Matthew 18:23-35 / To Enter Heaven, Heaven must first Enter You.

Jesus is not done speaking about forgiveness. And in taking up this parable, elucidates not only the foundation upon which our forgiveness of one another rests, but also a crucial principle of The Kingdom.

Note first: Jesus says the Kingdom bears a comparison to what He is about to disclose. This is not just a nice religious idea, it is in fact an aspect of the rule of God in His Kingdom. He establishes something of great importance here, and something not to be glossed over lightly.

Note second: Important to see in this parable is that these are legitimate debts, not sins per se. Among people, it is one thing, with God, it takes on much more gravity. How much easier is it to forgive a simple debt, than to forgive true sin? But in Christ, God deals with both.

Here the question arises, in what way is human sin to be likened to, or considered as a debt? Which answer is found in Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We were made in His image. We were created to bear and display His glory, His perfections and holiness to the rest of creation. And in our sin, we have defrauded Him of what we owe – bearing His image and honoring Him as God; which is also our very great sin. It is not just THAT we sin, and thus fall short of His glory. It is also that in falling short of His glory – we sin our greatest sin. For we who were made to reveal Him, obscure, hide and distort His image. SO the rest of creation is robbed of seeing, knowing and worshiping Him, and He is robbed of the duty we owe to Him inherent in the very purpose of our creation. What a debt!

Note Third: Now we must ask, what is it in comparison to what we owe God, do that we think others owe us – legitimately or not – and then fail to forgive when confronted? Respect? Deference? Recognition? Loyalty? And do we recognize their brokenness and inability to repay – and so turn a blind eye and a deaf ear and forgive freely? Father, give me that heart.

Note fourth: The nature of our debt is such that it cannot be repayed. For even if we were to perfectly display His glory from this day forward, there is no way to go back and restore the days already lost. Time cannot be undone. We cannot recover those lost days. They are forever gone. Such is the reality in the figures Jesus uses.

In His time, the servant owing 10,000 talents was something akin to 20 years wages. In modern dress, it would be something like a billion dollars or more. The point is that there is no way this debt could be repayed no matter how much patience the King might extend. Working another 20 years would only be earning what he ought to earn for those twenty – it would not make up for the loss.

And so it is with our sin-debt.

Note fifth: The announcement of the Gospel is, that forgiveness for this un-repayable debt is to be had for all who would come, humble themselves and plead for mercy. God is so lavish, so gracious, so merciful that “through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:38-39). And that Jesus Himself said this is to be proclaimed to the world. What a wondrous Gospel it is we have to preach.

Note sixth: Grace must bear fruit. If it does not, the grace extended is forfeited.

The 17th Century English Divine authored the famous book “The Almost Christian Discovered.” John Wesley and George Whitefield would both go on to preach famous sermons by the same title. For the great danger is, that men can come under the realization of their great debt to God, and can believe that God forgives for Christ’s sake, and for a while walk in the elation of thinking their debt forgiven – who nonetheless, show that such mercy announced has made no real change to their nature. And reveling as they may in the thought of their being set free, still treat others as though there is no mercy or grace to be found at their hands.

And what will end of such be? The free offer rescinded. And the final end, as though mercy had never been received at all.

So it is Jesus closes the parable with His warning. Look and see. If grace extended has not wrought an inward change so as to become a vessel of grace to others, one can at last prove themselves to still be lost and undone. Like wicked Simon the Magician, who “believed” but was not changed. Who was baptized, but was never born again. Who heard the announcement of free grace, but sought to make merchandise of it to others. Who despite his profession at the time, proved to still be “in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. Who heard the facts of the Gospel, and rejoiced in them for a time, but was never born again by the Spirit of God.

Grace must bear fruit. If it does not, the grace received is forfeited. Like the seed which fell on rocky ground in Matt. 15. Something immediately sprang up. But with no depth of soil, what appeared withered just as quickly.

Our God forgives easily, freely, generously. But where grace bears no fruit, sin will yet be punished to the full.