The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. Matt 18:27 (NIV)
Debt Crisis – Parables Series 3 – Part 3
(OR go to Parable Series 1 or Parable Series 2)
“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. At this, the servant fell on his knees before him. “Be patient with me,” he begged, “And I will pay back everything.” The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.” – Matt 18:23-27.
A servant owed his king ten thousand bags of gold. In today's terms, that would equal about 2.5 billion dollars.
Yep.
That is an insane amount of money. I don’t know anyone who has 2.5 billion dollars, let alone someone who has spent someone else's 2.5 billion dollars. Two things are apparent: The king is generous and trusting, and the servant knows how to spend someone else’s money pretty well.
Have you ever owed someone something you can’t repay? Whether its physical and practical or emotional and spiritual, we’ve all had debts that we've trouble paying back. When asked to pay up, we’re found wanting… and here is the gap where pain and suffering wrought their terrible havoc for everyone involved. Our greatly in-debt servant begs, not for mercy, but for patience… “I’ll pay it back, I will, I promise… just give me more time!”
Have you ever said that? I have. And in some cases, there can never be enough time or enough money or enough kindness to repay a debt so large… something else is needed to heal the situation.
Instead of granting the servant patience, The king is merciful and forgives the servants 2.5 billion dollar debt.
Had the king given him more time, he could have made more money from interest, he could have held the debt over the servants head and manipulated him to do his bidding… but he didn’t. He forgave the debt. Wiped it clean. Back to zero.
Can you imagine what would happen if we took that practise on in our own lives? In our communities? In the Global community?
The king's mercy and forgiveness is extravagant. It’s not a small debt, it hasn’t cost him next to nothing to absolve it… his grace and kindness seem endless. Sounds like someone else we know…
Receiving this kind of grace is a vulnerable and humble thing to do. I think our pride would rather that there was something we could DO to bridge the debt. Someway we could make it up to those we hurt… But often, with wounds of the heart, there is no “making it up” and forgiveness is the glue in a floored and human-filled community. To give it and receive it is essentially the only way we can all live together in peace.
When we talk about forgiveness, I instinctually think of all the people that owe me… I can quickly draw you up a list of all the people who have hurt me. I know their names, their numbers and where they all live (that was a joke… truly!). But compiling the list of those that I’ve hurt… wow, that's a hard list to write. Not because there aren’t any… no, that list is long and full… and heartbreaking to think of. It's like wrestling with God and coming out with a limp… But in the end, that limp becomes the greatest blessing. Vulnerability, humility and empathy are three of the most powerful convictions and postures we could live from.
Asking for patience and receiving forgiveness, and then allowing that forgiveness to change our lives is one of the most profound experiences we can have.
But for the Unjust Servant, this is where the “un” was added to his name…
Go to Part 4 – Gratitude Attitude
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