Bible Studying

Lesson Four

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- The author, Izzy.

Matthew 18:21-35
"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, when my brother sins against me, how many times must I forgive him?  Should I forgive him as many as 7 times?'  Jesus answered, 'I tell you, you must forgive him more than 7 times.  You must forgive him even if he does wrong to you 70 times 7.'  The kingdom of heaven is like a king who decided to collect the money his servants owed him.  So the king began to collect his money.  One servant owed him several million dollars.  But the servant did not have enough money to pay his master, the king.  So the master ordered that everything that the servant owned should be sold, even the servant's wife and children.  The money would be used to pay the king what the servant owed.  But the servant fell on his knees and begged, "Be patient with me.  I will pay everything I owe."  The master felt sorry for the servant.  So the master told the servant he did not have to pay.  He let the servant go free.  Later, that same servant found another servant who owed him a few dollars.  The servant grabbed the other servant around the neck and said, "Pay me the money you owe me!"  The other servant fell on his knees and begged him, "Be patient with me.  I will pay you everything I owe."  But the first servant refused to be patient.  He threw the other servant into prison until he could pay everything he owed.  All the other servants saw what happened.  They were very sorry.  So they went and told their master all that had happened.  Then his master called his servant in and said, "You evil servant! You begged me to forget what you owed.  So I told you that you did my have to pay anything.  I had mercy on you.  You should have had mercy on that other servant."  The master was very angry, and he put the servant in prison to be punished.  The servant had to stay in prison until he could pay everything he owed.  This king did what my Heavenly Father will do to you if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."

Back in this time people had expectations. One was to forgive someone 3 times and then you wouldn't have to anymore.  So Peter goes to God wondering how many would be merciful as a follower of Christ.  God says not just 7 times but 70 times 7. Now, he doesn't mean they literally, but to constantly forgive people. You don't have to spend time with or go to extremes to like them, only to forgive people for what they do.

These verses then go into a story where a servant owed the king money. But when the servant pleads the king is merciful and forgets the servant's debt of several MILLION DOLLARS.  This servant then goes and comes across a servant that owed him a FEW DOLLARS and the first servant does not forgive his debt. Instead, he throws the other servant in prison.

The other servants then told the king what terrible things had happened to the second servant.  This angered the king and so he called upon that first servant.  He says that even though MILLIONS OF DOLLARS were owed, he forgave the servant. And that even when that other servant owed A FEW DOLLARS the servant did not have mercy on him like the king.  So the king took back his mercy and put that servant in prison like the other, until his debt was payed.

The last part explains that God will be like that servant and guide you through your life and be merciful if you are. Also, that God will reward you with the same fate of which you treat others with.