The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
This week we’re uncovering the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant found in Matthew 18:23-25. Check out this video as we learn about this week’s Bible study (also available as a podcast!).
This week we’ll be looking at the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew 18:23-35.
Have you ever thought, how many times must I forgive this person?! If so, Peter could relate (Matthew 18:21). Jesus responded to Peter’s question by telling him a parable of an unforgiving servant, that helps us realize just how much God has forgiven us and encourages us to generously forgive others. Not only that, but this parable broadens our understanding of the character and nature of God. A parable is an earthly story, told by Jesus, with heavenly implications. As we read the unforgiving servant parable this week, think about the heavenly implications behind the earthly story.
DAY 1 - READ AND REFLECT
Let’s start by reading the full parable in Matthew 18:23-35. Re-read the passage, preferably in a different translation to get a clearer perspective on what the passage is communicating.
Keep in mind a parable is a story that parallels a message Jesus was trying to communicate, which would've been more easily understood by the original audience. Without a deep connection to Jewish culture, Jesus’ point is often lost on us. To understand the heart of Jesus’ parables, ask the following questions, and watch as the parables of Jesus come to life!
Who is the audience and how would the original hearer have heard this?
What cultural reference points would the original hearer have known that I miss?
Does the parable have characters and how are they described?
Does the parable have an unexpected ending that highlights the point Jesus was trying to make?
If Jesus were to make this point today, what parable might He tell?
As we move through the story this week, keep in mind what’s being communicated:
The King – God
Servants – Humanity
Debt – Sin
Settling Accounts – Final Judgment
Further Reflection: As you read the story this week, instead of first looking for yourself in the story, look for God. The Bible is His letter to us –– it's by Him, about Him, and for Him. The 3 key questions to keep in mind: What do I see? What does it mean? How does it work?
DAY 2 - THE SERVANT (Matthew 18:23-26)
As we study the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant this week, let’s read the first part in Matthew 18:23-26 and learn about the servant.
Based on HISTORY, in Jewish culture, individuals unable to pay their monetary debts would receive legal judgment and punishment to include debtors prison and/or slavery. The punishment usually depended on the size of the debt incurred. How much is a talent? (Hint: see verse 24 in the New Living Translation).
The sum of money this man owed was an amount that he could never hope to repay. Jesus is using an earthly truth to communicate a heavenly reality. Because of our sin (our debt against God), God has a legal right to render judgment. And that judgment is severe because our debt is so large. The destructive power of sin cannot be diminished. Sin separates.
Now READ Matthew 18:26 in several translations. What action verbs do you notice from the servant?
How should we interpret the servant's response? Certainly, he was desperate, but was his repentance genuine? There was no realistic way he could pay off his debt in his lifetime, yet he promised to pay back everything. Did he really believe he could? Are you ever tempted to believe you could work hard enough to pay off your sin debt before God?
On the other hand, he displayed humility in falling to his knees, and reverence for the King’s authority. How do you tend to respond to God and others when you’re confronted by your sin?
Either way, there was truly nothing the servant could do to help himself. He was utterly reliant on his master.
DAY 3 - THE KING (Matthew 18:27)
Yesterday, we saw the servant in a helpless and desperate situation when he faced the King to whom he owed a debt so large he could never hope to repay it. Today, let’s turn our attention to the King, who had every right to sell the servant’s family members into slavery to recover at least a portion of the man’s debt. What would the King do?
Remember the King/Master in this parable is an illustration of God and the debt owed represents our sin. Read Matthew 18:27. What does this verse reveal about the character and nature of God? Does this verse accurately portray how you see God in your own life?
Let’s take a moment to read some CONTEXT surrounding the parable we’re studying this week by expanding our understanding of what God’s forgiveness looks like throughout the Bible.
Colossians 2:13-14 - How do these verses relate to the exchange between the King (God) and the Servant (Humanity)?
Psalm 103:12 - How does this verse align with your view of God’s forgiveness?
Additionally, Psalm 51 is a wonderful passage that gives us a template of the heart God desires for repentance. Specifically, look at Psalm 51:17 “The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God” (CSB). Read Psalm 51. What is the psalmist, David, fully reliant upon? What kind of heart does God desire?
Further Reflection: As you APPLY this passage to your life, ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you have some sin in your life that is separating you from God. Take time to pray through Psalm 51, asking God “create a clean heart within you and restore the JOY of your salvation.”
DAY 4 - THE FORGIVEN SERVANT (Matthew 18:28-30)
Today we unlock the heart of the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. The servant had been forgiven of immeasurable debt, representing sin. Now forgiven, what should he do to others who have sinned against him? Read Matthew 18:21-22 for CONTEXT. What did Peter ask Jesus right before our parable this week, and what was Jesus’ response?
At that point in HISTORY, Jewish rabbis taught one should forgive their brother only three times, so Peter likely thought he was being generous with seven! When Jesus responded “seventy times seven,” He was saying forgiveness is unlimited!
What the forgiven servant does after he was forgiven is egregious and masterfully makes Jesus’ point - we are just as guilty as the unforgiving servant when we don’t forgive others. True repentance should lead to a heart of forgiveness. Read Matthew 18:28-30. What do you notice about the forgiven servant in these verses? How has his mindset changed?
In verse 28, we see another sum of money is mentioned. Understand HISTORY by using a study Bible to determine the amount of money discussed. How does this compare to the sum mentioned in verse 24?
The good news, that our AUTHOR Matthew loved to highlight through his entire book, is that Jesus was the King of the Jews, here to save us from our debt/sin. How did the servant fail to receive what the King offered him? What prevented the unforgiving servant from forgiving the servant with the lesser debt?
Pride is a very dangerous thing and carries with it costly consequences. It prevents us from seeing and receiving the gift for what it truly is. It diminishes the work of Christ (James 4:6, 10).
Further Reflection: As you APPLY this passage to your life, spend some time in prayer over your prideful heart. Ask God to reveal any pride in your life that keeps you from receiving His gift of free, full payment of sin. Ask Him to lead you into a deeper level of humility and walk in the grace that He promises to the humble.
DAY 5 - MERCY (Matthew 18:31-35)
Read Matthew 18:31-35 (recommend New Living Translation) as we finish our study of the unforgiving servant this week. Yesterday, we discussed pride. Now, Jesus lays out His expectation for us very clearly in verse 33. We are shown mercy so we must in turn show mercy. Our AUTHOR captures Jesus previously talking about this in Matthew 5:7. Based on this verse, what happens to those who show mercy?
Mercy is not receiving something we deserve! What an amazing gift! For additional biblical CONTEXT, read Titus 3:3-5 and Lamentations 3:22-23. In your own words, what is mercy? How has God shown you mercy?
Because of our sin/debt we deserve eternal separation from a perfect God. Yet God, rich in mercy, offered us grace and mercy. Glory! Jesus concludes the story with a sharp warning to all of us. If we can’t extend a fraction of the mercy that we’ve been freely given, then we too will suffer the fate of the unforgiving servant. The servant chose justice over mercy and his refusal to forgive landed him in prison. Has your refusal to forgive someone ever made you feel like you were held captive in your pain?
As we close out the parable, reflect on your own perspective of forgiveness. How does it compare to the example set by God in our parable this week? Take time to express your gratitude to God for his complete cancellation of your debt. Who has sinned against you? Have you canceled out their debt?
Contributed by Guest Writer: Ashley Readenour
List of Parables
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