Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

Matthew 18:23-35, Colossians 3:13

I played basketball in high school. As I look back I recall my head coach's emphasis on the importance of shooting free throws. Now, if you aren't familiar with basketball, free throws can make or break the final result of a close game. If a team can get to the free throw line and make their shots it is a differentiator. It is a path to victory. We would finish practice every day by making 10 free throws. Over time this led me to think that hitting 10 every day to end practice would make a change, that it was the way to victory. Then one day he told us to hit 100 free throws before leaving practice. 100. I thought there was no way, but slowly as I shot I really had to focus on my routine, form, release, and follow through. It slowly changed my approach to free throws and brought real change. Continuing to refine this would lead to victory. 

In our parable today, Peter perhaps is the player in the game of the Kingdom of God. Jesus if you will, is the coach. Peter asks if forgiving a brother 7 times is enough. Jesus says no, how about 10 fold, 77 times. And really what Jesus is saying here is that forgiveness needs to be endless. Forgiveness is a key to health and life in the Kingdom of God. I can imagine Peter just baffled by this staggering response. His coach, his leader, called him beyond what he thought was necessary. 

Now, I don’t know about you, but forgiveness is really hard for me sometimes. I feel like justice should be done and don’t always want to forgive and move forward. Peter probably felt some of that same feeling here, like Jesus: how many times is enough before I have to stop forgiving? Jesus shows him that they will never meet the limit. Endless forgiveness will bring this change. 

Now, my coach taught me the importance of free throws as an ethic on how to win basketball games. What Jesus is teaching here is of eternal importance and magnitude. Jesus is telling Peter and now us through scripture that giving forgiveness as we were forgiven is a key to health and life in the Kingdom of God. It will change your life. It will lead to victory. It will help you elevate over the opponent (sin) in the big moments late in the proverbial fourth quarter. 

As mentioned, this is incredibly challenging at times. But it is important. I know as I prepared this I felt like I was going to the free throw line to shoot 100 shots. Except this time around I was checking my heart and seeing what the Lord would say to me, seeing if he identified any places where I needed to act with forgiveness. I pray he reveals to me his will, I pray he will reveal his will and direction for forgiveness in your life as well. 

Sit with the Lord and listen to the Holy Spirit, where do you need to forgive?