Have You Settled Your Accounts?

Trovel Emmanuel

Parables • Sermon • Submitted 6 months ago • Presented 6 months ago

Matthew 18:21–35

Forgiveness

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Matthew 18:21–35 NASB95

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. “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. “When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. “But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. “So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ “And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. “But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ “So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ “But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. “So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. “Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that 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?’ “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

Have You Settled Your Accounts?

The title is taken from Matthew 18:23 ““For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.”

The posture of the king is of one who has a desire to make an attempt to rectify those who owe Him.

Notice that they owe Him, but he makes the move.

Introduction

Matthew builds his writing on the foundation that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah.

He draws specifically on the theme of the Kingdom.

He presents to us the Coming of the Kingdom, The King of the Kingdom, and The Character of the Kingdom.

Kingdom speaks to the “reign” of God.

We should not relegate Kingdom to simply a gathering

When I think of Kingdom don’t just ask when are we getting together, ask is God reigning in my life?

When God reigns on the inside, it will show on the outside.

This is not “good advice” this is God’s will for His kingdom citizens

Our Text

When we think of this parable, think in terms of relations between brethren.

Some of us may think that Christianity is only about how you treat God, but God wants to see how you treat others.

You can tell where your Christianity is not by, studying, praying, attending services, but by how you treat others.

And nothing hits closer to home than the issue of forgiveness

The parable illustrates how God feels towards an unforgiving heart

God’s disposition is justified since God is a God of forgiveness

Nehemiah 9:17 ““They refused to listen, And did not remember Your wondrous deeds which You had performed among them; So they became stubborn and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But You are a God of forgiveness, Gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness; And You did not forsake them.”

Daniel 9:9 ““To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him;”

Psalm 130:3–4 “If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.”

If God decided to keep a ledger of your sins, who can face God?

I have enough to deal with in my own life to be busy condemning others

Paul said “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” Rom 3:23.

God’s disposition is justified since God is a God of forgiveness

This is what I believe stirs the wrath of God when sees the people he forgave, witholding forgiveness from others.

#1 - The Facts of the Parable

Firstly, a note about parables.

The details of the parable add to the central meaning of the parable

There is only one main point of a parable

Be careful not to over-allegorize a parable, lest we miss the intended meaning - e.g. Origen’s [185AD] interpretation of the “Good Samaritan” (Homilies on Luke, Himoily 34)

Consider preceding passages

Stick to the interpretation and meaning given in the scripture

The facts are clearly stated:

Debts were owed

The first one was one that persisted for a lifetime, the second 3-6 months was enough to pay it off

Appeals for mercy are made

The man realizes that the death can’t be paid so he ask for mercy

Compasssion is shown

Judgment is passed on the unmerciful and uncompassionate servant

The salve tells him the same thing he said to the king

The words do not move him

The word unwilling speaks to his desire, he was not pleased to let him go

#2 - The Meaning of the Parable

The point of the parable is not to teach us what forgiveness is

The point of the parable is not to teach us that God is a forgiving God

The point of the parable is to teach us that we must not withold forgiving others (considering the mercy God showed us)

WHY do we say that?

The preceding instruction of dealing with offences

The text says so in vs. 35 “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart”

It’s dangerous to fail to forgive

Have you settled your accounts?

#3 - The Application of the Parable

The application is simple: Forgive each other

What makes this hard, are the multiplicity of reasons we contrive to NOT forgive

We sometimes find all the reasons we can NOT to forgive when found all the reasons he could TO forgive

What really makes this so horrible, is that fails to respond to forgiveness of the king - vs.32

This parable reminds of somethings that should affect how we practice forgiveness

Unforgiveness makes God angry

Don’t ever forget that God is “consuming fire” - What I think of God determines how I treat God. My opinon of God feuls my obligation to God

Isaiah 30:31 “For at the voice of the Lord Assyria will be terrified, When He strikes with the rod.”

Psalm 9:20 “Put them in fear, O Lord; Let the nations know that they are but men. Selah.”

Hebrews 10:31 “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Don’t forget who God is, a God of terror Jeremiah 10:24 “Correct me, O Lord, but with justice; Not with Your anger, or You will bring me to nothing.”

Forgive from the heart

People ask, “have I forgiven if I still remember?” God commands forgiveness not forgetfulness.

Do you remember with malice or with mercy?

Do you desire revenge or reconciliation?

Ephesians 4:31–32 “Let all bitterness and wrath [thymos] and anger [orge] and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

Unforgiveness has eternal ramifications

Have You Settled Your Accounts?

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