April 30, 2023: Parable Of Accounting

"Then his master said ...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?'" (Matthew 18:32–33, ESV)

Offenses are sure to come in life. Repeat offenders bugged Peter so much that he asked Jesus, "How many times am I required to forgive someone for offending me?" To answer Peter's question, Jesus tells a story about a king who wished to settle accounts. This king kept track of what was owed to him. Jesus was teaching this: When it comes to forgiveness, we are way better off not keeping account of who offends us. To ensure we are clear, the Apostle Paul taught, 'Love keeps no record of wrongs." (1 Cor 13:5) Love keeps no account of offenses.

How do we do this? The answer is what Jesus is teaching in the parable. He is the King in the story, and He forgives a man a debt he could not possibly repay in a lifetime. Forgiven of his debt, and having his account cleared, he meets a fellow servant who owes him a few dollars. This man can't pay his debt either, and the forgiven man has his fellow servant thrown in jail. When the King finds this out, he is so angry at the first servant that he hands him over to the tormentors until his 'impossible' debt can be repaid.

The point of the parable is this. Having been forgiven a debt you cannot possibly repay, do not keep tabs on any accounts of those who offend you! You just keep on forgiving, no matter how many times!