The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

Beloved, today we’re continuing on one of the most important themes of the Bible: Forgiveness. I want to share some insights regarding one of the parables that Jesus, your Bridegroom shared with His followers. In this unfolding story, you will see the unlimited capacity the Father has to extend grace and mercy to those in debt to Him! You’ll also clearly see the Father’s expectations for you, as the Bride of Christ, to extend mercy and forgiveness to those who are indebted to you…as well as the horrific consequences for failing to do so.

Let’s dive in, Precious One!

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” Matthew 18:23–35

Let’s break down the elements of the story so that you can better understand what Jesus intended for His disciples to understand .

• The King and Master is God, the Father.

• The servants are angels as well as people, His children, Christ’s followers, the body of Christ, the church, fellow Christians, etc.

• Talents represent the debt of sin.

• The jailers are demonic entities and powers.

• Prison is spiritual oppression, bondage, eternal death, hell/Hades

Now, have a close look at verses 24 to 26. In it, we’re introduced to a servant who owed an enormous debt to this gracious King.  The debt owed was so inconceivably large that there was no chance that the servant in the story would have ever been able to repay it. 

Consequently, the King ordered not only this man, but his wife, children and all he owned in the world to be sold to repay the debt.  It was the King’s absolute right to demand payment for what was owed to Him.

The indebted servant pleaded with the Sovereign for patience and mercy, vowing to pay back everything owed. Because this King was compassionate and merciful, He not only decided not to move forward with debt collection, but rather decided to cancel the entire debt altogether!

The servant’s verbal vow to repay the debt must have rang hollow in the King’s ears. Desperate pleas moved Him to pity. It would simply have been impossible for anyone to repay that large of a debt in one lifetime. The King is well aware of this problem, and mercifully decided to provide this servant a different option altogether: total debt forgiveness!

The servant’s financial debt is a picture of your sin debt to God.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

The King forgave His servant’s debt because He was a compassionate and merciful ruler. He wiped out the entire balance because of His own kindness, not because the servant deserved it! 

The debt was paid in full out of the King’s own resources. All was completely forgiven.

The debt forgiveness in the parable is a picture of the Father wiping out your sin debt as a result of you accepting the gift of Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross. 

God accepted Jesus’s sacrifice because Jesus was perfect and sinless. Your sin debt is totally erased when you repent and surrender your life to Christ’s lordship. The balance is paid in full. It is finished, and you are saved.

Hallelujah!

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13–14

But unfortunately, things take a tragic turn in the story. This blessed servant, who had just been forgiven an astronomical debt he could never repay, found a fellow servant who owed him several days’ wages. He was owed a few measly dollars compared to the trillions he owed the King!

This forgiven servant didn’t just fail to show the same mercy and grace that he had just received from his master. Rather, he reacted with harsh judgment. He abused his fellow servant, demanded payment, shut his ears to the other man’s pleas for mercy and forgiveness, and then threw him into prison! 

How does one even begin to repay a debt when incarcerated?

Essentially, this servant sentenced his coworker to life in prison. The servant’s unforgiveness is a picture of a Christian who chooses not to forgive others.

Please pay careful attention to what happens next in the story, Beloved.

Word got back to the King that the servant who was forgiven all refused to have compassion and forgive another servant in return. 

The outraged King made it clear that he expected his servant to treat others with the kindness he had received. He described the unforgiving servant as wicked, and then delivered him to tormentors until he paid the original debt in full.

Again, I ask you, how does one even begin to repay a debt when incarcerated?

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:31

Because this servant refused to forgive another servant a paltry amount due him, he had his original debt put back into his account. 

He was then sentenced to life in prison, where he was tormented indefinitely.

This original debt being placed back onto the wicked servant’s account is a picture of a believer’s salvation, having already been paid for in full by Jesus’s death, being forfeited because of not forgiving another person. The servant’s lack of compassion led to having the credit on his own account reversed. 

He was then required again to pay the original debt in total, all while under torment.

To clarify the moral of the story, Jesus said plainly, “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” Jesus was talking to His own disciples!

Beloved, please believe that Jesus meant exactly what He said. He is the truth.

Do not be deceived and believe that those God calls wicked will inherit the Kingdom of God.  God is holy, and His children, His faithful followers, are also called to be holy.

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14

The entire plan of salvation hinges on God forgiving the sins of the entire world because of the sacrifice Jesus Christ willingly made on the cross.

Forgiveness is at the center of God’s rescue plan for you! He rightfully expects you to give forgiveness as freely as you have received it.

Beloved extending, forgiveness to others is a condition of your salvation.

Lastly, don’t miss the fact that both servants end up serving life sentences, not just the wicked one. This is a great tragedy. 

The refusal to forgive others and extend mercy for past hurts might be holding others in your life captive to the enemy. 

Your forgiveness, given freely, is what could set other spiritual captives free!

Mercy always triumphs over judgment, Beloved!