The core of the gospel of Jesus is that God has done what we could not, the righteous has redeemed the unrighteous, to bring us to God in holiness.  It is from that, that we have our confidence – not in ourselves, because we bring nothing to the table with God, but in Jesus who has made a full payment for our sins, past, present, and future.  He has paid the debt we owed in full.  So as we run this race of life, how are we to consider our fellow brothers and sisters who sin against us, even as we know we are sinners ourselves?  In Matthew 18, immediately following guidance on how to pursue reconciliation with your Christian brothers and sisters, we are given guidance through a parable on what it means if we do not.

“Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

Jesus here is not saying to forgive only 490 times, but he is saying that if we are Christians, believing in the hope of the gospel, that we are sinners that have been saved by grace, we should be patient, understanding, and exhibiting a heart of love and reconciliation towards others.  Jesus gives the following parable in Matthew 18:23-35 –

““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.”

It’s helpful to know that a denarii was equal then to about a days wage.  A talent was 6,000 danarii.  So it would have taken about 16 years to pay off one talent.  The first debtor owed 10,000 talents, which would have taken 160,000 years to pay off.  This corresponds to our sins against God.  God is infinitely holy, and we were created in His image to glorify Him.  Therefore when we sin, our first sin is against our Creator and it is infinitely offensive.  As Christians, we have felt the weight of our sin before our Holy God, and have plead for His mercy.  Every one of us that is saved through Jesus, have been forgiven a debt we cannot fathom – the closest we get is when we look at the cross and see the infinite wrath of God poured out on our sin on Jesus.

When someone sins against us, it is still offensive.  The second debtor, although only 100 denarii, realized His debt against the first, and likewise plead for mercy.  The first, however, did not forgive the debt, and instead poured out anger against the debtor.  What is the King’s response to this?  His judgment is based on His own forgiveness and the lack of forgiveness in the heart of the first debtor in response.  He commands that the first debtor be put in jail until he should pay all his debt – corresponding to eternity in hell.  The second debtor may be in jail for a 100 days, but he would be free again, but the first, who did not forgive, would never be free again.

What does this mean for us?  First, that we should continually remind ourselves of how great a salvation and redemption we have in Jesus.  Every morning, every day – thank you God for saving me a sinner, help me to make much of the time you’ve given me today.  Second, it gives us a guidepost to ascertain how deeply the gospel has rooted itself in our own heart.  Only forgiven people are free to forgive – if you are not desiring to forgive, to point people to the One that has forgiven us in Jesus, then our hearts are being hardened to the gospel.  In times when we struggle with this, remember that we have God with us, to ask – help us forgive as we have been forgiven.  Let our hearts lead out with the gospel towards others.  The language of how Matthew 18 ends is key – forgiveness is more than mere words.  It is not saying you forgive while still harboring resentment and speaking negatively about a person behind their back – forgiveness is rooted in the gospel, remembering that all of us are sinners, and forgiving a person as we have been forgiven in Christ in love.

My exhortation, is that if there is someone, especially a fellow brother or sister in Christ, that you have not forgiven – ask God into your heart and into that relationship as to what He would have you do.  Let God encourage you and bring peace to your soul, and free you from any anger or bitterness that would harden your heart against the gospel.

Grace and Peace,

Adam