“the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants” (Matthew 18:23)

Jesus told the parable of the Unmerciful Servant, to help Peter understand the importance forgiveness. He had asked “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

The parable reveals that in our lives we are all servants, in various capacities according to our giftedness. Business people are servants to their clients, teachers to their students, doctors and nurses to their patients, husbands and wives to each other and their children. Further, each of us are to act as servants to the less fortunate we encounter, to help or assist them according to our ability and their need. “Blessed are those who have regard for the weak” (Psalm 41:1)

The parable also makes it clear that when serving, we can become indebted to one another, either above us to whom we serve or those subordinate to us who serve our needs. Though the parable deals with money, it also applies to anything which can be viewed as a debt other than financial debt, in any personal relationship we encounter which can be stigmatized by a grudge and may need you to forgive another.

We need to understand that we can also release someone from a debt of injustice. Christ makes it clear that our Father in heaven is the one whom we serve first, and that He is aware of how we treat our fellow servants, as regards to forgiving them of their offenses.

We can also be judgmental of servants who do not directly relate to us but we can hold a religious grudge. The woman caught in adultery by the Jewish leaders makes this all too clear.

God forgives each one of us when we ask him and He settles our account as he covers us with Christ’s righteousness. On the stage of life, though we serve or are served, we ultimately are servants of the Most High God our creator.

“But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:”BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED” (Romans 4:5-7)

If this is true, shouldn’t we settle our accounts with others by forgiving them? The man who was forgiven much, and did not forgive his servant was accounted a wicked servant by his master. Our heavenly Father is not impressed with an unforgiving attitude:

“You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow-servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” (Matthew 18: 32-35)

If we do not forgive and hold a grudge, the collateral damage is endless. For example: if a husband does not forgive his wife for an indiscretion, his grudge could lead to a separation or divorce which can damage the children and grandchildren, and future generations.

Forgiveness is the only pathway to allow the Spirit of God to build His kingdom of Grace, of undeservedly releasing each other, our fellow servant, from holding a grudge. Those who are forgiven much, are free to respond to each other ongoingly in love. Thus, the New Covenant of love can increase in the kingdom. Bear in mind, that the parable has a much higher issue as we relate directly to God when we relate to each other. As we treat others, Christ taught that in the judgment, it will be reviewed as if we have similarly treated Him in all our dealings with mankind.

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me'”(Matthew 25:40)

And He will “settle accounts with his servants” in the final judgment or ahead of that time now, as we confess our sins to Him and are forgiven.