Torch, Fall 1989

All right. Remember that a lot of people work for minimum wages, currently $3.35 per hour, so let 's use that as our base. $3.35 per hour ~hours $26.80 =day's wage = I denarius X 6000 6,000 denarii = I talent $260,800.00 = I talent X I 0,000 talents owed $1 ,608,000,000.00 = total owed the king That is pronounced one billion, six hundred eight million dollars! This guy is in deep, deep trouble! He can't repay, and the king is about to have him sold, along with his wife and children, in order to raise a partial payment (v.28). Slave One humbles himself, falling down before the king and asking for mercy (v. 27). He pleads his case effectively . The king not only feels compassion for the man and his predicament, but releases him instead of sending him to the slave auction. But more amazingly, he forgives him! That's right, he forgives him 1.6 billion dollars' worth! Imagine the emotional release! One minute Slave One thinks he's dead meat, washed up, bankrupt financially , and , as a family man, beyond hope. Then he hears the word "forgiven" and all is changed. He is released from the judgment for the actions that put him in debt to the king; he is a new man with a whole new future. Prospects have never been brighter! Forgiven! Can you picture him skipping down the palace steps, heading toward home to tell his family the good news? There had to be an outpouring of Glory Hallelujahs, Amens, and What a blessings! The sky never looked bluer, he never felt better, and life was going his way--until he saw Slave Two. 'g!lt-af that guy made him angry. The hurts of the past pushed away the joy of the forgiveness he had just experienced. " Come here," he yelled heatedly. " When are you going to pay me that 100 denarii you owe me? I'm tired of being put off. . . ." And he seized him and began to choke him, saying, " Pay back what you owe.'' Slave Two fell down and began to entreat him saying, ' 'Have patience with me and I will repay you." Slave One was unwilling , however, and threw Slave Two in prison until he could pay back what was owed (vv. 29,30). Slave Two did owe a good bit of money. By our previous standard, 100 denarii would be equivalent to $2,680., Around our home that's what we call .' "chunk money. " A big, unexpected check like that could surely make a difference in our budget. But remember that the way people view money is relative. My pocket change is not "chunk money. " I could give it all to you and not alter a thing I have planned for next year. To a child, my pocket change might be "chunk money." If you are used to thinking about $1 ,608 ,000,000, then $2,680 is pocket change! That's the point! Slave One who had just been forgiven millions and millions shouldn't have trouble forgiv– ing Slave Two a couple of thousand. The king, apprised of what had happened, summoned Slave One whom he had forgiven and said, " You wicked slave. I forgave you all that debt because you entreated me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, even as I had mercy on you? " (vv.32,33) . The key to being a forgiving person is remembering how much we have been forgiven. I asked the Sunday school class to identify the characters in Christ's story. "Who do you think the king is? " I asked. ''God,'' several people answered. ''Who do you think Slave One is meant to picture?" The responses: " Christians," " us ," and more quietly, ''me. '' " Who do you think Slave Two, the unforgiven one, is? " There was a brief pause. Then a sharply-dressed man four rows back said softly, " The guy whose initials are on my notepaper. '' He hit the nail on the head! Christian, God has forgiven us. Now He wants us to " forgive each other, just as God in Christ has forgiven you " (Ephesians 4:32). The key to being a forgiving person is realizing that we have offended God to the tune of even more than $1 ,608,000,000, and yet God willingly has forgiven our sin of the past and will forgive our sin in the future if we will confess it (I John 1:9). The hurts we experience in life are, com– paratively speaking, like $2,680-– important, but dwarfed by the enormity of a single sin against a holy God. The pain we suffer from offenses would have to be multiplied by one " zillion " to approach the pain God suffered to forgive our sin. The more we meditate on God 's forgiveness and continued love and mercy toward us , the easier it will be to forgive others. There is always a price tag for not obeying biblical principles. The unforgiving Slave One was '' . . . handed over to the torturers . . ." (v .34). Listen to the warning of the last verse of the passage: " So shall my heavenly Father also do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart " (v .35) . The " torturers " of today for people who refuse to forgive are broken friendships , cold maniages, estrange– ment from parents and children, split churches, h01Tible memories of times and places when lack of forgiveness was evidenced by harsh words and conduct. To forgive is hard; to live with the consequences of not forgiving is harder yet! Remember the initials you wrote down earlier? God wants you to forgive even that person! " . . . forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave 'you , so also should you " (Colossians 3: 13). Rev. Randy Patten is State Representative for the Indiana Association of Regular Baptist Churches.