Foreign Debt and Unforgiving Servant

Synopsis     Deuteronomy 15:1-10         2/20/2018

Moses commanded the Israelites concerning debts between Hebrews. He directed that all debts were to be forgiven at the end of every seven year period. However, a debt owed by a foreigner remained.

Moses observed that if the Israelites obeyed God’s commands there would not be much need for lending and borrowing between Hebrews, but still the land would not lack for needy people. Additionally, the Israelites would find themselves lending to other nations, and even ruling over other nations.

Finally, Moses cautioned the Israelites to lend freely from the heart – and not to lend less near the end of a seven-year period when it was less likely to be repaid.

Foreign Debt and Unforgiving Servant

In Jesus’ parable, a king forgave the great debt of one of his subjects. Despite this, the subject refused to forgive another man a much smaller debt. He even had him placed in a debtors prison.

The debtors prison: according to the law of Moses, a Hebrew could only remain here until the beginning of the next seven year period. However, the man who had been forgiven but who refused to forgive was thrown into the prison until he “paid up” the entire debt.

Through this parable Jesus is saying; the person who is unwilling to forgive is not part of the Authentic Community. His debts remain because there is no forgiveness for the debt of a foreigner.

The person who refuses to forgive has made themselves a foreigner to God.

Forgive and you will be forgiven.

“Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt” Matt 18:34    http://usccb.org/bible/matthew/18:34