Compassionate Forgiveness of Debt - Matthew 18:27

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”, and in chapter eighteen and verse twenty-seven of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus said, “the lord of that servant was moved with compassion … and forgave him” where we read:

Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

The verse reads, “Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, ...”. Matthew began with the words, “then the lord” or “at that time and moment the one to whom the servant belonged and about which he has power of deciding who was master and king” “of that servant” which means “pertaining to that slave, bondman or man of servile condition”“was moved with compassion” or “sympathized and had pity upon the servant”. Matthew shared how Jesus said the “king” took pity upon the “indebted servant”.

The verse goes on to say, “... and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.” Matthew continued with the words, “and loosed him” or “and dismissed, sent away, freed and released the servant”, “and forgave him” which means “and disregarded, omitted, gave up and kept no longer” “the debt” which means “the loan”. Matthew wrote how the king acted upon his compassion for the servant and “freed him” and “kept the loan and debt” no longer.

When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we see what a marvelous deed this king did for the servant. When the “servant” worshiped, prostrated himself before him and begged to be forgiven, the king not only sympathized with him, but also “forgave” him the “ten thousand talents” he owed. The “servant” is like every person who exists before God because everyone is indebted to Him through sin. Jesus came not only to have “compassion” upon people, but also to “forgive” them for their sinful debt. Those who are wise understand what a wonderful thing God Almighty has done, yield their lives to Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord” and become “sin debt free”.

Next time Matthew shares how, “the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him an hundred pence”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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