The Unmerciful Servant by Eugene Burnard (1850 - 1921)
Imagine standing before a judge in court about to be sentenced for your crimes or for a debt you owe. In the back of the court room stand your wife and children who are dependent upon you for their survival shivering in fear for the life they must now endure. Your sentence will profoundly affect them as well, its not all about you. Your doom is all but certain as the courtroom recorder reads the list of what the debt you owe society. In a fit of desperation, you beg, plead and prostrate yourself before the judge. You have no dignity left, no more excuses and no more options. Perhaps without even thinking you promise to make it all up to those you've wounded or to repay the debt you owe. It would be laughable if it weren't so tragic a scene.Then the unthinkable happens, the Judge cancels the debt and pardons the crimes. There will be no condemnation today, no devastated lives, no broken families and no empty future. There is only Joy, tearful embrace and of course relief.But where is gratitude?As you leave the courtroom and steady yourself in your new found freedom and your new life, you see and old friend who owes you a couple of buck that you could use to help you get back on your feet. You run after him, seize him and begin to beat him for the money he owes you. He should repay what he owes after all he should be held accountable for using YOUR money, and he should know there are real consequences for crossing YOU! Using your own words spoken only hours earlier, your friend begs, plead and promises if you will only be patience and understanding. But he will find none of that in YOUR heart today.
The Unmerciful Servant by Eugene Burnard (1850 - 1921)
In all the parables that Jesus used there is always a principle to be illuminated, a question to be addressed or a truth to be proclaimed. Our purpose then is to mine these earthy stories to gain insight and wisdom on the human condition and the Kingdom of God. The key to understand them is to be clear why they are being told at this point in the narrative (context) and what they are actually saying (content). So it is important to look around to find what prompted this story and to whom it is being addressed.
To find the purpose of this parable, we must begin in Matthew 18:21 when Peter asks Jesus "then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” I suppose Peter thought he was doing well offer seven time since other Old Testament passages indicated that only three are necessary. (see Amos 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13; 2:1, 4, 6). But I can't help but wonder if Peter was keeping score, thinking more about retribution and revenge and in restoration and reconciliation. Peter was developing a Bully Mentality.
A bully doesn't understand forgiveness, though that is what Peter asks for. A bully wants their rights and feels justified to exact punishment according to their own metric. Perhaps an eye for an eye is better than wiping out an entire clan, tribe or town to settle a debt, but it falls short of creating a healthy community.
Jesus says the Kingdom of God is built upon the foundation of Forgiveness. But BEFORE we go around forgiving others (or not forgiving) we must be aware of how much we've been forgiven. Look inward first. The first step of spiritual maturity is self-observation.
Forgiveness produces a response, either gratitude or entitlement. How you respond to others reveals which side of the street you're on, so to speak. The second step of Spiritual Maturity is always Gratitude.
Finally the Judge hears of your actions and is outraged. If that's how you want to live, judged by the law, devoid of mercy and forgiveness, then so be it. You are thrown into prison until you pay your debt to those you owe, which means you'll never see the light of day again!
The power of Jesus' parable should cause every one of us to pause and consider if our actions are consistent with what we know about forgiveness, sacrifice and love demonstrated by Jesus for the whole world.
God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
