord will give them in verse 20 they are able to come to a right decision as to how to proceed.
It shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven- the Lord assures them even if there are only two acting in the matter, yet if they carry out His instructions correctly, then when they agree on a decision, the thing is duplicated in heaven, the “done for them” referring to the binding or loosing in heaven he spoke of in verse 18.
Notice the further reference to “on earth…in heaven”. The kingdom has not yet come in manifestation, and the King is not present, so meantime His righteous government is carried out through His subjects on earth, and is ratified in heaven.
18:20
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name- this verse contains a very special promise which has been laid hold of by believers as they meet together. Without taking away from its general application, we should note its significance in the context. The verse begins with “for”, and is giving to us the reason why the two persons of verse 19 may count on help in the matter on which they are agreed they need help. In verse 19 only two are mentioned, for even that minimum number may count on the Lord’s help. Here it is two or three, for the man who had been trespassed against had the option of taking either one or two others with him as he dealt with the matter, verse 16. Clearly the two or three are the one or two witnesses plus the offended brother.
They come together with the express purpose of acting in Christ’s name, and with His authority, He being absent from them in heaven.
There am I in the midst of them- so whilst He has ascended bodily to heaven, and in that sense, as He Himself said, “I am no more in the world”, John 17:11, He does promise to be in the midst of these two or three as they gather together to act for Him. The apostle Paul was not able to be present when the Corinthian believers met together to deal with evil in their company, but he was present in spirit, 1 Corinthians 5:3,4. This meant that he was wholly with them in what they were doing.
So it is here, with the added thought that the Lord is not just present in spirit, fully in harmony with what they are doing, but is in the midst, not on the fringe. He associates Himself completely with what they are doing, for they have gathered in His name, intent on serving His interests.
The verb used in the expression “gathered together” is the basis of the word synagogue, a collecting or convening together of people. So it is different to the word used in verse 17 for the church, which means “a called out company”.
(d) Verses 21-35
The duty of forgiveness
18:21
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Peter’s question has to do with a situation prior to that of verses 15-20. He rightly judges that it would be preferable to deal with possible problems early, before the drastic action detailed in those verses needs to be carried out.
Till seven times? Peter’s solution to the problem is inadequate, and fails to reflect the character of the King.
18:22
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven- notice how high the standard of forgiveness is, being modelled on the attitude of God. We read in Ephesians 4:32, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you”. God forgave us in view of all Christ is to Him, and all He did for us. Those who have been forgiven by God should be the special objects of our care, for this is Christ-like, and is the mark of a worthy walk before God.
Peter no doubt thought that to forgive seven times would be commendable; the Lord raised the standard from seven times seven, making forty nine, to seventy to the power of seven, which is eight million, two hundred and thirty five thousand, four hundred and thirty. This is a lifetime of forgiveness, for if we divide the number of days in seventy years into that large number, it comes to three hundred and twenty two. So if the same man came to Peter three hundred and twenty two times every day for seventy years, (that is every three minutes during his waking hours for the whole of his lifetime), and asked his forgiveness, then he was to forgive him. And so are we.
It is worth remembering that genuine forgiveness on the part of the one sinned against can only follow genuine repentance on the part of the one sinning. In Luke’s parallel passage this is emphasised- “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him”, Luke 17:3,4.
So both grace and truth are to be in exercise; truth which rebukes and requires repentance, grace which grants that forgiveness when these conditions are met. So it has been with God. His rich grace has forgiven us for the sake of Christ. His truth demanded that we repent before we knew that forgiveness.
18:23
Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants- as in so many of the parables, the kingdom of heaven is not so much like the main character in the parable, but like the main theme of the parable. So here, the main theme is forgiveness, and it is the king that first of all shows forgiveness, and then assesses whether his subjects have displayed that same attitude of forgiveness.
18:24
And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents- we here learn what “take account of his servants” means. The king is bringing his accounts up to date and in order. He finds one of his servants still owes him a vast sum of money.
18:25
But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
But forasmuch as he had not to pay- the servant had run up a debt which he would never be able to pay off, just as we as sinners were in debt to God, but could never discharge ourselves.
His lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made- the only way of man’s devising was for the man, his wife and his children to be sold as slaves, so that the money raised could begin to pay off the debt. Notice it is not “clear the debt”, but “payment to be made”, so only part of the vast debt would be paid back by this means.
18:26
The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all- human remedies demand that the man be sold, but what will grace say? The man is honest enough to admit his debt, and sincerely desires to pay it off. This is the equivalent of repentance.
18:27
Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt- compassion now comes into the reckoning, and on that basis the man is completely forgiven.
We may now apply this in a spiritual sense. Man is under obligation to God, and he can never pay off his debt, for he has sinned against an infinite God. But those who admit their debt, and show suitable contrition for building up the debt, may come into the good of God’s compassion. We are not told the grounds on which the king showed compassion to his servant, but we have already noted the language of Ephesians 4:32, and that God forgives men on the basis of what He sees in His Son.
18:28
But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence- the contrast between the attitude of the king and this man could not be more marked. The servant is owed a pitiful sum, but instead of learning compassion from his own experience, he acts with cruelty and heartlessness.
And he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest- he seems to not know the meaning of grace, which delights to bestow free favour.
18:29
And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all- this is the promise that the first servant made, but how different the response to the promise in this case!
18:30
And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt- if he had shown patience, he might have received his one hundred pence sooner. How is the man going to work to pay the debt if he is in prison? The servant is heartless, but also witless.
18:31
So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done- the other servants have a commendable sense of what is right and fair, and also the desire that the wrong be righted.
18:32,33
Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
The parable began with a day of reckoning, when the lord of the servants assessed what their position was. Now for this unforgiving servant there is another day of reckoning, as he has to face the consequences of his actions. Note the servant should have had compassion “even as” his lord had with him. There should have been the same attitude. This is the main point of the parable, which comes after Peter’s question about forgiveness, and how far we should go in forgiving.
18:34
And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him- so he who would not forgive an hundred pence debt, but threatened the debtor with prison, now finds he is in prison himself, and the compassion of his lord turns to anger, and he demands that the ten thousand talents be repaid. He finds that the refusal to show grace and compassion has its consequences.
18:35
So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses- again the Lord shows His knowledge of what the verdict will be, for in fact it will be administered by Himself in harmony with His Father’s mind on the matter. He said that “I can of mine own self do nothing; as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me”, John 5:30.
We should remember that this parable is about the kingdom of heaven, the sphere of profession, and the man claims to be a brother but in fact is not, hence the severe judgment. In a similar situation the apostle Paul spoke of “a man that is called a brother”, 1 Corinthians 5:11. That he was a true brother, or in other words, a genuine believer, is shown in that he repented of his sin, as we learn from 2 Corinthians 2:6-10. There is no possibility of a true believer being “delivered to the tormentors”, verse 34. Whilst this is the case, true believers should not be complacent by manifesting an unforgiving spirit.