Matthew 18:15-20.

²¹ Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I keep forgiving him? As many as seven times?”

²² Jesus said to him, “I am not telling you seven times, but seventy times seven.

²³ “Because of this, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

²⁴ When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.^[1]

²⁵ And since he could not repay it, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.

²⁶ Then the servant fell on his knees, pleading with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you everything.’

²⁷ And out of compassion for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.

²⁸ But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii^[2], and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Repay what you owe.’

²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you.’

³⁰ He refused and went and confined him in prison until he should pay the debt.

³¹ When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly disturbed, and they went and told to their master all that had taken place.

³² Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.

³³ And should not you have been merciful to your fellow servant, as I had been merciful to you?’

³⁴ And in anger his master handed him over to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.

³⁵ So also my Father I the sky will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your hearts.”

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extravagant love is the standard

Jesus had outlined a procedure for his disciples to follow, designed to lead to reconciliation and rescue if any of their number would betray them by falling back into a life of sin. Obedience to Christ means investing in those who have wronged us and others. It involves more than simply forgiving and forgetting the sin. It requires leading the sinner in the path of reconciliation and renewal. Jesus knew, however, that we would have serious problems with those who chose to leave the faith. He knew that we would devise all kinds of excuses for forbidding them to return to fellowship. Peter’s question was helpful, because he was thinking that there must be limits to our tolerance of such unfaithfulness.

The story Jesus used in response to Peter’s question showed how ridiculous it is for redeemed believers to withhold forgiveness and restoration to others. In the story, the servant refused to forgive his fellow servant a debt that would take only 100 days to repay. But he had been forgiven a debt that (as an ordinary laborer) it would take 200,000 years to repay! The extravagant love that Jesus showed us on the cross is the standard he set for our investment in others.

LORD, keep your extravagant love demonstrated on the cross ever before us as we learn to keep forgiving those who betray us.

[1] It would take an ordinary laborer 20 years to earn one talent.

[2] It would take an ordinary laborer 1 day to earn one denarius.