Peter learned an important lesson about the love of God. Love was not something he had by nature. Instead, I think his lack of love was actually a problem for him. We see this when Peter came to Yeshua (Jesus) and said, “‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves’” (Matthew 18:21–23). So in this parable Yeshua is literally saying, “Here’s the answer to your question Peter, and I want it to impact your life.”
Yeshua continued telling the story about how one of the slaves owed such a tremendous debt that he and his family were to be sold into slavery so that repayment could be made. “The slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe’” (Matthew 18:26–28).
Put yourself into this parable. Is this how we are treating others? We have been forgiven, but how often do we find our hands around a brother’s throat demanding, “You’re going to pay back all that you owe me”? When the king saw his slave’s lack of mercy, he said to him, “‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him” (Matthew 18:29–34).
Think about this. The master had forgiven the first slave and let him go totally free. The same thing happens to us in our initial salvation. The Lord forgives us of all our debts because He receives Yeshua as the full payment of that debt. Yet He is also able to turn and rescind that forgiveness. That is what this parable is teaching. This lord reinstated the debt that was owed by that slave. Then Yeshua said, “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart” (Matthew 18:35). That is not a pretty ending to the story. If we want to be forgiven, we must forgive (Matthew 6:14–15).
Christ comes and says to you, “I’ll trade you your brother’s debt for Me living in your heart.” But to do that, we must receive Yeshua and His sacrifice on the cross as full payment of every debt that we feel we are owed, whether it is true or not. The Father knows that if we can move in His mercy and forgiveness, then we are maturing into His likeness and into His nature of love and forgiveness.
God does not want to just forgive us of our sins. He wants us to grow up “to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). Remember Yeshua’s admonition to each one of us: “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you” (John 15:12).
Listen to this entire message: GIG25 Forgiving: The Price of Forgiveness
[1] All Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995).