A Parable regarding Forgiveness

Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to Him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."

—Matthew 18:21-22

7 or 490 times?

The question of forgiveness is highly relevant to human existence, because we cannot live without it. Life simply doesn't work without forgiveness. We all need forgiveness and we all need to forgive. We need forgiveness because we do wrong sometimes (although we shouldn't, and we know it); we need to forgive because living with bitterness and resentment is like 'drinking poison waiting for the other person to die,' as the famous saying goes (ascribed to many different sources). Agreeing to the necessity and importance of forgiveness is one thing, doing it another. Jesus demonstrated at the cross what true forgiveness looks like: to forgive at the height of pain, betrayal and suffering is truly divine: 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing' (Luke 23:34). Jesus taught forgiveness and displayed it in real life, beyond doubt of its liberating power.

When Peter asked him about forgiving 'up to seven times,' Jesus' answer must have left him puzzled: 70 times 7 is a big number. Forgiving 490 times a day, that's over 20 times an hour. Of course, Jesus meant the expression 'seventy times seven' to indicate that there is, in the words of Martin Luther King, 'no limit to forgiveness' (Strength to Love, 32). It is a symbolic number indicating completeness or perfection. Martin Luther King further states that the words speak of the quality of forgiveness rather than its quantity (although a big number was used).

A man cannot forgive up to four hundred and ninety times without forgiveness becoming a part of the habit structure of his being. Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude.

—Martin Luther King Jr.

Forgiveness is a vital necessity of life. It is also a vital necessity for eternal life, for Jesus said that those who don't forgive won't be forgiven by God (Matthew 6:14-15). The parable that followed Peter's question powerfully illustrates this divine, scriptural truth.

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

The impact of Jesus' words regarding the quality of forgiveness is followed by a powerful story parable to illustrate the issue and leave its lasting impact on the hearers. The parable commuicates what is not being stated explicitly in words. Such is the power of a parable (see Introduction to the Parables). The image it creates, the impact it has, and the conviction it leaves behind. The parable explains how the kingdom of God works regarding forgiveness: 'Therefore the kingdom of God is like...' (Matthew 18:23, emphasis added). It is a comparison and the word 'therefore' indicates the parable to be explanatory to the dialogue of Peter and Jesus. Remember, whenever, you see a 'therefore,' look what's it's there for.

Here is the parable summarised (the reader is encouraged to read it in full before continuing reading here). Note, this parable is found only in Matthew.

A Summary of the Parable

A king wanted to settle accounts with his subjects (Matthew 18:23). One of his subjects owed him an enourmous amount of money ('ten thousand talents'), a debt he was unable to repay. The king was about to take the necessary legal measures to get his money back (vv 24-25), yet after pleading with the king, the king was 'move with compassion' and forgave him his debts! (vv 26-27). That very person went away and found a man who owed him a small amount of money ('a hundred denarii') and demanded it back (v 28). Even after pleading with him for 'patience,' he refused and had him arrested (vv 29-30). The king was informed of this bevahviour by others who were 'deeply grieved' over his actions, reported it to the king who called him in (v 31). The king's pronouncement was striking: 'you wicked slave, I forgave you all debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?' (vv 32-33) The original verdict to cancel his debts was overturned, the man arrested and all debts were to be repaid (v 34). Jesus then concludes with the following words: 'My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart' (v 35).

Explanation of the Parable

The parable is straightforward: the one who was forgiven a huge debt refused to forgive a small debt. The one who was shown compassion and mercy refused to extend it to another person. The unforgiving servant pleaded and was forgiven (vv 26-27), yet when his debtor pleaded in like manner (v 29), he refused to show mercy and extend forgiveness (v 30). Note how the words of pleading by both debtors are identical (vv 26, 29), yet the respective reactions of the king, on the one hand, and the unforgiving servant, on the other, were detrimentally opposite. The generosity and goodness of the king are remarkable; the action of the unforgiving servant is unacceptable. The king's question (v 33) shows his utter astonishment how this 'forgiven yet unforgiving servant' refused to do the same to others. His verdict was: the servant is 'wicked' (v 32). The positive impact of mercy on us should be extended to others; not doing so is wickedness. The messages is unmistakably clear: forgiveness is not an option; not forgiving others after being forgiven is unforgivable. Justice, not mercy, will follow as a consequence of not forgiving others.

The sum of 'ten thousand talents' (first debt) served for shocking effect to the hearers in that it was an astronomical figure that can never be repaid. One talent was 6,000 denarii, which makes the 'hundred denarii' (second debt) look tiny, if not insignificant, in comparison. One denarius was a day's wage for a common worker. Neither more time or 'patience' can help in repaying that huge sum. How he got into such a huge debt is irrelevant to the meaning of the parable and the point Jesus was making. The contrast of these two sums shows the wrong attitude of the wicked person who refused to forgive and extend the same kind of mercy he had received. The king's generosity would have made the audience to marvel, yet his justice would have found wide agreement: the wicked person deserved it. Jesus contrasts two men in debt and the reactions of both the king and the first debtor.

Jesus' conclusion (v 35) is both a summary of the meaning of the parable (referring back to the dialogue with Peter) and a stern warning regarding forgiveness: not extending the forgiveness you have received disqualifies you from forgiveness, compassion and mercy. The unforgiving person will receive justice without mercy to the fullest extent. The unforgiving person forfeits forgiveness by his or her own refusal to forgive. Peter's question regarding forgiveness (v 21) is answered with a striking parable (vv 23-34) and a unmistakably clear conclusion.

The Conclusion of the Parable

Jesus' conclusion of the parable (Matthew 18:35) is plain and simple: those who refuse to forgive others will not be forgiven by God; they won't receive mercy but justice. We have to extend the forgiveness we have received to others. God's mercy and forgiveness are undesered; they flow from His goodness and generosity. We are to reflect these divine attributes towards others. The mercy and forgiveness we receive should change us in such a positive way that we would do the same for others. The king was horrified that the personn he had forgiven much wouldn't forgive another person a little. He expected the same forgiveness from the one who was forgiven.

The requirement to forgive echoes Jesus' words which followed the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 5:14-15; cf., D1). In the words of Brad H. Young: 'God's mercy is not given to those who do not forgive others' (Parables, 119). This understanding echoes the rabbinic way of looking at God's mercy:

He who is merciful to others, will have mercy shown to him by Heaven. He who is not merciful to others will not have mercy shown to him by Heaven.

—Rabbi Gamaliel Beribbi

The Application of the Parable

The application of the parable is as straightforward as its conclusion: forgive as you have been forgiven; be merciful to others after you have been shown mercy. Failure to do so, will bring about judgment. Those who don't extend forgiveness to others are undeserving of mercy because they neither see and appreciate its true value, nor are they changed by it. They remained resentful although mercy should have made them humble, compassionate and generous. The one who is forgiven much should love much, as Jesus taught elsewhere (Luke 7:41-42; see P4).

The apostle James warned of a judgmental attitude with partiality regarding other people in view of God's mercy. We are not to be judges of others and by it becoming judges of God's law (James 2:9-12); but rather, we are to fulfil the 'royal law' of Leviticus 19:18, 'you shall love your neighbor as yourself' (James 2:8; see Q10). James gives the concluding reason for his statements:

For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

—James the Apostle (2:13)

James' statement is basically what the parable teaches and is in line with Jesus' conclusion of the parable (Matthew 18:35). Not to forgive after being forgiven is wickedness—not to speak of the wicked deeds that come from resentful people! Those who can't forgive after being forgiven have remainned uncanged by mercy and show it by their resentment towards others. They may speak of forgiveness in words, yet Jesus demands forgiveness from the heart!

The way we wish to be treated is the way we should treat others (Matthew 7:12). We are not even to judge others, but rather see the fault in ourselves first and do something about it (vv 1-5). We are to be merciful as God is merciful (Luke 6:36). In His opening statements of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus stated:

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

—Jesus the Messiah (Matthew 5:7)

Paul wrote of putting on 'tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering' as God's people, and that we are to forgive others as Christ forgave us (Colossians 3:12-13). The crowning attribute for attitude and conduct of God's people is love, 'the bond of perfection' (v 14), which is the way to have peace (v 15) and live according to Christ's teaching for the glory of His name (vv 16-17). It is fulfilling the greatest commandment (Romans 13:8-10; see Q10). We are to forgive others as Christ forgave us (Ephesians 4:32) and walk in love as God's children (5:1-2).

Both James and Paul echo the teaching of Jesus: just as the generous and benevolent king in the parable expected his indebted subject to forgive his own debter a tiny debt after being forgiven a huge debt, so God, the King of His kingdom, expects us to forgive others. Forgiven people forgive; it's only natural. They are changed by mercy. They appreciate it and show it by forgiving others. The appropriate words of a person who was forgiven much to his or her debor would be something like: 'don't worry about what you owe me; I was forgiven much, I forgive you.' The goodness they have received changes them and they show their appreciation of what they have been forgiven by forgiving others. Unforgiving people, on the other hand, don't deserve the forgiveness they have received; it didn't change them, and their merciless acts expose a lack of appreciation of the mercy they received. They deserve justice and judgment. But this judgment is for God to execute, not us. We are to have the '70x7-attitude' of forgiveness as a reflection of God's mercy towards us.

Putting the Parable into Context

As we noted above, the parable (Matthew 18:23-34) and Jesus' conclusion of it (v 35) followed the dialogue between Peter and Jesus regarding forgiveness (vv 21-22). This is important as the parable points out two main issues in this context: (1) we are to forgive others or we won't be forgiven; hence, a forgiving attitude is the way to live life on earth in the midst of human failure. (2) Having a forgiving attitude doesn't mean we allow people to abuse our goodness and kindness. Reading the conversation between Peter and Jesus apart from the parable might lead us to the conclusion that Christians simply forgive no matter how many times they are violated. But is that what Jesus was saying? The first issue was discussed above and is the main point of the parable, yet the second one shows how the parable also speaks of justice: those who don't forgive are unworthy of forgiveness but liable to justice and judgment. This doesn't mean we shall not forgive those who are unforgiving towards us or others, but it does point out that forgiving '70x7,' having that divine attitude of mercy and compassion, doesn't mean we allow people to abuse us or exploit our goodness. The emphasis of the parable is first and foremost on the requirement of mercy and forgiveness, yet the issue of justice balances the message to indicate that Christians are not to be 'walk-overs.' It is only wise to protect ourselves from abusive people while keeping a forgiving attitude ourselves. The forgiveness we receive empowers us to forgive and live a free life, yet the parable also reassures us of God's justice.

Evil people deserve justice, not mercy (unless they repent and change, of course). While we always keep a forgiving attitude and refuse to 'drink the poison' of bitterness, we can set clear boundaries for those who are unworthy of mercy. We forgive and have peace of mind, and we commit those who trouble us over to God, the righteous Judge. We overcome evil by doing good (see Romans 12:14-21) and trust God in all circumstances, just as Christ did when facing the hatred of evil people (1 Peter 2:21-25). We pray for those who persecute us and bless those who curse us (Matthew 5:43-48; see Q11). We don't judge others or desire revenge on them, yet we don't throw what is precious to us to those who don't see its value and don't deserve it or might even use it against us (see Matthew 7:6). While we keep a forgiving attitude as an expression of God's forgiveness towards us, we are not obliged to allow people to abuse us or exploit our goodness. The liberating attitude of forgiving others as we have been forgiven comforts us in pain and brings healing to our soul. The knowledge of God's justice assures us of ultimate justice in the midst of suffering.

True and Fake Forgiveness

There is no such a thing as a 'right not to forgive.' The notion, 'I forgive you, but I will never forget what you have done to me,' is no substantial way of forgiveness. It is a fake way wrapped in nice sounding words, yet devoid of true forgiveness 'from his [or her] heart' (Matthew 18:35). Fake forgiveness reserves right to hold the grudge (and remind the offender for the rest of his of her life about the wrong he or she did). True forgiveness, figuratively speaking, releases the prisoner from the deserved punishment, with the positive consequence that the forgiving person, too, is released from the hurt and pain suffered. True forgiveness liberates and heals. Yes, it happened, and yes we might remember, but it no longer hurts.

After all, love—true, divine love—holds no record of wrong (1 Corinthians 13:5b).

P11 >

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References

Brad H. Young, Jesus and His Jewish Parables: Rediscovering the Roots of Jesus Teaching. Tulsa, OK: Gospel Research Foundation, 1989.

_____. The Parables: Jewish Tradition and Christian Interpretation. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1998.