The Unmerciful Servant
Matthew 18:21-35
Peter asked Jesus, “How many times should I forgive someone who wrongs me? Is seven times enough?” Jesus answered, “Not just seven times, but seventy times seven times!”
Then Jesus told Peter a story to help him understand what forgiveness in the kingdom of heaven is like. Jesus said, “One day, a king asked all his servants to tell him how much they each owed the king. One of the servants owed the king fifty million silver coins! The servant did not have any money to give the king, so the king ordered for the servant and his family to be sold as payment for the debt. “But the servant fell on his knees and begged the king, ‘Please give me more time. I will repay you everything I owe!’ The king felt sorry for the man, so he let the man go and forgave the debt; the servant did not have to pay the king anything. “As the servant was leaving, he ran into a man who owed him one hundred silver coins. The servant grabbed the man by the throat and choked him. ‘Give me the money you owe me!’ he demanded. “The man fell to his knees and begged the servant, ‘Please give me more time. I will repay you everything I owe!’
But the servant refused, and he threw the man into jail. “Some other servants told the king what happened. The king called for the servant he had forgiven. ‘You are an evil man!’ said the king. ‘I forgave what you could never repay, and you did not forgive the small amount.’ The king was angry. He punished the official and made him pay his debt.” Jesus said, “This is what My Father in heaven will do if you do not forgive each other.”
Christ Connection: Nothing we do is enough to pay the debt we owe God and take away God’s punishment for our sin. Jesus came and died on the cross to pay for our sin and take the punishment we deserve. When we trust in Jesus, God forgives our sin completely. We can forgive others because God has greatly forgiven us greatly.
**This is a Lifeway Lesson**
Matthew 18:21-35
Peter asked Jesus, “How many times should I forgive someone who wrongs me? Is seven times enough?” Jesus answered, “Not just seven times, but seventy times seven times!”
Then Jesus told Peter a story to help him understand what forgiveness in the kingdom of heaven is like. Jesus said, “One day, a king asked all his servants to tell him how much they each owed the king. One of the servants owed the king fifty million silver coins! The servant did not have any money to give the king, so the king ordered for the servant and his family to be sold as payment for the debt. “But the servant fell on his knees and begged the king, ‘Please give me more time. I will repay you everything I owe!’ The king felt sorry for the man, so he let the man go and forgave the debt; the servant did not have to pay the king anything. “As the servant was leaving, he ran into a man who owed him one hundred silver coins. The servant grabbed the man by the throat and choked him. ‘Give me the money you owe me!’ he demanded. “The man fell to his knees and begged the servant, ‘Please give me more time. I will repay you everything I owe!’
But the servant refused, and he threw the man into jail. “Some other servants told the king what happened. The king called for the servant he had forgiven. ‘You are an evil man!’ said the king. ‘I forgave what you could never repay, and you did not forgive the small amount.’ The king was angry. He punished the official and made him pay his debt.” Jesus said, “This is what My Father in heaven will do if you do not forgive each other.”
Christ Connection: Nothing we do is enough to pay the debt we owe God and take away God’s punishment for our sin. Jesus came and died on the cross to pay for our sin and take the punishment we deserve. When we trust in Jesus, God forgives our sin completely. We can forgive others because God has greatly forgiven us greatly.
**This is a Lifeway Lesson**