Larger Thought Unit
The larger unit for today’s reading is 17:24-18:35. Central to this entire section are the household rules of Christian behavior which are crowned or summarized in today’s reading about forgiveness. The introduction to the parable shows Peter requesting clarification on the technical matter of the limits or boundaries for forgiveness. Moses had set the limits at an “eye for an eye”. Peter suggests 7 times. Christ responds with unlimited forgiveness based upon the patience, compassion and mercy of God. The warning, of course, is an “in-house” warning to those in the church; it is they know well the compassion and mercy of God, and thus are both formed and bound by it.
Notes
This parable is an expansion on Luke 17:4. Peter is completing his learning process within the “church”—he is a disciple, not the master. And the master’s teaching concludes with the same comment he made in conjunction with the Lord’s prayer: “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart” (Mt 18:35); “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (6:14-15). This theme of mercy is central to Matthew as can be seen from his repeated reference (9:13; 12:17) to Hosea’s “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” Its centrality in this parable can be detected in the use of the verbs “feel pity for” (σπλαγχνισθεὶς, 18:27) and “have patience” (μακροθύμησον, 18:26, 29). The first is typical of Jesus’ attitude toward the needy (9:36; 14:14; 15:32; 20:34). The second refers to the practical outcome—patience—of this feeling of pity; in his patience the servant is to emulate his master (18:26, 29) just as the disciples are to emulate the heavenly Father in the matter of forgiving (6:14-15; 18:35). Finally, that mercy no less than divine (should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you? 18:33) is the ultimate basis for the outcome of the divine final judgment. This is clear from the fact that the phrases “settle accounts” (συνᾶραι λόγον, 18:23)[1] and “wicked servant” (δοῦλε πονηρέ, v.32) occur only once more in the New Testament, in the Matthean parable of the talents (25:19, 26, respectively), part of the chapter dealing with the final judgment.[2] Furthermore, the master’s “anger, wrath” (18:34) is reminiscent of the divine “wrath to come” (Mt 3:7/Lk 3:7).
One should note that this presentation of the messianic law of love for the neighbor in Matthew 18 follows upon the pericope concerning the freedom of the “sons” from their submission to the Jerusalem temple. This sequence parallels fully that found in Galatians: the stress on love as being the new rule (Gal 5:2-6:10) is the conclusion Paul draws from his comments regarding the status of the Galatians as children of the Jerusalem above (4:21-30).[3]
Further Resource
David E. Garland, Reading Matthew, Crossroads Publishing Company, NY, NY, 1995;
pp 186ff.
[1] Also as simply synairein (reckon) in v.24.
[2] See also 1 Thess 1:10 (wrath to come) and Rom 2:5, 8: 3:5; 5:9; 9:22; Eph 5:6; Col 3:5; 1 Thess 2:16; 5:9; Jn 3:36.
[3] Notice the conjunctions dio (so, Gal 4:31) and oun (therefore, 5:1).