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Do you know what bitterness is? The word is an adjective and it has the following definitions: Resentful: angry and resentful.
Bitterness is compressed feelings which eventually lead to held grudges.
Matthew 18:21-35
21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
Forgiveness: there is the spirit and practice of forgiveness. Note exactly what happened between Peter and Jesus.
Forgiveness: there is the spirit and practice of forgiveness. Note exactly what happened between Peter and Jesus.
a. Peter asked about forgiving a brother. Is forgiveness limited? Peter’s concern was forgiving another Christian brother, a fellow disciple.
Peter was very generous in his concept of forgiveness. To forgive a person seven times for having wronged oneself is very generous, far more generous than what most do
b. Jesus answered that forgiveness is unlimited
c. Jesus illustrated the spirit of forgiveness by referring to the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven in its present form includes some people who are servants of God, but they are servants in profession only. The servant in this parable professes faith in God, but his profession is false. He is in the church walking among God’s people. In a desperate moment of dire need, God has met him and offered mercy and forgiveness, but he has not personally learned anything about God’s compassion and forgiveness.
2 (18:23–27) Forgiveness: there is God’s spirit of forgiveness. He is just like a king who takes account of his servants. The parable is simple, yet very descriptive and full of meaning. God is the King, but He is a very unusual King. He is a King who rules justly as all kings should. But He is more. He is loving, compassionate, and forgiving; and He is even more than these. He is consumed with love and compassion—so much so that He forgives enormous debts, debts so enormous that they are inconceivable.
The King takes account of His servants. He takes account at varying times. An accounting is required at conversion and on those occasions when God leads us to evaluate our lives. Note how the seven steps related by Christ can be applied to either of these times.
a. All must give an account (v.24). The word reckon (sunairein) means to take account; to make a reckoning; to settle accounts. This is the same word that is translated “take account” in v.24. The king began to check the province and the ledgers of his province: receipts and expenditures and the capital improvements. The king had a critical interest in what his servant had received through gifts and what he had used in the ministry.
b. We are all brought to the King by the Spirit, the Word, or some Christian witness (v.24).
c. We are all led to see our huge debt of sin and service that we owe God (v.24. See Ps. 19:12; 40:12.) The debt of the servant was huge. It was millions of dollars. It was probably the gross revenues of a province or state in that day. The servant was the high official placed over the province who was held responsible for its administration. The point is that God has given us life and made us overseer of that life. To sin is to mismanage that life and to cause loss; therefore, sin puts us in debt to God. The debt is infinite, beyond anything we can ever pay.
d. We are all bankrupt (unable to pay) before God (v.25). Sin bankrupts man and puts him in debt to God. We are so bankrupt by sin that nothing can pay our debt.
⇒ Silver and gold, no amount of wealth, can pay our debt.
⇒ Neither a brother nor any other family member can pay our debt.
“They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him” (Ps. 49:6–7).
⇒ Good works cannot pay our debt.
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour” (Tit. 3:5–6).
e. We face the justice of a just God (v.25).
f. We cry for mercy (v.26). Our only hope is that God loves us enough that He will simply forgive us in compassion and mercy.
“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)” (Ep. 2:4–5).
g. We hear the love and forgiveness of a loving God (v.27).
Thought 1. Some of the things that bring us to God and cause us to evaluate and take account of our lives are trials, trouble, sickness, disease, a sermon or witness, tragedy, parents, friends, or special days or occasions (for example, the New Year).
Thought 2. Note that the false servant had not cried out for mercy until he was brought face to face with the king. We are often careless about sin until we are called to account. How fewer trials, sufferings, and temptations we would face if we turned from sin immediately.
3 (18:28–31) Unforgiveness: there was the servant’s spirit of unforgiveness. The very steps taken by the servant are the steps involved in an unforgiving spirit.
a. He faced a person who owed him, that is, who had offended him in some way (v.28). In comparison, the debt or offense was very small. It was not a millionth of the debt owed by the unforgiving servant. The proportion was over 1 to 1,250,000—an enormous difference (A. Lukyn Williams. St. Matthew. “The Pulpit Commentary,” Vol. 15, ed. by HDM Spense and Joseph S. Exell. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1950, p.215). This shows the enormous difference between our sin against a brother and our brother’s sin against us. When we really see this, an unforgiving spirit toward a brother is inexcusable. We can forgive anything.
b. He reacted severely (v.28). He attacked the debtor; that is, he exercised his authority over the debtor and attempted to squeeze the payment out of him. He got angry and showed malice. There was no need for this kind of behavior; it was inexcusable. Remember the king’s mercy to him. The king had not pressed charges against him; the king had even forgiven his debt. How we need to remember the love and forgiveness of God! God’s love and forgiveness need to become the controlling factors of all our relationships.
c. He rejected the cry for mercy and refused to forgive (v.29).
d. He acted selfishly and worldly, according to law and justice (v.30). The man really owed the servant. The debt was a just and legal debt. The servant had every right to demand and force payment. Such was justice, but again, remember the point Christ was making. The King, God, does not act toward us legally, executing justice. He has compassion and mercy upon us and forgives us, wiping out all our debts.
The question is, how often should we forgive our brother? “Seventy times seven,” Christ said. “Have compassion and mercy; do not demand justice. Do not execute the law against a man. Do not trample him underfoot. Do not act cruelly, swallowing him up and destroying his spirit. Love him and forgive him ‘even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
e. He grieved others (v.31). Note the words “they were very sorry.” God’s true servants are always grieved to see people mistreated, abused, and trampled upon. Cruel and mean treatment always troubles God’s people. Suffering, pain, hurt, and death cut the heart of God’s people.
1) They feel for the afflicted: their suffering, pain, and hurt.
2) They feel for the just but sinful man: sinful in that he is unmerciful and uncompassionate. His strict justice causes more and more trouble and disturbance and oppression of people. God’s people took the only recourse; they did the only thing they could. They took the matter to God. They could not remain silent and allow the license of oppression and legalism to destroy a human spirit.
4 (18:32–34) Death—Judgment—Wickedness: there was the great day of accounting. This is a day that lies out in the future for every man. It is both the summons of death and the summons to stand before God to be judged. It is the death and the day of judgment that every man must face (He. 9:26).
a. Note the two bases for judgment.
1) The first basis of judgment is God’s forgiveness. God’s forgiveness is provided in Christ and is always available. Christ “is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 Jn. 2:2).
“God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life … He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (Jn. 3:16, 18).
2) The second basis of judgment is man’s wickedness. It is important to understand what wickedness and sin are. Wickedness and sin are primarily coming “short of God’s glory,” coming short of what God is. This is clearly illustrated by this wicked servant (church member). He was a just and lawful man. He was a high official in government and politics, serving directly under the king. He was well respected and honored, an outstanding citizen, but he was not like God. He was not compassionate and merciful, loving and forgiving in his dealings with others. There are two great commandments that a servant of the King must obey. This servant tried to obey the first one, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God.…”; but he ignored the second one, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Mt. 22:39).
Very simply put, a wicked man is a man who does not honestly believe God nor diligently seek to live as God lives (He. 11:6). He is a man who does not believe that God is, does not believe to the point that it changes his life. His life is not compassionate, merciful, and forgiving. Because of this, he shall face the judgment of the King and be condemned.
“Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Ro. 2:4).
b. Note the judgment and condemnation that man is to experience.
1) Man shall experience the Lord’s anger. Two things are extremely detestable to God and arouse His anger: not believing Him and not being compassionate and merciful nor loving and forgiving toward others.
“For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries” (He. 10:26–27).
“But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation” (Je. 10:10).
2) Man shall experience justice. Note two critical things about the justice executed.
a) The unmerciful servant received perfect justice. He received exactly what was due him. He had to pay; he was punished only for what he owed—no more, no less. He received the exact penalty, the exact punishment due him.
b) The King, God, was perfectly just. He merely executed perfect justice. He executed what the servant himself had chosen: due payment for due debt.
“Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you” (2 Th. 1:6).
“For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him?” (He. 2:2–3).
“And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head” (Eze. 9:10).
“But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord god” (Eze. 11:21).
5 (18:35) Judgment: this is the point—an unforgiving person shall be judged. The point is clear and critical. It is critical because it determines our eternal destiny. We must not only forgive, we must live a life of forgiveness and mercy. We must develop a nature of forgiveness and compassion and mercy and love toward others. If we do not forgive from our hearts, neither will God forgive us. Note three things.
a. Forgiveness comes from the heart, from a new nature wrought in Christ.
b. Christ says “My Father,” not “your Father.” God was not the servant’s Father. The servant was not a genuine follower of God. He only professed to be.
c. The person who does not forgive others does not know the forgiveness of God. Having a spirit of forgiveness is so important that Christ taught it time and again.