Matthew 18:33

Matthew 18:33

Forgiveness: one Law for Lord and Servant. This is a parable to show us that our life must be a repetition of the life of God. It is not a title to a mansion in the skies, nor even possession of that, which can make us Christians. It is possession of God's life. We are to be perfect, even as our Father in heaven is perfect. We are to forgive, even as God forgives, and to be compassionate, as He is compassionate.

I. Our Lord had been talking of discipline, of giving and forgiving offences; and Peter put the question to Him, "How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?" The answer of the Lord, folded up in this parable, is, "As often as God forgives you."

II. The second lesson fills out and completes the first. It was not simply because he did not resemble his lord that the servant was condemned. It was also because he would not resemble him. But that implies that he had the ability to resemble him; and the parable makes plain to us that he did possess this ability. The whole scope of the parable goes to show that the lord's purpose in remitting the ten thousand talents was the bestowal of this power to forgive. And therefore I put the second lesson of the parable into this shape: God's mercy to us is to be a spring of mercy in us to others. We are receivers mainly that we may be givers. We are ourselves forgiven that we may in turn forgive.

III. The third lesson is, We must take the entire gift or lose all. The entire gift of the king was something more than forgiveness. It was also a forgiving heart. If we shut out mercy from our hearts, if we from our hearts forgive not, we shall by mercy be ourselves shut out. Pardon of our sins is not salvation: there must be life as well as pardon. We live only when God's life has become ours. And our life grows spiritually only as we practise the life of God. If we do not open our hearts to it, or if, having opened our hearts, we do not follow its leadings, we fall back into a deeper condemnation.

A. Macleod, Days of Heaven upon Earth,p. 100.

References: Matthew 18:35. C. Girdlestone, A Course of Sermons,vol. ii., p. 445; R. Heber, Parish Sermons,vol. ii., p. 337. Matthew 19:1. A. B. Bruce, The Training of the Twelve,p. 251.Matthew 19:11. J. E. Vaux, Sermon Notes,4th series, p. 88. Matthew 19:13. Parker, Hidden Springs,p. 342.Matthew 19:13. P. Robertson, Christian World Pulpit,vol. xv., p. 37.