The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand—The Book of Matthew · Pastor Adam Wood · Matthew 18:21–35 · November 30, 2025

Transcript:
Matthew chapter 18, and we will add the second part of what we looked at this morning. Matthew chapter 18. Matthew chapter 18. And we'll begin reading in verse number 21 tonight. Now this morning we were talking about the issue of a trespassing brother. That is someone who has sinned against us and sinned against God and then also caused harm to us as a result of their sin. And the response, the biblical response to that person, and we looked at the various, at least some of the facets and reasons why the Lord says that this is the way to handle it. But it is natural when you're dealing with this issue of a trespassing brother that you come to the question of forgiveness. That is a natural outcome to the issue of someone that has sinned against you. Now in verse 15 and verse number 16 and 17 we see the progression where it's the issue or the sin and the addressing of that starts between just two people. And then it rises to three or four and then it goes to the whole church. And if still that person who is in sin refuses to repent and confess his sin, then he's to be of course disfellowshipped. But and that's of course the worst case scenario. That is not what the desire, the Lord's desire or it should not be our desire for sure when trying to address these kinds of issues. But that is sometimes the case. But what we address starting in verse number 21 is not the case of the man who refuses to repent, but the man who does repent. The man who does acknowledge his wrong and the man who does confess his sin. Because just because that happens, just because the person acknowledges what they've done and has confessed it does not mean that all of a sudden it's going to be simple for you as a person who has been hurt to just get over it and to forgive that person. And so that's why I say it's natural that the question of forgiveness is addressed by the Lord. Actually, it's brought up by our brother Peter immediately after this. But it follows directly with the question of trespasses. So we're going to start in verse number 21 and read down through the end of the chapter. Verse 21 says this. Then came Peter to him and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven. Verse number 23. So Peter asked the Lord about how often we must forgive someone. And then he and so the Lord in response to Peter's question, after he answers a question, he gives Peter a parable. Now note, like in many cases, the parable is directly interpreted for us in the last verse of the chapter. So you don't have to really you don't have to understand. You don't have to like figure out what the purpose of the parable is because the Lord tells you in the in verse 35. But verse 23 says this. 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, he was one was brought unto him which had owed him ten thousand talents. But for as much 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. You know, I won't take a long time here, but there's something to be said about the mention of not only the man, his wife, his children and his property. In other words, this man is in debt to God. And what is happening? It is affecting his whole family, right? His sin in the sight of God, because this is the picture of a man who does not who is who is not a believer, who is in great debt to God. And God debt in the obviously in the form of sin and how that sin has so dreadfully impacted his whole family. Verse 26. The servant therefore fell down and worshiped 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 in hundred pence. And he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou o'est. 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 servant 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 desirest 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 also do unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. Let's pray together. Lord, in heaven we thank you so much for your word. Lord, we thank you for the sustenance and nutrition, spiritual nutrition that your word gives us on a regular basis. Thank you for your people that have gathered here tonight. And I pray, Lord, as they are ready to hear from your word that you, Lord, would be the speaker and the teacher and that you would help us to have a clear understanding of this truth of forgiveness and how you present it in this passage. Please guide me to help your people, Lord. Our eyes are upon you. In Jesus' name, Amen. I want you to note the word trespass. Note the word trespass in verse number 35, the last verse of the chapter. I'm trying to connect it to what we read this morning in verses 15 to 20. Because verse 35, the Lord gives the interpretation of his parable, but he uses the word trespass and the last word of the chapter, he says, If ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. So again, that's the same idea is a sin in the sight of God, which is affecting another. So we're actually, whether we're talking about forgiveness or whether we're talking about dealing with a trespass in verse 15 to 20, we're actually talking about the same issue. We're actually talking about the same issue. Now in this parable, there are two debts that are in view. There's what you might call a vertical debt, that is a debt between the servant and the king. Verse 24 says this, And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him which owed him ten thousand talents. So that's the vertical debt. It has to do with God, ourselves in God. And then there's what we might call a horizontal debt. That's just my term. Verse 28, But the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him an hundred pence. So this man also, there's a debt here between two servants. So there's this way and then there's this way. Now if you notice in verse number 24, the debt between the servant and the king or Lord is ten thousand talents. And the debt between the two servants, the one servant to the other is one hundred pence. Now we won't go into all the details about a pence, which we've studied it before, but the idea of a pence was you got one of those for one day's labor, sun up to sun down. So essentially 12 hours of work got you one pence, a British, obviously a British term. But it's just a pence is a reference to what in history is called a denarius, which is a Roman piece of money. So I'm just going to throw out some numbers because I want us to really understand the difference and the comparison between these figures of ten thousand talents and one hundred pence. So if you take one day's wage, which is one denarius, one pence, and I'm going to just put forth, say you work for twenty dollars an hour, just throw in a number out there, a nice round number, and you work eight hours a day, that would be a day's wage, one hundred sixty dollars. So you ear...