Download - In The Footsteps Of The Master: The Life and Times of Jesus Christ The Unforgiving Servant June 12, 2011

In The Footsteps Of The Master:The Life and Times of Jesus Christ

The Unforgiving Servant

June 12, 2011

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A Special Treat


A Special Treat


Where Did We End Last Week?• We were discussing our responsibilities in

the kingdom– Become as little children to enter the kingdom

• Behave rightly for our own sake

– Not to place “stumbling blocks” in front of the “little ones”• Behave rightly for our brother’s sake

– Go after those who stray• For the sake of the body

• God wants all to be saved


If Your Brother Sins ...• Matthew 18:15-17

– 15“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”


For Discussion• What is to be our approach when we see a

brother or sister in sin?• The Greek text uses the singular second-

person for every “you” in this passage– Meaning that Jesus is talking to “you”, not “us”

• It is the responsibility of each individual believer to watch out for others in the body

• When we see someone in sin today, what do we do?


For Discussion (cont.)• If the brother won’t listen to you, take 2-3

others with you– If you take others with you, they are to add

weight from the church community – not necessarily from the church leadership

– Nothing in this passage to indicate that this is speaking of formal church discipline


If Your Brother Sins ...• Matthew 18:15-17

– 15“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”


When All Else Fails ...• If your brother still will not listen

– Treat him as a Gentile or a tax collector• How did Jews feel about each of these

categories of people?• Again, the instruction here is to individuals


The Church as a Whole• Matthew 18:18-20

– 18“Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. 19Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. 20For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”


In My Name• Jesus now turns to “you” in the plural form

– We move from speaking about responsibilities of the individual to those of the body

• What does Jesus mean about “binding” and “loosing”?

• “If two sit together and the words of the Law are between them, the Shekinah rests between them.”– Jesus takes this thought a step further ...– He is present


How Many Times?• Matthew 18:21-22

– 21Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”

• This passage follows on the heels of a discussion about a brother in sin– Peter takes it a step further and asks about

sins against us


The Unmerciful Servant• Matthew 18:23-25

– 23“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.”


Timeout ...• Something’s not right about this story

– Here is a slave, who owes his master 10,000 talents (maybe of silver)

– How on earth did a slave get that far in debt?• Several items of note:

– The Greek word for 10,000 here is myria (root of our word “myriad”) and was the largest numeric value in that language

– The talent was the largest unit of money– The intent is to show that this servant owed a

debt that could NEVER be paid


How Much Money?• A talent is approximately 30 kilograms

– 30 kg = 66 pounds– 66 pounds = 792 troy ounces– 792 * $36.16/ounce = $28,639– $28,639 *10,000 = $286,390,000

• In today’s dollars, the slavewould owe his master over$286 Million dollars (over$12B, if gold)– Or $280 Million CAD


Just A Little More Time ...• Matthew 18:26

– 26“So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’”

• Here we have the image of a penitent slave, begging for mercy from his master

• Matthew 18:27– 27“And the lord of that slave felt compassion

and released him and forgave him the debt.”


A Different Reaction• Matthew 18:28:30

– 28“But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’”


How Much Money?• A denarius was a day’s wages

– $12.50/hour * 8 hours = $100/day– Less 6.45% FICA withholding– Less 1.75% Medicare withholding– Less ~15% Federal withholding– Less ~5% State withholding– Take-home: About $3

• The second slave owed the first one about 10,000 bucks– $9,739 CAD


Just A Little More Time ...• Matthew 18:29-30

– 29“So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ 30“But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.”

– (I never have understood the rationale behind a debtor’s prison ...)

• Why would this servant be so unforgiving?– Especially given what he’s experienced?


What’s The Deal?• Matthew 18:31-33

– 31“So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. 32Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33‘Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’”


To The Dungeon!• Matthew 18:34-35

– 34“And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. 35My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

• Note that his punishment here is far more severe than what was originally proposed


For Discussion• What is the story intended to teach us?

– The first servant was forgiven an unimaginable debt

– Yet he wasn’t merciful to another who was in his debt

• How does this relate to us?– What’s the teaching moment for all of Jesus’

disciples?


Next Week• Combined Adult Class in the

Auditorium– Daniel

Download - In The Footsteps Of The Master: The Life and Times of Jesus Christ The Unforgiving Servant June 12, 2011

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