Seeking God's Guidance

Psalm 25

At some point in your life you are likely to have to make some significant decisions.  These might be decisions in your personal life, or they might be related to your job.  Some have jobs where they might have to make very critical and life altering decisions, ones that may affect many people, such as a doctor, scientist, or a world leader.  Some of you might feel confident in your ability to make the right decision, but others seek the help and guidance of other people who hopefully will guide them in the right way.  Our psalm for this week is a prayer that King David made, asking the Lord for His guidance.  Let’s see what David prayed.

As one reads through the Bible of the life of David, we quickly see that there were many times he had to make critical decisions.  He spent years trying to escape the threats to his life by King Saul.  Then he first became the king of the southern Kingdom of Judah, and then both king of Judah and all of Israel.  As a king, and also the chief military leader, David was faced with having to frequently make very important decisions.  Though he probably had a council who would have advised when consulted, the one he went to all the time for help was the Lord God.  He always went to God for His help all throughout his life.

As David began his prayer, he surrendered himself to the Lord (vs. 1-3).  He directed his whole being towards God.  His prayers weren’t just empty words. David reached out his heart to the Lord in faith, confident that He would help him in his troubles.  David knew that God was greater than anything he faced.  Those who come in prayer and wait upon the Lord will not be ashamed. This does not mean that believers will never face difficulty, but it means that He will never fail those who trust in Him.  Like David did, when faced with uncertain difficulties and need for His direction, we should first worship, trust, and depend upon God.

After surrendering himself to the Lord, David then requested His guidance (vs. 4-7).  David prayed for God to show him, teach him, and lead him.  He recognized that spiritual guidance must come from God.  We can’t turn to other false deities for help.  David asked to be led in God’s ways, His paths, and His truth.  The Bible, God’s Word, is the primary means through which He guides His people.

David knew, as he stated in verse 7, that he needed to have a clean conscience before he could expect God to hear and answer his prayers (Psalm 66:18).  He brought his sins and faults honestly before God, depending entirely upon His grace.  Godly guidance begins with humility.  Proud people want God to approve their plans, but humble people want God’s plans.

Everything in David’s prayer rests upon who God is (vs. 8-10).  He knew that God is good, and that He desires what is best and right.  The Lord is also willing to teach and guide sinners and the humble.  He delights in teaching those who recognize their need for Him.  Pride resists instruction, but humility receives instruction.  The more teachable we become, the more God can shape us into the image of His Son.

David pleaded with God for forgiveness of his sins, which he knew he must do before God could help him (vs. 11).  David didn’t say his sin was small, or that his good works outweighed it, or even that he deserved forgiveness.  Instead, he said that his sins were great.  God is not impressed by excuses.  He responds to humble confession.  The believer who is humble enough to confess his sins is also the believer who is teachable enough to receive God’s guidance.

There are blessings for those who fear God (vs. 12-14).  This fear refers to reverential awe, worship, submission, and obedience to Him.  The blessings He bestows on those who fear Him include divine guidance.  He will direct those who desire His will.  He will also bless with spiritual prosperity and security, though not necessarily material wealth.  We are also blessed with fellowship with the Lord.  God shares His heart with believers who walk closely with Him.

David winds down his prayer with crying out to God again for deliverance from his troubles (vs. 15-21).  However, he kept his eyes fixed on God.  Looking continually at our problems will produce despair.  Instead, look continually towards God and that will produce hope.

Believers should bring every burden, every decision, and everything in our life to God.  There is no trouble too small, and no burden too heavy for Him.  When we come to Him, He will guide us.  Some of God’s paths for us may be rough and rugged, others tedious and boring, but they all are filled with His love and faithfulness.  Our path may have obstacles, but God will lead us through them all.

Who is Responsible?

Ezekiel 18:1-4, 19-32

What kind of people are your parents and your children?  Are they good, upstanding people, or are either one scoundrels?  Maybe one of them is even worse than that, and is a reprobate criminal.  Or perhaps you are the one that has lived a questionable life.  Who should bear the responsibility or carry some or all of the guilt for the infractions of the other?  Or in the case of an exemplary life, who should receive the accolades?  Should parents be held responsible for their adult children’s actions, or children for their parents' faults?  Likewise, should children receive halos for how their parents were?  This was an issue during the time of the prophet Ezekiel, and has been among some people even today.  Let’s see what the Word of God has to say about this.

As our Scripture opens, Ezekiel recounted a saying that many of the people would say and believe, “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” (vs. 1-2).  This saying implied that the children were paying the punishment for what the parents did, the guilt of the parents was transferred to their children.  Immediately God confronted their thinking.  He declared that this proverb should no longer be used, as each generation bears the responsibility of their actions.  One cannot put the blame of their actions on either the previous or the next generation, either personally nor nationally.

It is true that children sometimes experience the consequences of their parents’ actions.  If a parent drinks or gambles away their paycheck, the children will suffer.  If one or both of the parents commit crimes and are sent to prison, the children will suffer.  However, sometimes people seem to want to punish children, even adult children, for what their parents, grandparents, or even further back did.  They punish them by words or their actions.  God said that this was not acceptable to Him (vs. 3-4).  He said “the soul who sins shall die.”

God deals with people as moral agents, responsible for their own choices.  We cannot pass the blame for our behavior and our sins onto a previous generation, nor the punishment onto our children.  Every individual is personally accountable before God for his own sin.  While we may inherit circumstances from previous generations, we do not inherit guilt before God.  Each soul stands before Him personally.

As our Scripture continues further down, some of the people that Ezekiel preached to objected to this.  They felt that children should bear the guilt of the sins of the father (vs. 19).  Some today continue to feel that way.  However, God said that if the one person sins, and their offspring doesn’t, but instead follow His ways, they should not bear the punishment.  Sons are not condemned for the fathers’ sins, and fathers are not condemned for sons’ sins.  Each person stands accountable before God.

Our culture today encourages adult children to blame their parents for their failures, and parents often accept that blame.  That is not Biblical.  The Bible teaches that we are responsible to God for how we raise our children, but we are not responsible for our children’s adult choices.  Similarly some say that we should pay for the faults and sins of previous generations.  However, God makes it clear in this passage that he does not condemn a righteous person simply because of his parents’ sins.

In the same way we cannot claim our parents’ or grandparents’ righteousness for our own.  Each person must personally respond to God.  No one is saved because his parents were Christians or he came from a good and godly family.  No one is either blessed or condemned because of family background.  Every person must stand before God individually.

The sinful man is not hopeless, though (vs. 21-23).  If he turns to God, there is mercy.  Repentance brings forgiveness, and God is forgiving.  He is holy and must judge sin, but He does not delight in judgment.  He delights in repentance.  God desires that sinners turn from sin and live.

There is also a danger for a righteous person to turn away from God (vs. 24-29).  Just as a wicked man may repent, a righteous man may abandon his godly life and turn to sin.  When that happens, if they were genuinely saved, they do not lose eternal salvation, but God will bring judgment and punishment upon them.  Past righteousness does not justify present rebellion.

There are still people who argue that this is not right, that people should be responsible for the wrongs of previous generations.  God’s answer is simple: the problem is not His ways, the problem is their ways (vs. 29).  Whenever people accuse God of injustice, Scripture consistently demonstrates that God’s judgments are perfectly righteous.  Ezekiel closed with a call to repentance (vs. 30-32).  Agree with God about sin, turn from it, and turn towards a life of obedience to Him.  Each person must answer to God for his own sin.

Does it Seem Fair?

Matthew 20:1-16

“It’s not fair!”  How many times have we heard a child cry that out to their parents, teacher, or someone else?  Maybe a sibling got an extra cookie, or the teacher gives different homework assignments, or another child is seeming to get away with some infraction.  Even as adults we want to feel that there is an established set of justice, and that things are fair between one person and another.  When we have worked hard, we want to be justly rewarded, and those who haven’t shouldn’t be given the same reward.  When things don’t measure up to our sense of justice, to what we feel should be our fair share, aren’t we quick to complain that “It’s not fair!”?  Would we say that against God?  In our Scripture today from St. Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells a parable that brings up a scenario that some might complain “is not fair”.  Let’s take a look, and see if our thinking will line up with what the Lord is teaching.

Jesus told this parable in response to Peter’s question at the end of the previous chapter, where he asked the Lord what reward he and the other disciples would get for leaving their livelihood to follow Him (Matthew 19:27).  Jesus had promised rewards to His faithful disciples, but He knew they could become preoccupied with comparing themselves to others.

The parable begins with a landowner (who symbolizes God) with a large vineyard, who needs a lot of workers.  He goes out early in the morning, around 6 am, to hire laborers (symbolizing believers).  They agreed on a salary of a denarius for a day’s work, which was a fair day’s wage (vs. 1-2). God never deals unfairly with His people.  Whatever He gives is righteous and good.  The landowner goes out several more times throughout the day to hire more workers - 9 am, noon, 3 pm, and finally at 5 pm, an hour before the workday is over (vs. 3-7).  He promises to give them what is right.

Some believers are saved and serve God from childhood.  Timothy is an example of this.  Others are saved in adulthood.  The Apostle Paul was converted as an adult.  And then there are those who are converted near the end of life, perhaps literally on their deathbed.  The thief on the cross was saved in his final hours.  God welcomes all who come to Him through Jesus.

Then came the time for payment (vs. 8-10).  The workers hired at 5 pm received a full denarius, a full days’ wage.  This demonstrates grace.  They did not receive what they earned proportionately, they received what the master chose to give.  This made the first workers assume that they would receive more, with their expectation based on comparison.  Many spiritual problems begin when believers compare themselves to others.

The earlier workers began to complain (vs. 11-12).  They didn’t complain that they were treated poorly.  They complained that the others were treated generously.  The master didn’t do them wrong.  They received exactly what they had agreed on.  Their problem was jealousy.  Are we resentful when others receive blessings that we feel we should have gotten, or when they get more recognition?  Do we ask “Why did they get more than I did?”  We need to ask ourselves why we get upset when God is good to someone else.

As we continue reading, we see the landowner’s response (vs. 13-15).  God’s dealings are always perfectly just.  No one can ever claim that God is unfair.  He has the right to distribute blessings according to His own will.  God never owes grace.  If something is earned, it is wages.  If it is undeserved, it is grace (Romans 11:6).  The problem was not the master’s generosity.  It was the workers’ hearts.

Jesus closed His parable with a warning against pride and self-exaltation (vs. 16).  Those who think they deserve the highest place may be surprised.  Those who humbly serve may receive unexpected honor.  God’s evaluations differ from man’s evaluations.

Rewards in heaven are real, as we see in II Corinthians 5:10 and Revelation 22:12.  However, rewards are distributed by Jesus, not according to human estimates.  This parable doesn’t teach that all believers will receive the same rewards.  Rather, it teaches that God sovereignly blesses and rewards according to His perfect wisdom.  We should rejoice in His goodness towards others instead of comparing ourselves with them.

No one deserves God’s favor.  The workers who came right before the workday ended beautifully illustrate the grace shown to sinners who come late, but who truly come.  The other workers were spending too much time focusing on what others received.  One of Satan’s tools is comparison.  God calls believers to faithfulness, not competition.  The first workers lost their joy when they started looking sideways at others rather than upward to the Master.  They received exactly what was promised, yet envy robbed them of their gratitude.  God does not ask us to measure ourselves against someone else.  He asks us to be faithful where He has placed us.

To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain

Philippians 1:21-27

Have you ever been torn between wanting to be in two different places at one time?  You want to be in one place because a loved one is there, but the second location is an infinitely nicer place.  So which one do you choose - being with a loved one or being in a better place?  In our Scripture today from St. Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi, the Apostle describes being torn between two desires - to go on to heaven and be with the Savior, or remain here and continue ministering to believers and telling the lost about Jesus.

The Book of Philippians was written by the Apostle Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome for the faith.  At any moment he could have been dragged out of his prison cell and be taken to his execution.  During this time, Paul did not focus on his circumstances or his physical comfort.  Instead, he focused on the Lord.  He did not fear death, as he knew that was the doorway which would bring him into the presence of Jesus, which was naturally something he greatly desired.  However, he knew that there was still work to be done here upon earth.  The Philippian church, along with other churches he founded, needed his teaching and encouragement, and all around the world were people who needed to hear about Jesus.  His attitude is an example to us how to have joy, purpose, and steadfastness despite our circumstances.

As we begin this portion of Scripture we see Paul’s philosophy of life (vs. 21).  It wasn’t money, success, or pleasure.  Instead, Paul said “To me to live is Christ.”  Everything in his life revolved around Jesus.  He then finished the verse with “To die is gain.”  Death for the believer is not loss, but is a gain because it brings freedom from sin, suffering, temptation, and brings us immediately into the presence of Christ (II Corinthians 5:8; Romans 14:8).

Paul is torn between two good desires (vs. 22-24).  One is to depart this life and be with the Lord Jesus.  Death for the Christian is not extinction, it is a departure from one location to another (II Corinthians 5:6-8; John 14:1-3).  Paul’s second desire was to remain and minister to believers, and continue to spread the Gospel message of salvation.  Though heaven was far better, remaining alive was more beneficial for the believers he served.  This demonstrates genuine Christian love, as Paul was willing to postpone his greater blessing in order to help others spiritually.

Though Paul knew that his death could come at any moment, not just from an execution in prison, but also from the many enemies of the faith that he encountered every day, he believed that God would allow him to continue preaching the Gospel for a time (vs. 25-26).  God had given him a mandate, an order to bring the Gospel message to the lost, and to instruct and teach believers.  Until God felt that this order was finished, Paul believed he would remain and continue in obedience to that command.

Paul concluded this passage with a word of instruction for the Philippians (vs. 27).  He instructed them, and us today as well, to live a life worthy of the Gospel.  Our conduct should match the message of the Gospel that Paul proclaimed.  The Gospel is holy, therefore God’s people should live holy lives.  Here on earth we won’t achieve sinless perfection, but we can strive for consistent godliness in our life.

He instructed the believers to stand fast in unity with each other, being of one mind.  This speaks of doctrinal stability.  A mature church is not constantly blown about by false teachings.  Biblical unity is not unity at the expense of truth, it is unity around the truth.  Believers are to strive together for the Gospel, like athletes competing side-by-side on the same team.  We each have a role in advancing the message of Jesus.

As we close this passage of Scripture from Philippians, we see that Jesus was the center of Paul’s life, and should be for all of us, as well.  He did not fear death because Christ had conquered it.  His desire to be with the Savior in heaven was stronger than that of remaining on earth.  However, Paul knew that God had further work for him to do.  God leaves believers here for a purpose.  As long as you are still alive here on earth, God has work for you to do.  Our supreme purpose should be Jesus Christ.  Life is an opportunity to serve Him, death is a doorway into His presence, and until He calls us home, we are to stand firm, live worthy of the Gospel, and labor together for the advancement of the faith.

When Enemies Surround the House

Psalm 59

A common theme in action movies is when the protagonist is surrounded by his enemies, and there isn’t any safe way to escape.  The suspense grows as we wonder how he will get out of this tense situation.  Sometimes in life we might find ourselves in a similar predicament.  It might not be literal enemies who surround us, though that can happen.  It can be all sorts of immense and serious problems that surround us, with no visible way of escape.  What do we do when this happens?  In our psalm for this week we take a look at one event in the life of David, when he had enemies surrounding him, just waiting for a chance to catch and probably kill him.  Let’s see what his plan was to get out of a desperate situation.

Psalm 59 begins with an introductory heading which mentions the occasion that this psalm was written about.  After his great victory over the Philistine Goliath, King Saul took David into his royal court, both as a musician and also as an important soldier.  There he became best friends with Saul’s son Jonathan, and also married one of the king’s daughters, Michal.  Following several more victories over the Philistines, David became very popular among the people.  Saul had seriously drifted quite far away from the Lord since becoming king, and one sign from this was his jealousy of David, resulting in his multiple attempts upon David’s life.  One such time was when King Saul sent some of his men to surround the house where David and his wife, Michal, lived (I Samuel 19:11-17).  She had to help him escape out of a window in the dark of night, and he would spend the next several years living on the run from attacks and attempts on his life from Saul.

As we see when we read through this psalm is that Yahweh is the Defender of His people against wicked men, and like David knew, we see how to respond when we are surrounded by enemies, are falsely accused, and under attack.  When his wife Michal told David that Saul’s men had surrounded the house, what was the first thing he did?  Did he panic and fill with despair, or did he strap on his sword and go out to fight them on his own, since he was a skilled warrior?  No, he did none of those.  David immediately turned to God in prayer (vs. 1-2).  He did not first seek revenge.  He turned to God for His deliverance.  Our first response when we are surrounded with opposition should be prayer, not retaliation.

David knew that he hadn’t done anything to deserve this from King Saul, that he was innocent regarding the accusations (vs. 3-4).  This does not mean that David was sinless.  However, he was innocent of the specific charges being used against him.  Saul unjustly hated David, so he prayed to God for help.  David saw these enemies like vicious predators, like ferocious wild dogs circling their prey (vs. 5-7).  The world often mocks, opposes, and attacks God’s people.  He never tells us to pretend that evil does not exist.  Instead, we are to see it clearly, and trust God completely for deliverance.

What is God’s response to these enemies of David?  He tells us that God laughs at the wicked (vs. 8).  This is not an amused laugh, but instead is showing divine contempt.  God is never threatened by the schemes of wicked men.  They think that they have control, but God remains on the throne.  David later repeats this thought in another of his psalms, of God laughing in contempt of the wicked (Psalm 2:4).

Following turning to the Lord in prayer, David then shifted from fear to faith (vs. 9-10).  Instead of focusing on the enemy’s strength, he focused on God’s strength.  Faith grows when we focus on God’s character rather than on our circumstances.  Sometimes we spend more time dwelling on the problem rather than the One who can bring us out of that problem.  David shows us here what we ought to be doing.

David then prayed for God’s righteous judgment on those who were wrongly attacking him (vs. 11-13).  He didn’t ask for their immediate destruction, but for God to make them examples, which would serve as a warning to others.  These weren’t just his enemies, they were rebellious enemies of God.  He didn’t seek his own vengeance, but left the judgment in God’s hands.  Then again David depicts them as restless dogs (vs. 14-15).  Without God there is continual dissatisfaction, and no peace.

Our psalm began with danger, but ends with worship (vs. 16-17).  David had confidence.  His circumstances have not necessarily changed, but his perspective has.  He knew that God was his answer.  David didn’t hide his fear, but instead prayed to God.  He knew that He was strong, faithful, and would protect him, and he did not wait for the answer to begin his praise.  David praised God while the danger still existed.

In closing, as followers of the Lord Jesus, we must trust in His protection and justice even in times when opposition seems strong and the answers seem delayed.  David’s enemies watched his house to destroy him, however David watched his God to deliver him.  The enemy may surround our house, but remember, God surrounds His child!

An Angry Prophet

Jonah 3:10 - 4:11

Several weeks ago we had a study on a Scripture passage from the Book of Jonah where we looked at his prayer while within the belly of the giant fish or whale which had swallowed him.  Today the Lectionary for this week takes us back to the Book of Jonah where we’ll see the rest of the story.  Let’s see what happened with the prophet’s ministry.

Prior to the start of our Scripture passage, the giant fish had spat Jonah out onto the beach.  Having a giant fish swallow him whole sure got his attention, and he knew that he had better obey what God had told him to do, which was go and preach His message to the city of Nineveh.  In the third chapter of Jonah we are told that the prophet went throughout the city, preaching that the people needed to repent and turn to the Lord or else He would destroy them.  Jonah’s message reached into their hearts. The city, from the highest to the lowest, turned to Yahweh in repentance.  This is where our Scripture picks up.

Jonah’s message to the people had been a warning from God, that if they didn’t repent and turn from their wickedness, God would bring His judgment upon them.  The people did repent, and God saw this (vs. 3:10).  Because the people changed their attitude towards the Lord, He changed His dealings with Nineveh.  He spared them, and did not destroy the city.  When sinners repent, God may withhold threatened judgment.  He responds with mercy, according to His holy character.  This repentance was genuine.  Their actions demonstrated that their hearts had changed.  True repentance is not merely feeling sorry.  It involves having sorrow over our sins, turning from those sins, and turning towards God, which is what the Ninevites did.

What do you think was Jonah’s response to the repentance of the Ninevites?  Was he happy?  Did he praise the Lord for their conversion?  I’m sorry to say he did not.  The fact that the Lord saw their repentance and spared them His righteous judgment displeased Jonah (vs. 1).  Jonah had so much hate in his heart for the Assyrians. The Assyrian empire was a violent and cruel nation, and one who had attacked the northern kingdom of Israel numerous times.  They were enemies of his people, and he had allowed great hatred of them to grow in his heart, which was why he had initially refused to go and preach to them.

Jonah wanted justice, but God showed mercy which angered the prophet (vs. 2-3)  He wanted to see them destroyed!  Jonah knew God’s mercy, His patience, and loving kindness.  He knew the Scriptures, and even quoted Exodus 34:6 back to God.  Jonah’s doctrine was excellent, but his heart was not.  People may have correct theology and orthodox belief, but fail to love others.  God wants us to have both, correct doctrine and love for others.  Jonah’s bitterness and hatred had gripped his heart so deeply that he actually would rather die than see Nineveh spared!

God responded by asking Jonah if he was right in being so angry (vs. 4).  He wanted the prophet to examine his heart, and see if his anger was justified.  Jonah felt it was, and actually went and sat on a hillside outside of the city (vs. 5).  He wanted a ringside seat to watch the city go up in smoke.  He didn’t want to miss a bit of what his heart so desired.

As Jonah sat in the sun waiting for the destruction of Nineveh, God prepared a plant to quickly grow and bring shade for him (vs. 6).  That made Jonah happy.  A city’s salvation did not make him happy, but the shade of a plant did.  This reveals a misplaced value system.  However, God was not through.  The plant and what was to follow was to be an object lesson for Jonah.  God prepared a worm to eat away at the plant so that it died (vs. 7).  The God who gave the blessing removed the blessing.  Sometimes God removes comforts to expose our hearts.  Then God sent a scorching wind to make Jonah hot and miserable and he wanted to die again (vs. 8).  The loss of temporary comfort completely overwhelmed him, revealing his spiritual immaturity.

Again, God asked Jonah if he was right in being angry, and again the prophet said he was (vs. 9).  How easy it is to recognize the sins of Nineveh while excusing our own sinful attitudes.  Jonah could see Nineveh’s wickedness, but would not see his own.  Jonah cared deeply about a plant he did not create and which lasted only a day, yet he had little concern for the souls of people he hated.  Jonah valued a plant, but God values people (vs. 10).

Verse 11 is one of the greatest statements of God’s compassion in the Old Testament.  God is not indifferent towards sinners.  He takes no pleasure in judgment.  Though God is holy and must judge sin, He delights in mercy when sinners repent.  Jonah wanted judgment, but God wanted repentance.  As believers, we are called to reflect God’s compassion.  We should never desire the destruction of those whom God desires to save.  No sinner is beyond God’s grace.  Who is God calling you to love and bring His saving message to that you don’t want to love?

The Unforgiving Servant

Matthew 18:21-35

Most of us have had some type of debt at some point in our life. We may have had a house mortgage, or perhaps a car loan to pay off, and any other debt was hopefully small and manageable.   Imagine if you owed an astronomical amount of money to someone, and you had no way to pay it back.  You would be so grateful if that amount was forgiven.  It would be a tremendous blessing!  In our Scripture today, the Lord Jesus tells His followers a parable about such an instance.  Let’s see what He has to say.

As our Scripture opens, Jesus had just finished instructing His disciples on how the Church was to deal with fellow brethren who had fallen into sin.  Peter then came to Him asking how often he had to forgive someone who sinned against him, and whether seven times was sufficient (vs. 21-22).  In Jewish tradition, forgiving three times was considered generous.  By saying seven times, Peter thought he was being extremely generous.  Jesus then bursts that little bubble by telling him it should be seventy times seven.  He didn’t mean a literal 490 times, and then on the 491st time you could clobber them.  Jesus was teaching that forgiveness should be limitless.  Just like God’s forgiveness, it should be abundant, undeserved, and continual.

Jesus then told the crowd the parable of the unforgiving servant (vs. 23-34).  A king’s servant owed him 10,000 talents.  When he couldn’t pay, the king ordered him and his family to be sold until payment was made.  When that servant begged for mercy, the king had compassion and forgave the debt.  Then that servant went and found a fellow servant who owed him 100 denarii and demanded payment.  When that servant asked for mercy and promised he would get it paid, the first servant refused, and had him thrown into debtors' prison.  When the king found out, he was furious, and had that first servant delivered to the tormentors.

To understand this, we need to be familiar with the two amounts that were owed, what a talent and what a denarius was.  A talent was a weight of precious metal, usually silver.  One talent equaled 75 pounds of silver.  In Biblical times one talent would have been about 20 years salary for a laborer.  So 10,000 talents would have been way more than a lifetime’s salary, billions of dollars in today’s money.  A denarius was approximately a day’s wage for a common laborer.  100 denarii would be several month’s salary.  A goodly sum, but something manageable, and one that should have been able to be worked out between the two servants.

In this parable, the king represents God.  The first servant is a sinner forgiven by God, and the other servant is someone who has sinned against us.  The massive debt owed the king symbolizes our sin against God, which is infinite in moral weight.  The smaller debt symbolizes what others do to us, which is real, but comparatively small.  The king forgave the servant completely - total grace, no conditions.  This shows a picture of salvation.  We cannot repay our sin debt, but God forgives freely those who come to Him through Jesus Christ.  Forgiveness is undeserved and complete.

What did that forgiven servant go and do?  Despite being forgiven an impossible debt, the servant violently demanded repayment of a tiny one.  Unforgiveness in a believer is morally outrageous because it contradicts the grace they have received.  We have been recipients of maximum mercy.  Who are we to suddenly demand justice from others?  We are to show the same compassion to others that God showed us.

When the king hears of that servant’s behavior, he then orders him delivered to the tormentors.  This is not teaching a loss of salvation.  Instead it illustrates that fellowship with God is broken because unrepentant attitudes get in the way of our prayers.  It shows what bitterness, anger, and unforgiveness will produce in our spirit.

Jesus expects us to be able to forgive just as fully and completely as He has.  Forgiveness doesn’t negate the wrong done to us.  It doesn’t deny the offense or the pain.  However, it lets go of the right to get even. Vengeance is God’s responsibility, not ours (Romans 12:19).  It doesn’t mean that we have to immediately trust the one who wronged us.  We may never trust them again, but we surrender the matter to God, choosing grace over bitterness.

This parable calls us to live out the Gospel by extending the same grace that we have received.  God’s forgiveness of us is immeasurably greater than any forgiveness we must extend, and Jesus calls us to forgive others from our heart continually and without keeping score.  Unforgiveness is a serious sin that contradicts the Gospel.  A forgiving spirit is evidence of genuine salvation and spiritual maturity.