ungratefulness

The Power of Perseverance

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

11 I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. 12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. 13 For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!

14 Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15 I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? 16 But granting that I myself did not burden you, I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by deceit. 17 Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you? 18 I urged Titus to go, and sent the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps? – 2 Corinthians 12:11-18 ESV

Paul confesses that he feels like a fool. All this self-promotion is out of character for him, but he tells the Corinthians that their silence forced him to do it. They are the ones who should have been commending him because they had been the recipients of his ministry and message. They had enjoyed the benefits of his self-sacrifice and loving commitment to share the gospel with them. As far as Paul was concerned, he had no reason to take a back seat to the “super-apostles” who were setting themselves up as his spiritual superiors. He had come to the Corinthians as an apostle of Jesus Christ, armed with the gospel and backed by the power of God as revealed in the signs and wonders he had performed while among them. This had been Paul’s modus operandi everywhere he went.

Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum. – Romans 15:18-19 NLT

Paul had not short-changed the Corinthians; he had treated them the same way he had every other Gentile community he had visited. The only difference was that he had not burdened them with providing for his needs while he ministered among them. Others had funded his ministry, and before that, he had paid his way by working as a tent maker. Yet, there were those who accused him of deception and craftiness, claiming that he acted as if he were sacrificing on their behalf while hiding that he was receiving outside aid. There were others who said that Paul had simply gotten money from them by sending his surrogates to collect it, under the guise that it would be used for the saints in Jerusalem. In other words, they were accusing Paul of sending Titus and others to take up a collection, all the while using that money for himself. It seems that, in the eyes of the Corinthians, Paul could do nothing right. His actions were constantly under attack, and his motives were always suspect.

But Paul pledges to keep on loving and giving, whether or not they return the favor. It was his sincere desire to return to Corinth for a third time, and he intended to act in the same way he always had. He would love them like a father loves his children. While he greatly desired that love to be reciprocal, he wasn’t going to let their lack of love prevent him from doing the will of God. He tells them, “I will gladly spend myself and all I have for you, even though it seems that the more I love you, the less you love me” (2 Corinthians 12:15 NLT).

Everything Paul had done for them had been motivated by love. He had sacrificed greatly so they might receive the gospel. He had already written two other letters, intended to encourage them in their faith and to provide them with wise counsel regarding real-life scenarios taking place in their midst. He was like a loving father, gladly providing for his children’s needs and willingly making sacrifices for their benefit. And while he would have longed for them to return his love, he would not let their distrust and disloyalty sway his actions. All his efforts were motivated by his desire to please his heavenly Father. When all was said and done, Paul was out to please God, not men; he was looking for the praise of God, not the praise of men.

Paul’s only regret was that he was having to waste time defending himself before the Corinthians. There were other pressing needs he would have preferred to address. Instead of wasting time “boasting” about his qualifications and defending his actions, he would have preferred to help them grow in their faith. Paul was a teacher, yet he had to spend all his time playing defense attorney.

He could have given up and written off the Corinthians as too stubborn and hard-headed to waste any more of his valuable time on them. But Paul was committed to their spiritual well-being and was not content to see them languish in their faith and settle for the status quo. He would not allow their complacency to deter his commitment to the call of Christ on his life. He was out to make disciples, and nothing was going to stand in his way, including the damaging accusations of false apostles, the lack of love from those to whom he had shared the gospel, or the constant time spent defending his motives and reputation. His attitude remained, “I will gladly spend myself and all I have for you” (2 Corinthians 12:15 NLT).

Father, nobody likes to have their motives questioned, especially when their efforts are sincere and well-intentioned. So, it is understandable why Paul was so frustrated with the Corinthians. He had done nothing wrong, yet all his efforts on their behalf were under attack and unappreciated. His character was being attacked in an effort to undermine his authority. Yet, he never gave up or threw in the towel. It would have been so easy for him to dismiss the Corinthians as ungrateful and unworthy of his time and energy. But he saw himself as Your servant and was willing to take abuse for Your sake. As ministers of the gospel, we will not always be understood or appreciated. Our message will be rejected by some and our motives will be questioned by others. People will falsely accuse us and attempt to undermind our efforts. But, as difficult as that may be, we have to remember that we work for an audience of one: You. Never let me forget that. When I begin to lose heart because others seem to dismiss or even discredit my efforts, remind me of Paul’s unwavering commitment to his commission. He was not a quitter. When it came to his Christ-ordained mission, he refused to be distracted, deterred, or defeated, and that is the mindset I want to have. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Famine of Forgetfulness

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

31 Then a wind from the Lord sprang up, and it brought quail from the sea and let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the ground. 32 And the people rose all that day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail. Those who gathered least gathered ten homers. And they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. 33 While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck down the people with a very great plague. 34 Therefore the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had the craving. 35 From Kibroth-hattaavah the people journeyed to Hazeroth, and they remained at Hazeroth. – Numbers 11:31-35 ESV

The Israelites got what they wanted and, unexpectedly, exactly what they deserved. They had grown sick of the manna that God miraculously provided for them and began to express their craving for the more varied diet they had enjoyed back in Egypt.

“Oh that we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.” – Numbers 11:4-6 ESV

This craving or deep longing (אָוָה – ‘āvâ) for Egyptian cuisine had begun among “the rabble that was among them” (Numbers 11:4 ESV). This appears to be a reference to the non-Jews who had joined the Israelites in their exodus from Egypt. In the book of Exodus, Moses recorded that a “rabble of non-Israelites went with them” (Exodus 12:38 ESV). This mixed multitude likely consisted of Egyptians as well as individuals who were from other ethnic backgrounds. After having endured the ten plagues that the God of the Israelites had brought against Egypt and then witnessed the devastating deaths of all the firstborns, these people had chosen to align themselves with Moses and his powerful deity.

Many of these people were probably slaves just like the Israelites or were from the lower classes of the Egyptians. They had seen the exodus as an opportunity to escape their impoverished conditions and improve their prospects for the future. But after a year of traveling through the wilderness alongside the Israelites, they began to question their decision and long for their former lives back in Egypt. It seems unlikely that their prior circumstances had been quite so enjoyable as they recalled. While the Nile would have provided them easy access to fish and the fertile soil of the Nile Valley produced an abundant supply of fruits and vegetables, the lower-class status of this “rabble” would have made most of these delicacies unaffordable and inaccessible.

Yet, they couldn’t stop thinking about the “good life” back in Egypt. Their cravings and desires got the best of them and their growing dissatisfaction with God’s provision slowly infected the rest of the community. Before long, the people of Israel were all expressing their desire to return to Egypt.

“Who will give us meat to eat? For it was better for us in Egypt.” – Numbers 11:18 ESV

At the core of their complaint was a distrust of God. They were declaring their doubt in His ability to provide for their needs. In their minds, God was incapable of providing the fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic they had enjoyed in Egypt. In a sense, they were suggesting that Egypt and, by extension, Pharaoh, had done a better job of meeting their needs. They were demanding that God accommodate Himself to their wants and desires. He needed to get with the program and give them what they wanted: Meat with all the fixin’s.

And God agreed to give them exactly what they asked for. He informed Moses to tell the people, “…the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the Lord who is among you” (Numbers 11:18-20 ESV).

They had allowed their physical desires to get the best of them and, driven by their cravings for temporal delights, they rejected the providential plan of God. The apostle Paul provides an apt description of this kind of materialistic-minded outlook.

Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. – Philippians 3:19 NLT

They had lost sight of the prize. Rather than patiently waiting on God’s promise of a land flowing with milk and honey, they fixated on the apparent deprivations of the moment and refused to place their hope in the future blessings to come.

The last five verses of chapter 11 describe how God gave them what they desired as well as what they deserved. A wind (רוּחַ – rûaḥ) blew from the southeast that carried with it an abundance of quail. These migratory birds were miraculously blown off course and divinely directed to this very spot. And when they came to rest, the text states that they were as far as the eye could see, stretching as far as one day’s journey on either side of the camp. This made the normally skittish birds easy pickings for the Israelites.

So the people went out and caught quail all that day and throughout the night and all the next day, too. No one gathered less than fifty bushels! They spread the quail all around the camp to dry. – Numbers 11:32 NLT

It was like shooting fish in a barrel. Everyone was able to gather as much quail as they wanted; there were no limits imposed by God. So, driven by their greed, the people spent all day and night hoarding all the quail they could catch, and Moses records that they let their appetites get the best of them.

But while they were gorging themselves on the meat—while it was still in their mouths—the anger of the Lord blazed against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. – Numbers 11:33 NLT

The people showed no sign of awe or respect for God. They displayed no gratitude for His gracious provision. Instead, they gorged themselves on the quail. Perhaps, in their greed, they even ate the meat raw, and in doing so, violated God’s prohibition against consuming blood (Leviticus 7:26). But whatever the case, their blatant display of ingratitude and unbridled, animal-like cravings brought down the judgment of God.

It was like a feeding frenzy. The rapacious actions of the people revealed their lustful hearts. They ate as if they were starving but God had been providing for their physical needs all along the way. There had always been enough manna to meet their dietary requirements. But their gorging down of the quail had less to do with hunger than gluttony, and that fact is revealed by the name given to the place where God poured out His anger on His rebellious and gluttonous people.

So that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah (which means “graves of gluttony”) because there they buried the people who had craved meat from Egypt. – Numbers 11:34 NLT

While not everyone died that day, the entire nation of Israel was guilty of forsaking God and worshiping their appetites. It’s likely that some gathered the quail and set it aside for future consumption. Rather than greedily gorging themselves, they gratefully collected what they needed, recognizing it as just another gift from God.

God knew the needs of His people. He was fully aware that food was a non-negotiable necessity for their survival, and He had provided more than enough to sustain them all along the way. But their demand for something better proved to be an affront to God’s sovereignty and providence; they were questioning His integrity and goodness. Their actions revealed their doubt in His providential care. By greedily consuming the quail, they also displayed their inordinate desire for the things of this earth. Unwilling to wait for the inheritance God had in store for them, they demanded immediate gratification of their physical appetites, and God obliged them.

The people got exactly what they wanted and more. They greedily stuffed their mouths with meat with no thought as to how their actions were viewed by God. There is no indication in the passage that they expressed thanks to God for His gracious provision. No offerings of thanksgiving are presented to God. The sheer number of quail should have been a sign to the people that this was a miracle from God but, driven by their appetites, all they saw was meat as far as the eye could see. And their eyes proved to be bigger than their stomachs.

But even as the meat was still in their mouths, God repaid them for their blatant display of ingratitude and disturbing demonstration of uncontrolled gluttony. He meted out meat and justice at the same time. He gave them what they desired and exactly what they deserved. They enjoyed the momentary pleasure of gorging themselves on quail but, as a result, they also encountered the more permanent experience of God’s holy and righteous judgment. Moses records that God “struck them with a severe plague” (Numbers 11:33 NLT). We are not told the nature of this plague but it resulted in the deaths of all those “who had the craving” (Numbers 11:34 ESV). There is no indication as to who these people were or how many fell victim to the plague but their deaths impacted the rest of the Israelite camp. They got the point behind God’s judgment and renamed the location “Graves of Gluttony.”

The deaths of the victims weren’t due to bad meat but to bad behavior. They didn’t die as a result of gluttony or overeating. Their mistake was not that they craved good things but that they failed to trust their good God. They had viewed His providence and provision as unacceptable and unappealing. So God repaid the wicked for their ingratitude and insubordination. He purged the camp and purified His people of this contentious and contagious rabble. But it seems that the survivors had to endure a steady diet of quail for an entire month. Even after the conspirators were dead and buried, the people of Israel had to continue to gather and gag down quail – just as God had warned them.

“Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will have to eat it. And it won’t be for just a day or two, or for five or ten or even twenty. You will eat it for a whole month until you gag and are sick of it.” – Numbers 1: 18-20 NLT

The psalmist describes exactly what happened in the wilderness.

Yet how quickly they forgot what he had done!
    They wouldn’t wait for his counsel!
In the wilderness their desires ran wild,
    testing God’s patience in that dry wasteland.
So he gave them what they asked for,
    but he sent a plague along with it. – Psalm 106:13-15 NLT

Their real sin was forgetfulness, not greediness. They allowed their physical desires to cloud their judgment and confuse their thinking. Rather than focus on all the incredible things God had done for them, they fixated on what was lacking. They let their desires run wild and allowed their personal preferences to take precedence over God’s providential care. Rather than trust God and wait for His counsel, they demanded that He fulfill their cravings, and they got exactly what they asked for. Their feasting was actually a famine of forgetfulness.

“There are times when God grants an unwarranted request in order that men may learn through experience the folly of their desires.” – G. Campbell Morgan, An Exposition of the Whole Bible

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

An Appetite for Disobedience

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. 17 And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone. 18 And say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was better for us in Egypt.” Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. 19 You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, 20 but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before him, saying, “Why did we come out of Egypt?”’” 21 But Moses said, “The people among whom I am number six hundred thousand on foot, and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month!’ 22 Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, and be enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, and be enough for them?” 23 And the Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord»s hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not.”

24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. 25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.

26 Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” 29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” 30 And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp. – Numbers 11:16-30 ESV

Moses was feeling a bit overwhelmed by his responsibilities as the leader of Israel. From the very first moment he had introduced himself to them as their God-appointed deliverer, he had run into opposition. Even when he had successfully led them out of Egypt and across the Red Sea, they proved to be far from compliant and quick to complain. He had been forced to deal with their rebellion at Sinai, when they had begun to worship the golden calves while he was on the mountaintop receiving the Ten Commandments from God.

They were incessantly complaining about everything, from the quality of the food to the scarcity of water. There were those who questioned Moses’ leadership skills and tried to displace him. There were others who tried to mount an insurrection and orchestrate an immediate return to Egypt. Hardly a day went by when Moses wasn’t having to deal with a disgruntled Israelite or face another round of searing criticism. And he had reached the limits of his patience. So, in a state of frustration and self-pity, he decided to turn in his resignation to God.

“I can’t carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!” – Numbers 11:14-15 NLT

But God wasn’t going to let Moses off the hook quite so easily. He had more for His servant to do. And God was aware that the Israelites were stubborn people who could be disobedient, disrespectful, and ungrateful. Even on a good day, they were difficult to manage. But when things didn’t go the way they expected or desired, they could be virtually ungovernable and intolerable to deal with.

So, God instructed Moses to choose 70 men from among the elders and leaders of Israel. These hand-picked individuals would serve as Moses’ assistants and provide him with much-needed help in managing the day-to-day affairs of the nation. To ensure their capacity for godly leadership, God promised to anoint them with His Spirit. And to prove to the people that these men had been appointed by God, they would receive the gift of prophecy.

“Prophesying here does not refer to prediction or even to proclamation but to giving (in song or speech) praise and similar expressions without prior training (see the comparable experience of Saul in 1 Sam. 10:9-11)” – Eugene H. Merrill, “Numbers.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament, pp. 215-58.

Their ability to prophesy would testify to their status as God’s chosen messengers. These men were already recognized as leaders among their people, but now they would be seen as God’s messengers and Moses’ co-administrators.

“They will bear the burden of the people along with you, so you will not have to carry it alone.” – Numbers 11:17 NLT

Having dealt with Moses’ complaint about feeling overworked and overwhelmed, God turned His attention to the peoples’ criticism of the cuisine. They had expressed great displeasure with God’s culinary skills, citing their distaste and disgust for the manna He had provided. They were sick of it and demanded a change in diet. They wanted meat.

“Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed. “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!” – Numbers 11:4-6 NLT

So, God informed the Israelites that He was going to give in to their demand.

“Purify yourselves, for tomorrow you will have meat to eat. You were whining, and the Lord heard you when you cried, ‘Oh, for some meat! We were better off in Egypt!’ Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will have to eat it. And it won’t be for just a day or two, or for five or ten or even twenty. You will eat it for a whole month until you gag and are sick of it.” – Numbers 11:18-20 NLT

The old adage, “Be careful what you wish for” applies here. In demanding that God give them meat to eat, the people were rejecting the provision of God. They had turned up their noses at the manna He had graciously and miraculously provided. Driven by their physical appetites and controlled by their senses, they had dared to question God’s goodness and began to dictate that their own will take priority over His. They knew what was best.

And God promised to fulfill their wish – in abundance. For a solid month, they would consume nothing but meat. Their chosen diet would soon become repugnant to them. They would come to the point where they longed for the manna of God but would only find more meat on the menu. And this novel 30-day diet plan was God’s way of punishing them for their rejection of Him. This was not about food choices but about their unwillingness to submit to God’s will for them. At the heart of their demand for meat was their rejection of God’s entire redemptive plan for them.

“For you have rejected the Lord, who is here among you, and you have whined to him, saying, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’” – Numbers 11:20 NLT

God was attempting to move them forward – toward Canaan – but they were constantly looking backward – toward Egypt. They refused to trust God’s plan for them. They disliked His chosen path for their lives and wanted to return to the “good old days” of Egypt. But their memories were clouded and their faith had been contaminated by a fear of the unknown and the unpleasant. Their journey to the promised land had not turned out to be a walk in the park. It had been a year since they left Egypt and there were still wandering in the wilderness with no clear end in sight. But the blessings of God required obedience. If they wanted to enjoy His presence, power, and provision, they would have to trust Him. They would have to submit to His will. But for the next 30 days, they would have to submit to His discipline in the form of a meat-only diet.

But when Moses heard what God planned to do, he immediately questioned the logic and logistics of it all. He couldn’t fathom how God intended to provide enough meat to feed that many people. Even if they slaughtered all their livestock and emptied the rivers and streams of every fish, they wouldn’t have enough meat to feed all the people for a month. So, Moses informed God that His plan was impossible. But God reminded His doubting deliverer that He was fully capable of carrying out His plan.

“Has my arm lost its power? Now you will see whether or not my word comes true!” – Numbers 11:23 NLT

God didn’t tell Moses how He was going to accomplish His miracle of the meat. All Moses needed to worry about was selecting the 70 men and bringing them to the tabernacle for their anointing by the Spirit. Which Moses did. And God fulfilled His promise, pouring out His Spirit upon the men whom Moses had chosen and empowering them to prophesy. For some reason, two of the men never made it to the tabernacle. Yet, even though they had remained in the camp, the Spirit of God descended upon them, and they too experienced the gift of prophecy. And when Joshua heard about these two men, he demanded that Moses put a stop to what he believed to be an unauthorized display of divine power. Yet, Moses refused to do so, instead expressing his desire that every single Israelite would receive the same anointing of God.

“Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all!” – Numbers 11:29 NLT

For whatever reason, Eldad and Medad had stayed behind in the camp. Yet they had been chosen by Moses and were therefore anointed by God. Their proximity to the tabernacle was not essential to their calling. Their distance from the rest of the 70 men had no impact on their eventual anointing by God. Sixty-eight men ended up prophesying at the tabernacle while two prophesied in the camp. But all 70 displayed the Spirit’s power and God’s approval of their role as His servants. And Moses wished that all the people of Israel could experience that same degree of divine endorsement.

While the people would not receive the anointing of the Spirit, they would have a different kind of blessing poured out upon them. God was going to fulfill His promise of meat on a grand scale. And Moses and the rest of the Israelites would learn that God’s arm had not lost is power – to provide and to punish.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Day 72 – Matthew 18:1-35

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

Forgiveness Should Be Contagious.

Matthew 18:1-35

“Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.” – Matthew 18:27 NLT

Leave it to Peter to ask the question that everyone else is probably thinking, but no one is brave enough to ask. “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” (Matthew 18:21 NLT). Now we have whether this was just a hypothetical question or if Peter had someone in mind. Chances are, as much as he and the other disciples argued about who was the greatest, there could have been more than a few of them he felt like he needed to forgive. But regardless of his motivation, Peter pops the question to Jesus, and I feel pretty certain that he thought he was going to get an affirmative response from Jesus, along with a commendation for his forgiving spirit. After all, Peter probably thought seven times was way more than enough times to forgive anybody.

But Jesus surprised Peter by saying, “No, not seven times, but seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22 NLT). By my math, that is 490 times and that’s an awful lot of forgiving! And before Peter can recover from his shock and ask another question, Jesus launches into a parable about the Kingdom. He tells the story of a king who had a servant who owed him a great deal of money. So much so that the servant was totally incapable of paying back the debt. The king, operating fully within his rights as king, ordered that the servant be sold into slavery in order to satisfy at least a part of what he owed. On top of that, the king ordered that his wife and kids be sold as well, and everything he owned be liquidated to pay against his debt. Of course, the man was beside himself and begged the the king for time. He vowed that he would somehow pay back the debt, in spite of its insurmountable size. Jesus says that the king was “filled with pity for him.” The word he uses literally means “to be moved as to one’s bowels, hence to be moved with compassion, have compassion.” The king looked at the man’s hopeless situation and his complete incapacity to do anything about it, and instead of doing what He was totally justified in doing, he ordered the man’s debt completely paid. He forgave him of his entire debt. He walked away a free man. What a relief. What a burden lifted. What an incredible, gracious, unmerited gift. This guy should have been on cloud nine. He should have run home and grabbed his wife and kids and shouted for joy.

Instead, Jesus said, “he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He basically owed him the equivalent of about three months wages. About this time in the story, you would expect that this servant is going to excitedly and eagerly offer this man the same treatment he had received from the king. But no. He “grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment” (Matthew 18:28 NLT). Shocked and surprised, the fellow servant begged for more time. He vowed to pay the debt in full. But the first servant refused to listen (and forgive), having him arrested and thrown in prison until the debt could be paid in full. At this point, Jesus has the disciples hooked. They are totally engaged with the story and enraged with the actions of the ungrateful servant. So when Jesus continues the story and says that a group of fellow servants witnessed all that had happened and reported it to the king, the disciples were probably nodding their heads in agreement. And then the king called the servant back into his presence, they were probably beside themselves with joy. He was going to get exactly what he deserved! But Jesus was reserving the real message of this story for the end. The king addresses the man and says, “You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Should you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?” (Matthew 18:32-33 NLT). Then the king had the man thrown into prison where he would be tortured until the day his debt was paid in full. And the inference is that, because of the size of his debt, that day never came.

Jesus concludes his story with the following statement: “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart” (Matthew 18:35 NLT). Like Jesus had done so many times with the Pharisees, He had used a simple story to point out a major truth to the disciples. He was exposing a principle of the Kingdom. We are all debtors to God, owing Him a debt we could never pay. We owe Him righteousness and complete holiness, and it is beyond our ability to come up with. And the penalty is death. But when we come to Him, acknowledging our debt, confessing our sin, and accepting the payment of His Son’s life in place of ours, we receive complete forgiveness. Our debt is wiped clean. He showers us with undeserved mercy and grace. And as a result, we should be willing to do the same to those whose debts to us are miniscule in comparison. This passage is not teaching that we can lose our salvation if we refuse to forgive others. It is simply stating that those who have been forgiven much and recognize the magnitude of the gift, will automatically be willing to forgive others. Their hearts, transformed by the presence of the Spirit of God, will want to extend to others the very grace, mercy and forgiveness they have received.

Father, we can be so unforgiving at times. We act as if what others do to us is of earth-shattering consequences. And as a result, we withhold forgiveness from them. We seem to want to make others suffer for what they have done to us, when we have received nothing but forgiveness from You. Never let us lose sight of the sheer size of the debt we owed. It was insurmountable and we were totally incapable of ever paying it back. But You forgave us. Not only that, You paid it in full by offering the life of Your Son in place our place. May we learn to forgive as we have been forgiven. Amen.

Ken Miller

Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org