NOTES for Mat 18:23-35

Today Jesus tells us a remarkable parable showing that there is no need to wonder how the Lord will treat us at the end of days. We need only look at how we have treated people during our life: that is exactly how the Lord will treat us. The servant owed his master ten thousand talents. This was an enormous sum. Some researchers believe that in modern money it would amount to billions of dollars. Yet the king does even more than he is asked: he does not merely grant a delay, but forgives the debt. Such is the greatness of God's mercy. But the Lord is not only merciful; He is also just. Many find it strange that Jesus chose this particular parable to illustrate the need to forgive seventy times seven, since the king forgave only once. Those who reason this way miss its main point: we must strive to become like the Lord in mercy. At the same time, while trusting in God's mercy, we must not forget God's justice.