LIFE Posts - Focus on Forgivenes, part 2
Last week we began our study in forgiveness, looking at the first half of the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. We focused on the immense debt that the King forgave the first servant. This debt was impossible to repay – but the King released this servant from the debt out of compassion. Those who have come to Christ and given their lives to Him have been forgiven similar impossible-to-repay debts of sin. This week we continue by looking at the second half of the parable.
Matthew 18:28–35 (AMP2015) 18:28 But that same slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began choking him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe!’ 18:29 So his fellow slave fell on his knees and begged him earnestly, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ 18:30 But he was unwilling and he went and had him thrown in prison until he paid back the debt. 18:31 When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and they went and reported to their master [with clarity and in detail] everything that had taken place. 18:32 Then his master called him and said to him, ‘You wicked and contemptible slave, I forgave all that [great] debt of yours because you begged me. 18:33 Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave [who owed you little by comparison], as I had mercy on you?’ 18:34 And in wrath his master turned him over to the torturers (jailers) until he paid all that he owed. 18:35 My heavenly Father will also do the same to [every one of] you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” [1]
So, the servant who was forgiven 10,000 talents of debt, which was the equivalent of 60,000,000 denarii, immediately after being forgiven found a fellow slave who owed him 100 denarii. Unfortunately, this first servant violently treated his fellow slave. He refused to show mercy when his fellow slave asked for mercy for a debt that was 0.000167% of the amount he was forgiven by the King. Such a tiny amount in comparison! However, let’s look a little closer at the math. A denarius was generally considered the amount of labor wages earned in a day. In modern terms using the average wage rate in the USA at the time of writing, 100 denarii would equate to $20,000. So, the second servant owed the first one a meaningful amount of money.
Instead of showing mercy, the first servant had the second one thrown in prison until he paid back his debt. Recall that in a Roman prison, family and friends were looked upon to provide sustenance for the prisoner, besides which fact they would be the only means to pay the debt. Before we look at the master’s response, let us try to put ourselves in the first servant’s shoes. He was just called to pay a debt he could never pay and was freed from (forgiven) that debt. Yet the mercy he was shown didn’t transform his heart. Perhaps he feared that the King would change his mind, so he wanted to begin building up resources to pay the King. In modern terms, it could be like a stock trader who is suddenly faced with the possibility of a margin call.
A margin call is a stock broker’s demand that an investor add cash or securities to an account when its value falls below the required minimum after investments were purchased with borrowed money. It is dreaded because it can turn temporary “paper losses” into immediate, permanent losses. The investor may still appear solvent on paper, with assets that technically exceed the debt, but lack the liquid cash needed to meet the obligation. When markets fall sharply, brokers do not wait for a recovery; they may automatically sell the investor’s positions near the bottom of a crash to repay the borrowed funds. In essence, the investor is not allowed to “ride out” a drop in stock prices, waiting for them to recover – their stocks are sold regardless of value. That forced sale can wipe out the investor’s equity and prevent participation in any later rebound of those stocks. In short, a margin call shows that without immediate liquidity (cash), paper wealth is powerless against a rigid, time-sensitive debt. During the dot-com crash, many investors who bought stocks on margin were bankrupted this way.
Whether by fear, or pure selfishness, the first servant did not reflect on the magnificent, impossible grace that was given to him by the King. His heart wasn’t transformed, and he made a “margin-call” on his fellow slave. When the King heard of what the first servant had done, he had the servant brought to him, and asked a simple question, which was in essence: “I forgave the [great] debt you had to me because you begged, should you not have shown mercy to your fellow slave who owed you so much less in comparison?” We can miss the fact that the King didn’t necessarily say that the first servant should erase the debt completely – but that he should have shown mercy. How that would look could be anything – it could be a payment plan that was fair, allowing his fellow slave to realistically pay him back. It could have been a complete erasure of debt – we simply don’t know. Jesus, however, makes it clear that if we want to be forgiven by the Father, we must forgive others from our heart.
In our review of 1 Corinthians 13, we saw Paul say that love “doesn’t keep a record of wrongs.” (1 Corinthians 13:5). In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus’ example of how to pray included “forgive us our debts as we have also forgiven our debtors.” (Mathew 6:12). Mark 11:25 says, “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.” We see the theme of forgiveness being something we’re required to give. In Luke 17:3-4, Jesus commands:
Luke 17:3–4 (AMP2015) 17:3 Pay attention and always be on guard [looking out for one another]! If your brother sins and disregards God’s precepts, solemnly warn him; and if he repents and changes, forgive him. 17:4 Even if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him [that is, give up resentment and consider the offense recalled and annulled].” [2]
A lot of us may say, "Ok, ouch! That’s difficult! It isn’t just us who may think that way - the apostles, to whom Jesus was speaking in Luke 17 immediately responded to Jesus’ command with, “Increase our faith!” Giving forgiveness costs us – there is no other way to look at it. The Bible clearly calls sin “debt” – so when we forgive others, we’re erasing the other’s debt at our cost. But God never asks us to give anything that we cannot give. Believers in Christ have received the forgiveness of their sin against Him. This debt of sin was paid for by Jesus Himself by dying for us. This impossibly large debt of sin was wiped clear – we have that forgiveness to draw upon when we need to forgive others. Next week we will look more closely at application of forgiveness. There are many misconceptions and misunderstandings of what forgiveness is and isn’t, which we'll look at. This coming week, prayerfully spend time in the scriptures below and in the application questions, letting the Holy Spirit minister to you.
Application/Questions/Journal your thoughts
- In Dave Ramsey’s financial teaching, one of the things he emphasizes is using cash to pay for items instead of credit cards. He notes that there are important psychological elements at play, and that to have good financial stewardship, understanding the "psychology of spending" is important. The psychology of spending relies on the pain of paying – the neurological functions that are triggered when we part with resources. “Painful paying” happens with cash, where physical loss and immediate friction stimulate the brain's distress centers, naturally curbing impulse buys. Our brain registers the fact that we’re handing over cash and in return receive the object that we’re purchasing. “Painless paying” occurs with cards and digital taps, which abstract the loss, eliminate tactile feedback, and decouple the joy of buying from the cost, making spending feel consequence-free. The way Dave frames it, our mind sees that we hand our card to the cashier, and they hand it back to us along with our purchase. This is what causes us to not view spending with cash the same as with credit cards. What does this have to do with forgiveness? Well, words are cheap, since they are easy to say without really thinking about them or what they mean. As we discussed above, forgiveness means that we must decide to release another from their debt (sin) against us. Conversely, when we ask someone (or God) to forgive us, we’re asking them to choose to release us from debt (sin) against them. Yet how easily we ask for forgiveness without considering the cost that the other party must pay! And how easily do we say “I forgive you” when in fact we haven’t thought about the fact that if we’re really forgiving them from our heart, we are releasing them from their debt (sin) against us. That we won't bring it up again. This is delicate ground, and next week we’ll discuss that freedom doesn’t necessarily mean reconciliation, but for now let us focus on the Word of Jesus, submitting ourselves to the Holy Spirit. Ask Him this week for revelation of where your words may have been easily said – asking for or giving forgiveness – when your soul and spirit may not really be in agreement with those words.
- Another facet of dealing with others is we will encounter people who will not forgive us, despite our sincere regret and repentance and asking for their forgiveness. Just as our study is illuminating what it means to truly forgive someone, there are people who will not choose to forgive. The devil will use the fact that we stand unforgiven by others to tell us that we’re unforgiveable. Or that God does not forgive you, or that you need to somehow “earn” His forgiveness. This too is a delicate matter, but we need to stand on God’s Word and the fact that Jesus paid for our sins – all of them. He paid our debt – we are forgiven, and if we sin again, we can repent and run to Him for forgiveness (1 John 1:9). If we allow our thinking to agree with the devil – or the words from someone else who refuses to forgive us, we are making them idols by believing what they say over what God says. Spend time with the Holy Spirit this week, asking for revelation if there’s anything that you believe you are unforgiven for - or that you haven't accepted His forgiveness because you've believed that you don't deserve it. Submit anything He reveals to you, and repent of it if you haven’t repented before, and accept His forgiveness. Be sensitive to anyone who you have hurt and refuses to forgive you – pray for them, but know that your Lord and Savior loves and forgives you.
Scripture of the week
1 John 2:1–2 (NLT) 2:1 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 2:2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. [3]
Hebrews 8:12 (NLT) 8:12 And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” [4]
Ephesians 4:32 (NLT) 4:32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. [5]
Colossians 3:13 (NLT) 3:13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. [6]
Matthew 6:14–15 (NLT) 6:14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 6:15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. [7]
Romans 12:17–21 (NLT) 12:17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 12:18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. 12:19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. 12:20 Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” 12:21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. [8]
Weekly prayer
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for Your choice to pay my debt of sin and thank You for Your Word that instructs me. Lord, I submit myself to You, and choose to obey Your command. I choose to forgive those who sin against me, releasing them as You did me. Holy Spirit, please help me realize how my actions impact others. By You, Jesus, I can do all things, because Your Word declares it. Amen.
Freedom Facet
Forgiving is something we’re commanded to do but requires from us more than we realize at times. Choosing to release others of their debt (sin) against us is weighty – but in the glorious way of God, forgiving others is freeing of not just the other party, but of ourselves. In fact, if we choose not to forgive, we’re placing ourselves in bondage of sin. While the devil wants us to believe that not forgiving someone is a form of justice, it is in fact a prison for ourselves. When we realize how much we’ve been forgiven, it becomes easier to release the same mercy and grace to others.
Jesus's Freedom is for those who call Him Lord - those who believe in Him. If you’ve not yet accepted Christ Jesus as Your Lord, and would like to, say the following prayer aloud.
Lord Jesus, I confess and realize that I am a sinner, and without You, I am lost and separated from God. Thank You for going to the cross and dying for my sins – I ask for Your forgiveness for my sins, and I thank you and receive the forgiveness of my sins Your Word says is now mine! Holy Spirit, I thank You that You now reside within me. I lay down my will for Yours and ask for Your daily guidance and direction to make me more and more like You. Amen!
The Bible tells us that if we confess Jesus as Lord with our mouth and believe in our hearts that God resurrected Jesus from the dead, we are saved for eternity. If you’ve just accepted Jesus as Lord, know that heaven is celebrating right now (Luke 15:10)! Rejoice because you are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and now have begun the process of sanctification becoming like Him. Keep coming back, as we explore Freedom facets and what our Identity in Christ truly is. Share this joyous news with a brother or sister in Christ and get connected in your local church! LIFE is yours!
Small Group Invitations - Week of August 16, 2026
Below are invitations to just a couple of Men's Small Groups that are happening this week, both a part of Celebration Church, Georgetown, Texas. If these don't work for you, or if you're not a Celebration Church, TX attendee - regardless of the church you attend - being a part of small group is immensely important! If you're not involved in one, I pray that you find one that works for your schedule and you get plugged in. Being connected in the local church will bless you immeasurably!
Tuesday Morning Men's Fellowship Group: 6am - 7am at Rudy's BBQ in Round Rock, Texas. Join us for a time of fellowship where we'll discuss the message from the Pastors on Sunday, the newsletter contents, or whatever is going on in the lives of the brothers meeting.
Friday Morning Celebration Men: We're in between on-campus semesters until September, so we're back to meeting at Rudy's BBQ in Round Rock, TX. Join us at 6:30 am for fellowship and discussion about God's Word. We'll conclude at 8am so people can get to work.
[1] Amplified Bible | 2015 (AMP). 2015. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[2] Amplified Bible | 2015 (AMP). 2015. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[2] Tyndale House Publishers. 2015. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[3] Tyndale House Publishers. 2015. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[5] Tyndale House Publishers. 2015. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[6] Tyndale House Publishers. 2015. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[7] Tyndale House Publishers. 2015. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[8] Tyndale House Publishers. 2015. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.