Matthew 18:21-35

What is Forgiveness?

Forgiveness isn’t an act of will or a reaction to an apology. Forgiveness is an act of faith, faith in response to the extravagant sacrifice, grace, and mercy of God.

In this parable, the king freely forgives an enormous debt, releasing the slave from what is owed. The king’s forgiving release stops what would be a cascade of destruction for the slave and his whole family. Instead of destruction, the king’s forgiveness creates a new future for generations. Instead of a story of tragic loss and imprisonment, the king’s forgiveness becomes a testimony of extravagant sacrifice, grace, and mercy.

The slave’s debt was far beyond repayment, so far that we question how this enormous debt could have been accumulated in the first…