20110911

Jesus gave a parable on forgiveness in Matthew 18:21-35 where a king was collecting debts from his servants. One servant owed him 10,000 talents – a very huge amount in those days. This amount might be considered unrealistic. During the time of Herod the Great the combined annual tribute of the area was about 600 talents. Thus it is highly unlikely that a king’s servant’s debt could amount to more than the money existing in circulation in the whole country. It could be reasoned that the debt is not a personal one but rather the tax collected by this servant on behalf of the king. Nevertheless, the magnitude of the debt is definitely an exaggeration in the telling of the parable to drive home an intended message.

The king decided to sell the servant into slavery – he, his wife and children. Selling the servant to slavery offered little compensation compared to the debt owed. The going price for a slave at that time was no more than one talent and probably, the wife and children were thrown into the bargain for free. The loss to the king was tremendous for he had to write off this huge debt of 10, 000 minus 1. The arithmetic simply does not make sense. But as in all parables, the teaching is not in the exact science or arithmetic but rather in the intent and essence. Jesus is teaching about the magnitude of God’s grace as unlimited and vast, immeasurable and infinite. God, the Supreme Judge, forgives in unimaginable quantum and the same is expected of us towards others. Inasmuch as we receive abundant forgiveness from God, we must extend forgiveness generously.

However, one then questions the sensibility of such generous forgiveness when there seems to be no repentance by the forgiven person who continues with repeated wrong doings. Even the Jewish teachers at that time set the limit to forgive three instances of premeditated sin arguing that it must come with repentance otherwise it is not genuine. Indeed the parable proceeded to tell of the crafty servant who was undeniably insincere, hardhearted and unforgiving towards another servant. It ended with the king’s servant being justly and immediately punished. There are several lessons to be gleaned from this parable. But the main teaching is for us, having experienced God’s grace, to be magnanimous in forgiveness. This generous forgiveness is not voided by the unrepentant heart.