The Parable of the Merciful King

In this episode, we will explore the powerful message of forgiveness found in Matthew 18:21-35. Through the parable of a king who forgives an enormous debt, Jesus teaches us about God's boundless grace and the importance of forgiving others. Tune in for an insightful discussion that reminds us of the grace we’ve received and the forgiveness we’re called to extend to others.

Gospel in the Air is a podcast ministry of Cornerstone Christian Church. We are located in Maui, Hawaii, USA. Our number is (808) 463-8859. You can also visit our website at www.cornerstonemaui.org or you can send your email to danibanggo@gmail.com.

Transcript

Episode 28

The Parable of the Merciful King

Matthew 18:21-35

© Dani Banggo 04/04/2025

Greetings, everyone! I hope this message finds you well. May you be blessed as you engaged with today's devotional meditation, which is based on Matthew 18:21-35. This parable, taught by our Lord, tells the story of a merciful king who treated his subjects with fairness and justice. Here are the verses (Matthew, chapter 18, verses 21 through 35).

21 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 

22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 

23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 

24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 

25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 

26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' 

27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 

28 But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!' 

29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' 

30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 

31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 

32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 

33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' 

34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. 

35 So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses."

Today, our devotion is titled the Parable of the Merciful King.

The story illustrates the issue of forgiveness within a community of believers. Jesus provided specific instructions to his disciples on how to deal with a member who has sinned against another. Peter, aware of the rabbinical teaching that forgiving someone three times was sufficient, asked Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother or sister. He suggested, "Up to seven times?" wondering if there was a limit to the number of times forgiveness should be extended.

Jesus responded, "No, not seven times, but seventy times seven." Peter misunderstood and thought he needed to keep a tally of every sin committed against him until it reached 490 times. However, Jesus meant that forgiveness is limitless and cannot be quantified. To make his point clear, Jesus shared a parable that helped Peter understand the true nature of forgiveness.

Today, I'd like to share some key insights about forgiveness, a profound subject that Jesus emphasized in his teachings, particularly in his Sermon on the Mount. He said, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:44-45). This highlights the importance of forgiveness as a crucial aspect of being God's children.

However, in practice, forgiveness can be one of our greatest challenges. Our human nature often drives us to seek revenge or retaliation. Additionally, our views on forgiveness can be shaped by our diverse backgrounds, worldviews, and biases. Modern culture tends to celebrate heroes who stand firm against their enemies, contrasting with Jesus’ radical teaching of forgiveness.

Jesus not only preached forgiveness but also exemplified it, showing us a new way of life that contradicts our natural inclinations. By understanding and practicing the fundamental truths about forgiveness that Jesus taught, we can truly experience life to its fullest.

There are key lessons we can draw and apply from this parable.

The first fundamental truth about forgiveness is the remarkable grace of God.

A talent is the heaviest unit of weight in the Hebrew system, often used to measure gold, silver, iron, bronze, and various other commodities. During Jesus' time, it was the largest monetary designation. The term "ten thousand talents" here is a hyperbole, implying an immeasurable amount. The servant in this story, likely a governor or high-ranking official, owed his master an enormous debt, which is practically incalculable.

To understand the enormity of the debt in modern terms, consider that one talent weighs approximately 34 kilograms. For example, in August 2019, the price of gold per kilogram was around US$48,000. If we multiply this value by ten thousand talents, the servant's debt would amount to roughly 16 billion dollars. To put this into perspective, counting 1 billion dollars in 1,000-dollar bills, at a rate of one bill per second for six hours a day, would take about 128 years. Saving $100 each day would take you almost 28,000 years to accumulate 1 billion dollars, implying the servant would require approximately 44,000 years to repay his debt.

There is no conceivable way for the servant to repay his debt, regardless of his efforts. Yet, in the story, the master displays extraordinary mercy, forgiving all the servant's debt simply because he pleaded, "Have patience with me and I will repay you everything." The master, recognizing the futility of the servant's promise, still chose to forgive him entirely, showcasing his remarkable compassion and grace.

It is hard to imagine the shock and astonishment Peter, the apostles, and other listeners felt upon hearing this unique story. This was a new and radical teaching, especially among the teachers of the law and scribes who likely murmured around Jesus. Since the time of Moses, the great lawgiver in the Old Testament, they had strictly adhered to the fundamental law of retribution: "eye for eye, a tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise" (Exodus 21:24-25).

In other words, the story Jesus tells illustrates a departure from rigid legalism to a depiction of a loving and considerate God, symbolized by the merciful master forgiving his servant. Jesus emphatically said in the Sermon on the Mount, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44). This statement signals a new era, the era of grace, which frees humanity from the bondage of sin and gives hope for eternal life.

The parable emphasizes the astonishing grace of God, who forgives us despite our enormous debts. In our hopelessness, God extends His grace with outstretched arms and forgives our sins. This is the essence of the gospel message: the good news that Jesus Christ gave His life by dying on the cross for our sakes, so that we might be freed from our sins. We can never repay God, no matter what we do, not even if we give our own lives in exchange for our debts. But God forgives us completely and totally, and now we are free—free indeed! Free from sin, free from the curse of death! Because of what Jesus did for us, we now have hope and assurance of eternal life.

This story is about God's astonishing grace, which forgives us despite our unworthiness. This leads us to the second fundamental truth about forgiveness which is,

We must forgive others, no matter what, because we have been forgiven (verses 28-30).

The parable demonstrates the incredible mercy of the master who forgave his servant entirely after the servant pleaded for forgiveness. Imagine the joy and relief the servant must have felt upon having his immense debt forgiven! He was now free from a debt so large that his own life wouldn't have been enough to repay it. This total and complete forgiveness is akin to what Jesus Christ offers us. By dying on the cross, Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sins, freeing us from eternal punishment. The Bible states that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), but God's love grants eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16).

In the story, the servant experienced an unexpected turn of events that transformed his life. His fear turned into peace, his desperation into happiness, and his hopelessness into hope. He was now free! And this freedom is available to anyone who commits their life to Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Such a person will experience freedom from sin and the curse of death, gaining hope and assurance of eternal life. This is the essence of Christianity: we are sinners forgiven by God and made free.

However, the servant's actions in the story are disheartening. He should have shared his joy and gratitude with his fellow servants, celebrating the astonishing grace bestowed upon him by his master. Instead, as the story continues from verses 28 to 30, we see different, shameful behavior.

What he did was disgraceful! For a mere debt of one hundred dollars, he couldn't forgive his fellow servant, even after being forgiven for a debt of sixteen billion dollars. His narrow-mindedness and selfishness drive his greedy lifestyle, ultimately rotting his moral character. He easily forgets how his master pardoned his enormous debts and treated him with kindness despite his unworthiness.

If you consider that the fellow servant could repay his debt in about a hundred days only, as an average worker in Jesus' times earned one penny a day, it becomes even more shocking. On the other hand, saving a hundred dollars a day to pay off his own debt of 16 billion would take him forty-four thousand (44,000) years. This makes him a pitiful individual indeed. His inability to forgive his fellow servant, despite having been in a far worse situation, shows his lack of empathy and gratitude. He had all the legal rights to imprison his fellow servant, but morally, he stood on shaky ground.

But before we judge too quickly, we must recognize that this parable teaches a radical lesson. It addresses our attitudes towards our fellow humans, encompassing all of humanity, regardless of religion, race, culture, or language. If we all had a forgiving heart like the master, the world would be a better place. Forgiveness not only heals broken relationships but also brings peace and frees one from past pain. This leads us to the third and final fundamental truth about forgiveness which is, 

The frightening justice of God that awaits those who do not learn to forgive.

The story continues with the master’s reaction upon hearing about the cruel actions of the servant. His anger led him to revoke the forgiveness he had previously granted and instead sentenced the servant to prison, enforcing a form of retributive justice.

This wicked servant became a prisoner himself because he demanded justice without mercy. An unforgiving heart is the worst prison of all. When we are consumed by self-centeredness, arrogance, and pride, forgiveness becomes elusive. We create our own suffering and imprisonment. People who don’t forgive are often the most miserable. They believe they are punishing others, but they are truly afflicted.

The Lord warned us that we will face the same fate as the wicked servant if we do not learn to forgive from our hearts. Forgiveness remains a struggle for many, and it’s hypocritical to claim complete freedom from it. We all experience hurt, and we need God’s guidance to help us overcome this struggle. Without God’s intervention, we risk losing the battle and falling under the enemy’s control. 

How many churches have divided because of hearts unwilling to forgive? How many religious organizations and institutions have filed lawsuits against one another due to a lack of forgiveness? Do you believe Christ would accept your worship or visit your church if He were here on earth? Scripture clearly states that if we do not forgive others, our Father will not forgive us either (Matt. 6:14-15; 18:35). Those who call themselves Christians yet harbor unforgiveness are described by the Lord as hypocrites. They attend church services regularly and participate in Bible studies and fellowship, but their worship is superficial, as their hearts are distanced from God. Their worship is in vain (Mark 7:6,7).

Being a Christian is not easy; it often involves martyrdom. Forgiveness is a critical test for professing followers of the Lord. Do you still hold a grudge? Have you forgiven someone? Move on and let it go. Do not imprison yourself with your own resentment. To be truly free and enjoy life to the fullest, learn to forgive from the heart. Release yourself from the cage of unforgiveness, and like a bird, soar high and glide joyfully and peacefully. Since we have received forgiveness from God, we need to experience real forgiveness in our hearts.

Are you still suffering from past wounds and unable to let go of the pain? Approach God with humility, laying your burdens before His throne of grace, for He cares deeply for you (1 Pet. 5:6). Pray for strength and humility to forgive others. Ask that He may use you as a vessel to bring blessings to those around you.

Let us pray:

Most gracious God, heavenly Father, I am grateful for the opportunity to share the gospel message through the airwaves. I ask for your blessings upon each listener as they hear your words. Touch their hearts and guide them into faith in your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. In His name, Amen!

I hope you have been blessed today. Please continue to stay tuned and share this message with your family and friends. May you be strengthened and encouraged in your journey of faith. Thank you for the privilege of your time. This is your host, brother Dani Marantan Banggo, reminding you to keep fighting the good fight of faith. Until next time, Mahalo!