I posed this situation earlier but no takers so far... maybe you'll take a stab.
When I forgive someone (which I'm biblically commanded to infinitely do, over and over again, forever, to anyone who wrongs me in any way - Matthew 18:21-22), the efficacy of that forgiveness is not in any way shape or form dependent upon the desire or acceptance of that forgiveness by the person I am forgiving, is it?
Are they not 100% forgiven by me regardless of whether or not they accept it?
Isn't the power and efficacy of forgiveness 100% dependent upon the one doing the forgiving, and not dependent upon the acceptance of the forgiveness by the one receiving it?
Your job and you seem to be doing it quite will is to unconditionally forgive, but is forgiveness a transaction where the one preson can do his/her job perfectly and the reciever of the forgiveness not accept that forgiveness as pure undeserved charity and thus forgiveness did not take place.
Jesus while on the cross asked God to forgive all those involved in crucifying Him and knowing their relationship I would say God forgave them, but Peter later accuses this group (Acts 2:36) of being responsible and guilty for crucifying Christ, so were they forgiven?
Look closely at Matt. 18:
Those disciples would have on their heart after Jesus gave the direct simple answer to their question: “wow, If I am perfectly merciful (forgiving of others totally) then what will keep me from being taken advantage of by my brothers?”
This question is not verbalized, but would have been on my mind at the time.
That is the assumed question that would be on the disciples’ heart right after Jesus told them to forgive 7x70, since that is the answer Christ explains with a parable, how will not be taken advantage of, but you have got to read carefully.
Is accepting forgiveness as pure charity required to complete the transaction?
What part does man play in his salvation?
How can a person be forgiven by God and still owe God what God forgave?
I use the parable in Matt. 18 extensively as a proof text to show how forgiveness, Love, atonement, grace, and mercy are not one-sided actions but require action on both the giver and receiver to complete the transaction.
This parable is not explained well by many commentaries.
Before going into this parable, you need to get the context which may not be obvious;
Matt. 18: 21-35
Peter asked a question and Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but 77 times (or 7x70).
I would say: “Jesus answered Peter’s question, perfectly, so there is no need for a strait forward answer but Jesus’ answer would produce follow-up questions immediately, but the apostles are slow to ask Jesus what is on their hearts which we find throughout scripture. The parable is the follow-up answer to this question Peter (and the other disciples) would have on his/their heart(s). (which I also being see on your heart from your response.)
I would suggest: when Jesus says 7 times 70 or 77 they are thinking: “WOW!! How Can we keep from being taken advantage of by our brothers if we are just going to keep forgiving them every time?” (People always think about how it will impact themselves.)
Jesus then needs to address this bigger question with His parable.
Here are some questions I have asked in the past:
The Master (God as seen in verse 35) is the way the apostles and all Christians are to behave.
The (wicked) servant I think would be referring to all mature adults, but am open to other alternatives? (This example, is it referring to all other humans or just other Christian brothers?)
The Master (God) would have to be doing all His part completely perfectly and all He can do in unconditionally forgive the servant, but does the servant accept the forgiveness as pure charity (undeserving/unconditional)?
The servant is ask: “Give me time” and “I’ll pay everything back.” Now this unbelievably huge debt is way beyond any possibility of being paid back, the servant would know that, so is the servant lying with: “I’ll pay everything back”?
If the servant truly accept unconditional forgiveness of this unbelievable huge debt, would he not automatically have an unbelievable huge Love (really Godly type Love), (Luke 7: 40-50) and would that Love be seen in Loving the Master’s other servants, which it is not being seen?
If a “unconditional forgiveness transaction” had taken place/been completed how could the Master (God) say and do: “Shouldn’t you have had mercy on the other servant just as I had mercy on you?” 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers. He would be punished until he paid back everything he owed.”?
Is there any other debt the servant owes, since Jesus tells us this is what he owed, that the Master “tried” to forgive?
Does the servant still owe the master, because the servant did not accept the unconditional forgiveness as pure charity and thus automatically Love much?
In the parable, which scenario would give the wicked servant more “glory” accepting or rejecting God’s charity or does it even matter, since all the glory in the story goes to the Master no matter what the wicked servant does?
Can the wicked servant take pride (a false pride) in the fact that, in his mind, he did not “accept” charity but talked the Master into giving him more time?
Christ’s parables address one area of how things work in the Kingdom, but may leave other areas unaddressed (it is only a short story), so we need to be cautious.
Lots of times you need to put yourself into the audience Jesus is addressing and try to be thinking: what they would be thinking about at the time, because Jesus addresses what is on the heart of the individual person(s) and not what has been verbalized (there are a dozen examples of this).
Jesus gives us one requirement, we often leave out, and that is going to the person we tried to forgive when he did not accept the forgiveness as charity, and explain what he did wrong and why he still owes us. We may stop with just not loaning them our car again.
These moments are teaching moments.
God turning something over to you to become your possession saying “here it is it is yours now” that is a promise He is making. You can do with it as you please (sell it, give it away) but since God made the commitment (promise) He cannot just take it back.
God forgives unconditionally, but we do have to accept it as unconditional, undeserved, unselfish pure charity to complete the transaction.
I did not really look at the details of the servant throwing the other servant in prison. There are always limits to parables, but look at the subtle differences between what the servants did and what the master did. The wicked servant only put the fellow servant in prison (no mention of torture this could be like Paul’s imprisonment) while the master had the wicked servant turned over to a person (being) for continuous torture?
Can we start with what we do agree with in this parable, just let me know yes or no:
1. The master is representing God in the Spiritual Kingdom?
2. The “turned him over to the jailers. He would be punished until he paid back everything he owed.” Represents Hell in the spiritual meaning?
3. The millions and millions of dollars represents spiritually the huge debt sin creates?
4. The wicked servant is a sinner?
5. The Master’s forgiveness of the servant’s debt is the same as God’s part in forgiving a sinner’s sins?
6. The servant’s debt was not forgiven, since in the end the master says, he is imprisoned for the debt?
7. The servant is lying when he says “I will pay everything back” since it is totally not possible?
8. The servant was asking for time and not forgiveness and gives no indication He accepted the forgiveness as charity?
If we agree with this we are 90% in agreement. The only question is: “Since the wicked servant still owes the master the huge debt after the
master did his part of forgiving the wicked servant, what else must happen for the transaction of forgiveness to be fully completed?
A tree brings glory to God by being a tree?
Can a person not bring glory to God no matter what he does by your believe?
A birth right cannot be taken away and God will not take it away, but like Esau you can sell it or give it away.
If you do not think Deity is the most likely spiritually speaking alternative for the King or Master, who could it be referring to (the only other poorly supported thought was the “Church”)?
If you do not think the servant is most likely in the spiritual meaning an example of a sinner and/or Christian who could he be?
Peter came to Jesus. He asked, “Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but 77 times.
23 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to collect all the money his servants owed him. 24 As the king began to do it, a man who owed him millions of dollars was brought to him. 25 The man was not able to pay. So his master gave an order. The man, his wife, his children, and all he owned had to be sold to pay back what he owed. 26 “The servant fell on his knees in front of him. ‘Give me time,’ he begged. ‘I’ll pay everything back.’ 27 “His master felt sorry for him. He forgave him what he owed and let him go. 28 “But then that servant went out and found one of the other servants who owed him a few dollars. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he said. 29 “The other servant fell on his knees. ‘Give me time,’ he begged him. ‘I’ll pay you back.’ 30 “But the first servant refused. Instead, he went and had the man thrown into prison. The man would be held there until he could pay back what he owed. 31 The other servants saw what had happened. It troubled them greatly. They went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the first servant in. ‘You evil servant,’ he said. ‘I forgave all that you owed me because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on the other servant just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers. He would be punished until he paid back everything he owed. 35 “This is how my Father in heaven will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
That completes the answer to that question perfectly, so what is the parable about?
