Matthew 18:31 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.

NIV: When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

NASB: So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their master all that had happened.

CSB: When the other servants saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and went and reported to their master everything that had happened.

NLT: When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened.

KJV: So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

NKJV: So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.

Outrage would be an appropriate emotional response to what the servant in Jesus' story has just done. The man was forgiven by the king for an astounding amount of debt instead of being sold into slavery with his wife and children (Matthew 18:23–27). However, that same servant immediately demanded payment for a relatively tiny debt owed to him from a fellow servant. When that servant could not pay, the recently-forgiven man had his co-worker thrown into debtor's prison.

The other servants of the king are described by Jesus as deeply disturbed by this. They knew both sides of the story. They knew that, incredibly, the accusing man had been forgiven for an impossible sum. They knew that, unbelievably, the man had refused to forgive or even negotiate the much smaller sum. The ugliness of that action got to them. It could not stand. They went and reported to the king what had happened.

The point of Jesus' parable is becoming clearer. God is like the king in that He remains patient even as we accrue a massive "debt" of sin. In Christ, He forgives our enormous, unpayable debt of sin, the sin that has earned us His wrath and judgment. After Jesus' death and resurrection, this story would resonate even more deeply with the disciples. After all, Jesus is the one who paid the debt for our sin with His life. We are forgiven because He suffered and died (John 3:16–18; Romans 5:8).

Soon, Jesus will tie this parable to Peter's question about forgiveness (Matthew 18:21–22). The point is that it is outrageous for those who have been forgiven such an extraordinary burden of sin debt—at the cost of the life of Jesus—should refuse to forgive a tiny-by-comparison amount of sin inflicted on us by another.

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.