Matthew 18:28 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’

NIV: "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

NASB: But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe!’

CSB: "That servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!’

NLT: But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.

KJV: But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

NKJV: “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’

Those engaged in Jesus' parable have likely breathed a sigh of relief. He depicted a servant who owed the king an impossible amount of money. The king was going to exercise his right to sell the man and the man's family into slavery as a payment on that debt. The servant begged for time to pay the debt off, something he clearly could never do since it was such a large amount. Then, finally, the king graciously forgave the man for the entire amount of the debt with no need to ever pay it back (Matthew 18:23–27).

The man was free. It was a story with a happy ending. For those with ears to hear (Mark 4:9), this part of the story gives perspective to humanity's relationship with a forgiving God. Through faith in Christ, God forgives a debt for our sin that we could never hope to repay. That debt is so severe it's remarkable God allowed us to fall so far in the first place. We deserve eternal fire, and God gives us instead an eternal place in His own family through faith in Christ (Romans 5:8; John 1:12; 3:16–18).

This story is not over, though. Jesus continues, following the man out from the presence of the king and into a confrontation with another servant. This fellow servant owes the man 100 denarii. This is not a tiny sum; a denarius was about a days' wages. Still, it was an irrelevant fraction of a fraction of a percent of what the king had just forgiven this man. All the same, the man angrily demands payment, grabbing the other servant and even choking him.

Matthew 18:21–35 answers Peter's question about how many times he should forgive a brother who sins against him. Jesus tells a parable about the servant of a king. The king forgives the man's enormous, unpayable debt. In turn, the servant refuses to forgive the much smaller debt owed him by another and has that man thrown in prison. The king is furious and asks the servant why he did not show the same mercy he had been given. The king has the man jailed until he pays everything. Jesus says that God the Father will do the same to those who do not forgive their brothers.

Jesus uses two questions from the disciples to teach important lessons. The "greatest" in the kingdom is the one who humbles himself like a child. Temptation is unavoidable in earthly life, but it's worth going to extremes to avoid falling for it. Even so, those who fall should not be hated and despised. God the Father values them highly and wants none of them to perish. In fact, Jesus lays out a clear, careful process to confront sin in others before removing them from the community. Christ also replies to Peter's question about forgiveness with a parable. This story represents both God's amazing forgiveness, and the way we ought to respond as Christians.

Matthew 18 follows the action of the previous chapter with teaching from Jesus on several issues. These include humility, using the example of a child. Jesus also teaches about avoiding sin and offering forgiveness to others. Interestingly, the following chapter will also feature references to children and to wealth, as Christ continues to explain the will of God to His disciples.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.