You Don’t Need More Time
In the parable of the Unforgiving Servant, in Matthew 18, the servant owes the king a ludicrous amount of money, ten thousand talents. In his book “Forgive” Timothy Keller notes, “the talent was the highest currency denomination in the empire, and ten thousand was the highest number for which the Greek language had a specific word.” (1). This servant isn’t sinking in debt; he’s sunk. He’s not in debt up to his eyeballs but up over his head a thousand miles.
Jesus uses a ridiculously high number to convey the obvious truth. This debt was so high it could never be paid back, which makes the servant’s request even more preposterous. He says, “be patient with me, and I will pay you everything” (Matt. 18:26). The fact the servant believes he can pay “everything” back reveals his denial and pride.
Instead of recognizing the gravity of the situation and confessing the magnitude of his debt, he asks for more time. But he couldn’t pay back what he owed the king, not with a thousand lifetimes. Because he can’t accept forgiveness, he has no forgiveness to give. Only forgiven people can forgive people, which is why he immediately starts chasing down the people who owe him. At the conclusion of the parable, he ends up in a prison of his own making because he couldn’t accept the king’s pardon.
What about you? How often do we postpone our pardon to try and pay God back for our sins? Instead of recognizing our bankruptcy and confessing our inability to ever reconcile what we owe. We ask for more time to pay off our debt, thinking we can actually work our way into his good favor. We keep toiling away like slaves when he wants to make us his child.
Stop postponing your pardon. Because if you do, like this servant, you’ll end up in a prison. You don’t need more time. An infinity wouldn’t be enough to settle your debt. If you have to earn your place, it wouldn’t be grace. If you have to earn forgiveness, then it isn’t forgiveness. Matthew 18:27 says, “the master released him.” That’s what forgiveness does; it releases you. It sets you and those around you free. Experience the release of God’s forgiveness. You will never be more ready than you are right now to receive God’s forgiveness and experience the release of reconciliation.
Keller, Timothy “Forgive” Viking, New York 2022