The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

Jesus often used parables to give life lessons or spiritual insight to his disciples.  The parable of the unforgiving servant is found in the book of Matthew in the New Testament of the Bible.  In Matthew 18:21-35, the lesson was initiated by Peter. Peter asked Jesus how many times he is required to forgive someone who has wronged him.  Peter's suggestion was seven times.  Jesus replied that it was not seven times, but seventy times seven.

What is significant about the number 7?

In the Old Testament in the book of Genesis is when God brings the number 7 into his works. Genesis 1 describes the first creation of the World by spending six days to create the Heavens and the Earth but on the seventh day, they rested. This day was known to be the Sabbath Day, which is the day known to keep it holy and rest as mention in Deuteronomy 5:12 . According to scholars, the number 7 represents something as being completed, finished, or done with. In order to completely forgive someone, Jesus uses the number 7 because it represents "completion." So, when Jesus wanted something to represent completion, he would make reference to the number.

Did Jesus use the literary tool of hyperbole to create a stronger effect ?

 Here is the first exaggeration made in this parable.  It seems that Jesus was basically saying to forgive an unlimited amount even though seventy times seven is an actual number: a person would not expect to have to forgive someone that many times in actuality.  This statement begins the parable lesson of the unforgiving servant.  

Considering that Jesus just used an exaggeration of how many times to forgive, he begins his parable with an exaggerated amount of money owed by the servant. The servant was brought before the king because he owed him 10,000 talents.  The chart below gives an idea of exactly how large an exaggeration Jesus used.  It would take 16 years to pay back 1 talent.  This servant owed 10,000 talents to a king.  Whether a king would have allowed a servant to accrue that much debt is not addressed in this parable, however what is more clear is that the debt was more than the servant would ever be able to repay.

How Does this teaching differ from the Old Testament Teaching

This teaching was different from the Old Testament found in Exodus 21:24  According to Matthew 5:38-42. They were not so forgiving in the Old Testament but sought restitution. Jesus was bringing a new message of compassion and mercy. The Jewish laws was not just laws found in the Old Testament but a system of rules that help establish the operation of conflict to validate secular laws. What typically occurred when someone owed a debt is that slavery was invoked.  This was the option given to the unforgiving servant until he pleaded with the king.  There is no evidence that this level of forgiving was common nor is it easy to believe that a king would be so quickly turned by the pleading of a debtor. 

Metaphorical interpretation

Jesus seems to be giving an example of how God, which is represented by the king, has the authority and compassion to forgive beyond understanding just as the king did.  Also just like the king, God can make a judgment call in light of man's unwillingness to treat their fellow men in the same manner. The debt owed by the servant can be the representation of mankind's sin. Sin is a debt to God that cannot be repaid by mere human acts and it can be man's sin against each other.