“ unstuck ” when we follow His example .
Just as Jesus did not gloss over the very real relational debts caused by sin , He also did not give us a free pass on extending forgiveness to those who have hurt us . Peter , like all of us , wanted to know where the loopholes might be and if there was an expiration date on extending forgiveness . “ Is seven times enough ?” asked Peter , but Jesus not only offered an extravagantly higher number of seventy times seven but painted a picture of forgiveness so immense that it reframed the discussion entirely .
In the parable that followed Peter ’ s question , Jesus painted the picture of a king who “ wanted to settle accounts with his servants ”— using it as metaphor for the ways in which human sin has racked up tremendous relational debt with the King of Kings and prompts a just desire to settle accounts , an honest acknowledgement of the cost of sin that must be paid in some way . But that ’ s where Jesus inserted the plot twist to show the immense mercy of God :
As [ the king ] began the settlement , a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him . Since he was not able to pay , the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt . At this the servant fell on his knees before him . “ Be patient with me ,” he begged , “ and I will pay back everything .” The servant ’ s master took pity on him , canceled the debt and let him go ( 18:24-27 ).
Bible scholar Craig Keener comments that Jesus ’ audience would have understood a well-known cultural practice and principle here . He writes , “ When poor crops or other circumstances forced a ruler to forgive taxes , he did so with the understanding that his people would respect his benevolence . If he released his subordinate ministers ’ debts , they in turn must release the debts of those indebted to them .” However , the remainder of the parable tells the tale of a forgiven man who , instead of being humbled and transformed by the immense sacrifice of a king who took on the full debt himself , snubbed the king ’ s gift . He reacted in fury over a small debt from a fellow servant , first trying to choke the life out of him and then throwing him into debtor ’ s prison ( 18:28-30 ).
What ’ s interesting is that Jesus expanded his characters to include a larger community , showing the ripple effect of unforgiveness and unchecked anger . The fellow servants in the parable took notice of the first man ’ s actions and “ outraged , [ they ] went and told their master everything that had happened ” ( 18:31 ). The larger community was bruised and had their righteous anger kindled by the first man ’ s wrathful unforgiveness . That man sought restitution with a vengeance instead of moving toward mercy and forgiveness , and it harmed the community by breaking a principle of graciousness established
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