Forgiveness can be a hot topic in a culture focused on justice. Many of us would rather see someone pay for the wrong thing they did then forgive them freely. If you’re wondering why forgiveness is important to Jesus, the parable of the unforgiving servant can bring some clarity. Jesus teaches this important lesson through a story all of us can understand and remember.
In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus shares the story of a servant who owed ten thousand talents to a king. Ten thousand talents would equal about one billion dollars in our day. The amount would be impossible to pay back, so the king commanded that everything he had be sold, and his entire family should be sold into slavery. The servant collapsed before the king upon hearing this and begged to have a chance to pay off his debt. Seeing this caused the king to be compassionate, so he forgave his servant’s debt in full. The servant then went out to one of the fellow servants that owed him one hundred denarii and began choking him, demanding repayment. When the fellow servant couldn’t pay, even though his debt was much less than the first servant owed the king, the first servant still threw him into prison. The king was so angry hearing how the servant with the forgiven debt had acted that he threw that servant into jail to be tortured.
This parable is a picture of God’s forgiveness toward us. It teaches us an amazing truth about the Kingdom of God: This Kingdom is a forgiving kingdom ruled by a forgiving king!
God’s Forgiveness is Extravagant and Boundless
The amount of money the first servant had to pay back was inconceivably high. It would have been impossible to pay back. However, when the king saw the servant’s earnest desire to do whatever was necessary to pay, his heart was filled with compassion, and he forgave the entire debt. Our heavenly father forgives us the same way. The wages of sin is death, and the only way the payment for sin can be paid in full is the blood of a sinless sacrifice. This is why Jesus, who never sinned, died on the cross to pour out His blood for us. He gave his life so we didn’t have to pay a debt we could never pay. God’s forgiveness for us through Christ’s sacrifice is lavish and generous. No matter how much we sin, God offers complete forgiveness that will never run out!
God’s Forgiveness is Based on His Mercy and Grace
The bottom line is that we cannot do anything to earn God’s forgiveness! He forgives us because he has grace for us. We don’t deserve it, and yet He has mercy on us. There’s nothing you could do that would make Him forgive you less. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift.” This gift is something we should rejoice over. Rather than trying to please God by living out a works-based faith, we can enjoy a relationship with Him out of gratitude for His unrelenting love. His forgiveness will never run out, and His patience is not conditional. He invites us just to be still in His presence and worship Him. Is this your response to forgiveness? So many of us live as if we’re not forgiven. We try to prove ourselves or carry shame for mistakes we’ve made. As followers of Jesus, we don’t need to hold on to anything God hasn’t. If He says we’re forgiven fully, we can be free of the shame or guilt that once burdened our hearts and show the same grace to others.
Because We’re Forgiven, True Followers Always Forgive
The measure that you understand mercy in your life is the measure that you extend mercy to others. Matthew 6:14 says, “For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.” This is a lofty call. Like the servant in the story, we’re often tempted to harbor unforgiveness toward the people who have wronged us. We feel hurt by injustice and want people to suffer as payback. However, the parable highlights that we owed God more than any person will ever owe us. Therefore, He forgave us of much more than we will ever be required to forgive. Out of gratitude and freedom, we are then in a position where we can treat people in our lives with the same mercy we’ve received. Follow the example of Christ and release those who’ve wronged you from the debt that they owe. When you trust in Christ, you can look at even your enemies and say three powerful words: I forgive you. Those words can reconcile relationships, heal hurts, and even help you let go of bitterness. Those three words can melt the hardest of hearts. And because Christ forgave us more than we could have ever paid back, we have unlimited stores of forgiveness to extend to others.
The Choice of Forgiveness is Yours
Because we have been forgiven, and we show the world that we understand the forgiveness given to us by extending it to them. Peter once asked Jesus if seven times was enough to forgive someone. Jesus responded by encouraging his followers to forgive 70 x 7 times. If you’re tempted to do the math, you’ve already got the wrong perspective. Because Christ forgave us, we don’t have to keep score of who’s wronged us and how many times. Instead, we can forgive. Forgiveness is your mode as a believer.
Forgiveness is the Beginning of Restoration
Forgiveness is not synonymous with reconciliation. They don’t mean the same thing. Just because you forgive somebody doesn’t mean your trust magically comes back. Forgiveness doesn’t take the pain away. Just because you forgive somebody doesn’t mean that there will not be major boundaries between you and them. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that all the wrong they did and all the abuse they hurled at you is made right. Instead, forgiveness is just the first step. It’s a needed and necessary first step toward reconciliation. Without forgiveness, you have no path to take toward restoration. If you’re not ready for that yet, today could be the day you start praying about it. Maybe it’s tomorrow that you extend forgiveness. Then boundaries and trust can begin to develop. Time will tell what restoration will look like in your individual lives today, but Jesus gives us a good place to start.
Next Steps
Who in your life today are you withholding forgiveness from? Who are you harboring bitterness against? The name’s probably already on your mind. Would you have the courage to write down their name? Take their name before the Lord and ask the Lord to help you extend forgiveness, not based on what they are worthy of, but on what Christ has already done. What a wonderful gift it would be this week if you could tell that person, “I forgive you.”
