The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant | Lance Watson

Описание: READING BETWEEN THE LINES | THE PARABLE OF THE UNFORGIVING SERVANT
LANCE WATSON | JUNE 29, 2025

HOW SHOULD WE DEAL WITH PEOPLE WHO WRONG US?
IT DEPENDS.

“If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.”
Matthew 18, verses 15–17 (NLT)

Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
Matthew 18, verse 21 (NLT)

“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!”
Matthew 18, verse 22 (NLT)

“Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars.”
Matthew 18, verses 23–24 (NLT)

“He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.”
Matthew 18, verse 25 (NLT)

“But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.”
Matthew 18, verses 26–27 (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. His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.”
Matthew 18, verses 28–30 (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. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.”
Matthew 18, verses 31–34 (NLT)

“That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”
Matthew 18, verse 35 (NLT)

GRACE IS AVAILABLE, AND SO IS JUSTICE; WHICH STANDARD DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD USE?

FORGIVENESS: DECIDING THAT SOMEONE DOESN’T OWE YOU—EVEN IF THEY DO.
FORGIVENESS STARTS WITH YOU, EVEN IF IT DIDN’T START WITH YOU.

“...and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.”
Matthew 6, verse 12 (NLT)

HEAVENLY FATHER, HELP ME SEE _________ THE WAY YOU DO. HELP ME FEEL TOWARDS _________ WHAT YOU DO.

“Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.”
Romans 12, verse 18 (NLT)

NLT = NEW LIVING TRANSLATION