**The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant: A Story of Mercy and Justice**
In the days when Jesus walked the earth, teaching and healing, He often gathered His disciples and the crowds to share profound truths about the Kingdom of Heaven. One day, as the sun cast its golden rays over the hills of Galilee, Jesus sat with His disciples in a quiet village. The air was filled with the scent of olive trees and the distant hum of daily life. The disciples, eager to learn, gathered closer to Him, their faces reflecting both curiosity and reverence.
Peter, ever bold and inquisitive, stepped forward and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Peter thought he was being generous, for the rabbis of the time taught that forgiving someone three times was sufficient. But Jesus, with eyes full of compassion and wisdom, looked at Peter and replied, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
The disciples gasped, for this was a radical teaching. Jesus was not merely suggesting a higher number but was emphasizing that forgiveness should be limitless, just as God’s mercy is boundless. To illustrate this truth, Jesus began to tell them a parable, His voice carrying the weight of divine authority.
“Therefore,” He said, “the Kingdom of Heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man was brought to him who owed him ten thousand bags of gold.” The disciples’ eyes widened at the mention of such an enormous debt. Ten thousand bags of gold was an unimaginable sum, more than a person could earn in a hundred lifetimes. It was a debt no one could ever repay.
The servant, trembling with fear, fell to his knees before the king. His face was pale, and his hands shook as he pleaded, “Be patient with me, and I will pay back everything.” The king, moved by compassion, looked at the man with pity. He knew the servant could never repay such a debt, yet his heart was filled with mercy. “You are forgiven,” the king declared. “Your debt is canceled. Go in peace.”
The servant, overwhelmed with relief, bowed low and hurried away. His heart should have been filled with gratitude, but as he walked through the palace gates, he encountered a fellow servant who owed him a hundred silver coins. This was a significant amount, but it paled in comparison to the debt he had just been forgiven. Instead of showing mercy, the servant seized his fellow servant by the throat and demanded, “Pay back what you owe me!”
The man fell to his knees, just as the first servant had done before the king, and begged, “Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.” But the servant refused. His heart was hardened, and he showed no mercy. He had his fellow servant thrown into prison until the debt could be paid.
The other servants, witnessing this cruel act, were deeply troubled. They went to the king and reported everything that had happened. The king’s face grew dark with anger. He summoned the unforgiving servant and said, “You wicked servant! I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?”
The servant stood silent, his head bowed in shame. The king’s voice thundered, “In anger, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he should pay back all he owed.” Jesus paused, letting the weight of the story sink in. Then He said, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
The disciples sat in stunned silence, the lesson clear. Forgiveness was not optional; it was a reflection of the mercy they themselves had received from God. To withhold forgiveness was to reject the very grace that had been freely given to them.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple, Jesus looked at His disciples with love. “Remember,” He said, “the measure you use will be measured to you. If you forgive others, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your sins.”
The disciples nodded, their hearts stirred by the profound truth. They understood that forgiveness was not just an act of kindness but a divine mandate, a reflection of God’s character. And as they walked away that evening, the words of Jesus echoed in their hearts, calling them to live lives of mercy, grace, and boundless forgiveness.
