Teaching
The Unforgiving Servant
Forgiven, but unforgiving
A servant forgiven an unpayable debt refuses to forgive a small one, whoever has been forgiven so much must forgive.
The story
A servant is forgiven an astronomical debt by the king; on his way out, he grabs a fellow servant over a tiny debt and has him thrown into prison. The king, outraged, revokes his forgiveness.
The meaning
Whoever has been forgiven so much cannot withhold forgiveness for so little. The measure of our forgiveness comes from how much we recognize we have been forgiven.
Did you know?
- The forgiven debt (10,000 talents) was unpayable; the one he demanded (100 denarii), trivial. Matthew 18:24–28
Where to read in the Bible
- Matthew 18:21–35
Connections
- taught by Jesus of Nazareth · stated in the text · Matthew 18:23
- theme of Forgiveness · stated in the text · Matthew 18:35