Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21–22
1. Jesus teaches about the relationship of little children to His church.
2. Jesus teaches about peacemaking and church discipline.
3. Jesus teaches about the necessity of forgiving our brothers and sisters.
Verses 21–35. In these verses the Lord Jesus deals with a deeply important subject—the forgiveness of offences. We live in a wicked world, and it is vain to expect that we can escape ill treatment, however carefully we may behave. To know how to conduct ourselves, when we are ill treated, is of great importance to our souls.
In the first place, the Lord Jesus lays it down as a general rule, that we ought to forgive others to the uttermost. Peter put the question, “Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?” He received for answer, “I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”
The rule here laid down must of course be interpreted with sober-minded qualification. Our Lord does not mean that offences against the law of the land and the good order of society, are to be passed over in silence. He does not mean that we are to allow people to commit thefts, and assaults, with impunity. All that He means is, that we are to exercise a general spirit of mercy and forgiveness towards our brethren. We are to bear much, and to put up with much, rather than quarrel. We are to look over much, and submit to much, rather than have any strife. We are to lay aside everything like malice, strife, revenge, and retaliation. Such feelings are only fit for heathen. They are utterly unworthy of a disciple of Christ.
What a happy world it would be if this rule of our Lord’s was more known and better obeyed! How many of the miseries of mankind are occasioned by disputes, quarrels, lawsuits, and an obstinate tenacity about what men call “their rights!” How many of them might be altogether avoided, if men were more willing to forgive, and more desirous for peace! Let us never forget that a fire cannot go on burning without fuel. Just in the same way it takes two to make a quarrel. Let us each resolve by God’s grace, that of these two we will never be one. Let us resolve to return good for evil, and blessing for cursing, and so melt down enmity, and change our foes into friends (Rom. 12:20).
In the second place, our Lord supplies us with two powerful motives for exercising a forgiving spirit. He tells us a story of a man who owed an enormous sum to his master, and had “nothing to pay.” Nevertheless at the time of reckoning his master had compassion on him, and “forgave him all.” He tells us that this very man, after being forgiven himself, refused to forgive a fellow servant a trifling debt. He actually cast him into prison, and would not abate a fragment of his demand. He tells us how punishment overtook this wicked and cruel man, who, after receiving mercy, ought surely to have shown mercy to others. And finally, He concludes the parable with the impressive words, “So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”
It is clear from this parable that one motive for forgiving others, ought to be the recollection that we all need forgiveness at God’s hands ourselves. Day after day we are coming short in many things, “leaving undone what we ought to do, and doing what we ought not to do.” Day after day we require mercy and pardon. Our neighbors’ offences against us are mere trifles, compared with our offences against God. Surely it adversely suits poor erring creatures like us, to be extreme in marking what is done amiss by our brethren, or slow to forgive it.
Another motive for forgiving others, ought to be the recollection of the day of judgment, and the standard by which we shall all be tried in that day. There will be no forgiveness in that day for unforgiving people. Such people would be unfit for heaven. They would not be able to value a dwelling-place to which “mercy” is the only title, and in which “mercy” is the eternal subject of song. Surely if we intend to stand at the right hand, when Jesus sits on the throne of His glory, we must learn, while we are on earth, to forgive.
Let these truths sink down deeply into our hearts. It is a melancholy fact that there are few Christian duties so little practiced as that of forgiveness. It is sad to see how much bitterness, mercilessness, spite, harshness, and unkindness there is among men. Yet there are few duties so strongly enforced in the New Testament Scriptures as this duty is, and few the neglect of which so clearly shuts a man out of the kingdom of God.
Would we give proof that we are at peace with God, washed in Christ’s blood, born of the Spirit, and made God’s children by adoption and grace? Let us remember this passage. Like our Father in heaven, let us be forgiving. Has any man injured us? Let us this day forgive him. As Leighton says “we ought to forgive ourselves little, and others much.”
Would we do good to the world? Would we have any influence on others, and make them see the beauty of true religion? Let us remember this passage. Men who care not for doctrines, can understand a forgiving temper.
Would we grow in grace ourselves, and become more holy in all our ways, words, and works? Let us remember this passage. Nothing so grieves the Holy Spirit, and brings spiritual darkness over the soul, as giving way to a quarrelsome and unforgiving temper (Eph. 4:30–32).
1. What are the themes of chapters 1 through 18?
2. What was the difference between the 10,000 talents the servant owed the Master and the 100 pence owed him by the fellow servant in the parable? (The difference was 94,000 pounds of silver or gold. One hundred pence or denarri would have been about $15.00.) What does this say about the difference between our debt to God and the debts others owe us?
3. How many times must we forgive our brother if he sins against us?
4. What happens to people who refuse to forgive others, and live in a continual state of bitterness?
1. How does God view the sin we have committed against Him? What has Christ done for us? How can we better appreciate what Christ has done for us, in order that we might be more forgiving towards others? Reference Ephesians 4:32.
2. What is forgiveness? Is it releasing your right to revenge? Releasing your right to remember? Or releasing your right to restitution? Is it an instantaneous act or is it a process? (Note: The editors would recommend Ken Sande’s book The Peacemaker as a good resource to help your family understand the nature of forgiveness and biblical peacemaking.)