All bible quotes not otherwise marked are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016)
In today’s world, mercy is often brought up by those seeking to avoid the consequences of their sin. There is no real repentance. That means the way they think about the sin they committed hasn’t changed at all. They are just managing the consequences. This is not God’s way.
Matthew 18:21-22
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?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
A lot of people think there was some debate about just how often it was necessary to forgive others. Like so many, it was viewed as having it’s limits. If someone just kept sinning against you over and over, your patience would inevitably give out. So in asking the question, Peter suspects Jesus will think he is being especially merciful because he chose seven instead of three which was another popular option. He knew instinctively that Jesus would be advocating mercy.
Jesus though is having none of it. Keeping a record of sins and marking off others chances is not where He was going. Instead Jesus says seventy seven times. This likely would shock the disciples. This answer essentially meant they were to keep forgiving indefinitely. No one is keeping track of that many sins.
So Jesus at this point tells a parable:
Matthew 18:23-35
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 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. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 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.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 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. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
Let’s begin by making clear who the actors are in this parable. The King is God. The debts we owe to Him are enormous. Let’s do some math.
1 denarii is a days wage for labor.
1 talent is equal to 6,000 denarii.
10,000 talents are equal to 60,000,000 million denarii.
That is 160,000 years wages.
If a days wage is equal to our minimum wage in Kentucky of $7.25 per hour then it’s 3.48 billion dollars.
Jesus was using some really big numbers here. The King was not owed some small trivial sum. The selling of that family as slaves wouldn’t have made even the tiniest dent in the amount owed. God didn’t just forgive that debt. He paid it for us.
Now let’s look at the servant who owed such a sum. He is owed 100 denarii. This is 100 days labor. It is 5,800 hundred dollars that he was owed. Not a trivial sum unless you put it up next to what is owed the King. It won’t even buy you a car these days. When this servant showed no mercy at all for that 5,800 debt, the King showed no mercy for the 3,480,000,000 dollar debt. I wrote out the digits for effect.
No matter how bad you think others have wronged you the debt you owe God is far greater. He had mercy on you. Have mercy on others.
So does that mean we just ignore wrongdoing with even the slightest apology sincere or not? No. It means we give up our right for retribution. Remember eye for and eye? When someone took an eye from me I had the right to take an eye from him. When I forgive, I am give up MY right to restitution. I am not in any way speaking for the authorities or for the government God placed over us.
Romans 13:3-4
3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
The government is ordained by God. The one in authority is ordained by God and will punish those who commit crimes. As a Christian, we give up our right to revenge but the government still does what governments do. It is the way God keeps our society from completely going off the rails. The fear of that sword wielded by the one in authority.
Folks keep in mind that we need to have a heart of love. We should always be seeking to restore brothers and sisters in Christ. We should always be seeking to win those who are lost to a saving knowledge of Christ. We need to keep that mindset. The world is hostile to Christ but we are not hostile to those people. We are hostile to their worldview perhaps but not to them. Christ loves them as we must also love them.
Matthew 5:43-48
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
God loves these enemies of yours. How much is the church today losing it’s testimony hating? We must never condone sin but we must realize that our enemies are filled with sin. If they were filled with the Holy Spirit they would not be our enemies.
How hard it is to love your enemies? What can we do? How do we get to the point where we can love our enemies?
God answered above. We are to pray for them. It’s hard to hate someone you pray for in godly sincerity. Pray they will turn to Christ and become your friend.
The greatest commandment
Matthew 22:35-40
And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
A lot of people can’t love others very well because they don’t love themselves very well. God loves us. Why can’t we love ourselves. If we loved ourselves better, perhaps we could love others better too. How is that? Well we need to cut ourselves some slack and we need to cut others slack. We are not perfect. They are not. We are not. That does not mean condone sin. That does not mean try to do better. We cannot though because we sin on occasion start to think that God doesn’t care or God doesn’t like us. He loves us greatly. He already sent His son to die on a Roman cross for us. His love is genuine. We need to feel that warmth and then we need to share it.
Let’s be merciful, loving and kind. If we are we will be joyful I’m certain of it. We are part of God’s family. We are already victorious. God has great plans for us. We just need to let go of our own desires and seek God’s will. He will provide for every one of our needs as we journey for Him into this world. Let others feel the warmth of God’s love when you are around. Just remember you can’t love like God while you think God isn’t loving you like God loves you.
Thank you for reading. There will be more God willing. I love you all. I pray God blesses your mission.