Prison Till the Debt is Paid - Matthew 18:30

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. 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. And his fellow-servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay you all”, and in chapter eighteen and verse thirty of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus told how the servant, “went and cast him into prison” where we read:

And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

The verse reads, “And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, ...”. Matthew began with the words, “and he would not” or “and the servant would not be patient with his fellow-servant or allow him time to repay his debt”: “but” which means “moreover and” “went and cast him” or “departed and threw his fellow-servant” “into prison” which refers to “a place where captives are kept and watched”. Matthew shared how Jesus said the “servant” did not forgive his “fellow-servant”, nor was he patient with him, but rather had him thrown into debtors prison.

The verse goes on to say, “... till he should pay the debt.” Matthew added the word, “till” or “until such time as” “he should pay” which means “the fellow-servant repaid” “the debt” which means “the loan and that which he owed to the servant”. Matthew wrote how Jesus said the “fellow-servant” was to be kept in the debtors prison until he could repay all his “debt”.

When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we see the reaction of the “servant” to someone who “owed” him. Rather than being forgiving like his master was to him, the “servant” did not extend patience to his “fellow-servant”, and he had him thrown into prison for his “debt”. God Almighty has given provision for the forgiveness for every sin anyone has ever committed through His Son Jesus, and when someone believes in, trusts in, relies upon and clings to Jesus, they will be forgiven of their sins. Then, in like manner, they are to extend to others who sin against them the same mercy God granted to them, and thereby demonstrate their gratefulness to God for being gracious to them.

Next time Matthew shares what happened, “when his fellow-servants saw what was done”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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