Matthew 18:23 Commentary and Bible Study

(Synoptics: Matthew 18:23-35)The parable is about two debts owed by two different servants: the one debt enormous, and the other relatively small. The first debt represents what we all owe to God – a debt which is so great that it is impossible to pay back; the second debt represents what we may owe to one another. The parable is really focused on the first debtor – the second is more incidental. The point about the first debtor is that he both owes money and is owed money. Does he connect these two things? Is he prepared to show the same mercy to others that he himself has received? At first reading we might think that it has only a moral meaning – if you forgive others you will be forgiven. This is the context and the summary, but all the parables are about the kingdom of heaven, and here we learn what great mercy God shows to his people, and how, if we understand the gift of God, we will certainly show mercy to others, because mercy will have become resident in us. It is therefore about the test of genuineness in our approach to God. In response to Peter’s question about how many times he should be willing to forgive his brother, the Lord in addition gives this parable. The first part of his answer in verse 22 has shown that there should be no limit in the believer’s mind to how many times he is willing to forgive his brother; this second part warns how inappropriate it is for a believer to be unwilling to forgive. That attitude is found in those whose repentance is not genuine, but must never be found in a believer’s heart, otherwise it raises the most serious questions about his standing with God. Peter is not an unbeliever, but he must be sure he does not resemble one. The parable can therefore readily be used as a gospel parable, because it shows what can go wrong in our approach to God, when sincerity, which is key in coming to Christ for salvation, is missing. It is a close look at the difference between true and phoney repentance, sincere and insincere calling on the name of the God. It is about forgiveness and gives a lesson to the disciples, but it includes a great principle, for it gives a great test of the genuineness of one seeking forgiveness in the first place. It is a fascinating parable.