THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT.

MATT. xviii. 23-35.

Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun

to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellow-servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

HE occasion of this parable was as follows. Our

THE

Lord had been warning his disciples to be humble and harmless; to avoid causes of offence against their brethren, and not to despise children and those that might seem to be of little account. He then proceeds, ver. 15, to teach them in what manner they ought to deal towards their brethren who might

trespass against them. St. Peter seems to have felt some doubt as to the extent to which the forgiveness of the offender, recommended by his Master, ought to be carried. He puts therefore this question, ver. 21, 'Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?' doubtless under the impression that his charity was measured in a very large and liberal scale. Our Lord's answer is clear and emphatic; I say not unto thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven.' The expression seventy times seven of course implies only an indefinite number. By way of a further explanation, our Lord immediately adds the parable of the Unmerciful Servant, the moral of which would have been plain, even if it had not been set forth in our Heavenly Master's own words at the conclusion of the narrative.

23. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened. As if our Lord had said, Since such is the law of my Gospel on the subject of forgiveness of trespasses from every man towards his brother, therefore the rule of God's dealing towards men in the pardon of their offences against himself will be that which is illustrated by the conduct of the king represented in the parable.

Would take account of his servants. Would reckon with them for the sums of money in which they were each his debtors. We may suppose that these servants had to render an account to their lord as governors of a province, the tribute from which they

had received for him; or that in some similar way they were responsible to him.

24. Ten thousand talents. The weight of the talents, a term applied to both gold and silver, varied very much in different countries. The value of the sum here mentioned, as given in the margin of our English Bibles, is calculated according to the Greek talent of silver. The exact amount is immaterial; all that we need understand is, an exceedingly large sum of money.

25. To be sold. That is, as a slave. The sale of the person of a debtor to satisfy his creditor was allowed both by the Roman and Jewish law. See Levit. xxv. 39, 2 Kings iv. 1. It was a common practice in all eastern countries.

26. Fell down and worshipped him. Entreated him in the most abject manner, and in the posture of a suppliant.

28. One hundred pence. See note in the margin of our Bible. The word rendered 'pence' is the Latin word denarius; a silver coin of the value of sevenpence halfpenny of our money, and introduced by the Romans into use among the Jews. This sum is intended by its small amount to contrast with the very large debt which the king forgave to his servant,

Took him by the throat. That is, as the Greek word implies, with such violence as almost to strangle him.

29. Fell down at his feet, &c. It is to be remarked, that exactly the same attitude is employed, and the

same language used by the one servant towards his fellow, as by that servant to his lord.

31. Very sorry. This natural expression of sorrow and pity on the part of the fellow-servants denotes the contrast between them and the Unmerciful Servant.

Told unto their lord. Gave him, as the original expresses it, an exact and clear account of all that had happened.

33. Shouldest thou not. Or according to the full force of the original, wert thou not bound?'-' was there not a strong moral obligation upon thee?"

34. Tormentors. Such is the literal meaning of the original, which is however often used merely to denote gaolers; and for this reason, that torture very frequently accompanied imprisonment, and was inflicted by the warders of the prison.

The application of this parable is contained in our Lord's concluding words, So likewise shall my Heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.' Of all the duties enforced in the New Testament none is more frequently or more earnestly recommended than forgiveness of injuries. Christians are taught in their Lord's own prayer to pray that their Father may forgive them their trespasses as they forgive their brethren. Immediately at the close of that Prayer, as given by St. Luke, come these weighty words: If ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you :

But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.' And thus, not to quote many other passages, St. Paul says, Be ye tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you;' and St. Peter, 'not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwise blessing.'

In these, and such like cautions, the Gospel is the very antidote to the deepest corruptions of man's heart. Wrong suffered at the hands of a brother creates a feeling of dislike towards him; and this feeling, if not checked, leads to a desire to repay the injury thus inflicted. That such a desire is even in a worldly point of view most useless, and that it can only have the effect of rendering an enemy a ten-fold greater enemy than before, needs surely no proof. But the notion was once universally held, and even in Christian countries is but too common, that to forgive an injury is a sign of an 'unmanly and cowardly spirit, and that revenge is a mark of courage. True courage consists, not in revenge, but in forgiveness. requires much more resolution and determination to oppose the usages of the world, and to extend a hearty forgiveness to an offending brother, than to comply with its rules, and practise revenge and retaliation. Pride also often whispers that to offer the hand of reconciliation is to acknowledge oneself in the wrong; or that at all events, before the offender can expect such a favour, he is bound to sue for pardon.

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