Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus said, “Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants, And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshiped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt”, and in chapter eighteen and verse twenty-eight of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus continued His story with, “the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants” where we read:
But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that you owe.
The verse reads, “But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him an hundred pence:”. Matthew began with the word, “but” or “nevertheless, nonetheless, moreover and” “the same servant” which means “the selfsame slave, bondman and man of servile condition”“went out” or “emanated, issued and flowed forth”, “and found” or “and met with, inquired of, examined and scrutinized” “one of his fellow-servants” which means “an associate, colleague and servitor or ministrant of the same manner”, “which owed him” or “who was indebted and in obligation to the servant” “an hundred pence” which means “one hundred denarius or Roman silver coin which means containing ten and was worth about a hundred day's wages or sixteen to twenty dollars”. Matthew shared how Jesus said the now freed and formally indebted servant left the king and found one of his “associates” who owed him a very small amount of money.
The verse continues, “and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that you owe.” Matthew added the words, “and he laid hands” or “took hold of, restrained and seized” “on him” which means “on the fellow-servant”, “and took him by the throat” or “choked and strangled his fellow-servant”, “saying” which means “uttering, proclaiming and declaring” “Pay me” or “deliver, render, pay off, discharge and produce” “that you owe” which means “the debt for which fellow-servant was in debt”. Matthew wrote how Jesus said the king's “servant” grabbed the man, choked him and demanded that he pay his debt.
When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we discover the true heart of this king's servant who was forgiven. Shortly after being “forgiven” by the king, the selfsame servant went out and found his indebted associate, took hold of him, choked him and demanded that he pay his debt. This seems so wrong after this servant was forgiven so much, and yet, nonetheless the servant wanted his money. God, through His Son Jesus Christ, offers “salvation” from the debt of sin that every person has incurred, and all who come to Him shall be forgiven when they believe in His Son Jesus and repent of their sin. However, people have “sinned” against other people, and forgiveness to them is not as easy to grant. Let everyone reading these words realize that God wants us to be like Him and forgive, and should we feel that someone is in debt to us, let us remember how much we have been forgiven by God.
Next time Matthew shares how that servant, “fell down at his feet, and begged him, saying, have patience with me”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
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Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
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