Just because there is a mention of “seventy-seven” in Ezra, does that really mean that Ezra has in purview here Jesus’ insistence of “seventy-seven” acts of forgiveness that follows His directive to treat an at-fault or offending-but-not-yet-repentant brother as a Gentile or tax collector? Along with that question, we continue to consider the potential reasons that stand behind the particular structure that is to be found here in Matthew, as the author uses the words and stories of Jesus to construct an ideal in the church community through which love and forgiveness will be on offer, while also being sure to deal with the continuously contentious issues surrounding Gentile inclusion within the covenant people of God.
What comes next in Matthew is rather suggestive that Ezra is in mind at this juncture, as Jesus offers up what has come to be known as the “Parable of the Unforgiving Slave.” This parable becomes a picture of both treatment and forgiveness in action. It does so along with a word of warning of the way that God will look upon those that do not abide by Jesus’ prescription. Here, we must reflect on the statement offered up by Ezra, originally called to mind through and following his use of “seventy-seven,” reflecting the experience of the returnees from Babylon during the era of Persian occupation, while also serving to adequately describe the prevailing situation in Israel under the Romans, which was “Although we are slaves, our God has not abandoned us in our servitude” (9:9a). This lines up quite nicely with what we will find in the parable. Together with that, in an era in which the cry of Rome, which it sought to put on the lips of all upon whom it foisted its dominion, was “No king but Caesar,” the respondent cry of an Israel that would not be assimilated and subdued was “No King but God!” Owing to that, thoughts and hopes and dreams concerning the coming kingdom of God were current; and of course, Matthew presents a Jesus that is primarily concerned with the advent of the kingdom of God. It is in the mindset created by this set of ideas---ongoing slavery, claims concerning kingship, and concerns about a kingdom---that we press forward into the parable.
As an obvious adjunct to what Jesus has just said, with no separation, division, nor delay, the parable begins with “For this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves” (18:23). The king, naturally, is the God of Israel. The slaves are the people of His covenant. “As he began settling his accounts, a man who owed ten thousand talents was brought to him” (18:24). This man is one of the already referenced slaves. He had an obligation to his king. However, “Because he was not able to repay it, the lord ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, children, and whatever he possessed” (18:25). This demands a reach into collective memory, with a recollection of Israel’s obligation to be a covenant light to the people of the surrounding nations and to bearing the image of God in representing His covenant to the world. Israel had failed to fulfill their end of that covenant. They did not meet their obligation, so their God “sold” them into both Assyrian and Babylonian exile.
Proceeding, we hear “Then the slave threw himself to the ground before him, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything.’” (18:26) This, because of the mindset and self-identifying history in which the hearers are steeped, is reminiscent of the prayers of repentance and restoration from exile that are to be found in the second book of the Kings, the second book of the Chronicles, Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. These prayers are best summed up with “if My people, who belong to Me, humble themselves, pray, seek to please Me, and repudiate their sinful practices, then I will respond from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). We learn that “The lord had compassion on that slave and released him, and forgave him the debt” (18:27). Indeed, in spite of their failures, and because of His faithfulness to His plan of redemption for His people and the world through them, because of their response to this demand, the Lord allowed His people to return to the land, to reconstruct the Temple, and to rebuild Jerusalem.
However, something disturbing happens. “After he went out, that same slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him one hundred silver coins. So he grabbed him by the throat and started to choke him, saying ‘Pay back what you owe me!’” (18:28). Israel, forgiven by their God and restored to their land, and supposedly re-committed to their role to be God’s light-bearer to the nations, once again closed ranks. By Jesus’ day, the barriers of exclusion had again been raised, and Israel was concerned only with their position as God’s covenant people and with God acting on their behalf to establish His kingdom for them. Gentiles were not only not their concern, but they were understood to be a source and locus of defilement. At the time of Matthew’s composition, the ongoing battle within the church was whether or not Gentiles had to accede to the ancient covenant markers of Judaism (circumcision, dietary laws, and Sabbath keeping), in order to fully participate in the covenant. That, presumably, was the debt that they owed to the Jews. They had failed to understand that they slaves that had been forgiven a great debt, and now they carried an obligation to extend that forgiveness to their fellow slaves, the Gentiles. Predictably, “his fellow slave threw himself down and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you.’ But he refused. Instead, he went out and threw him in prison until he repaid the debt” (18:29-30). Gentiles had been locked away from participation in the covenant, but Jesus goes to them and brings them within its fold.
However, this was not a universal situation. Not all were guilty. We must continue the multiple levels on which this is being heard (by Jesus’ original hearers and by the church communities in the late first century), acknowledging that some had understanding and were accepting of the non-exclusive kingdom message that Jesus had brought. “When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were very upset and went and told their lord everything that had taken place. Then his lord called the first slave and said to him, ‘Evil slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me! Should you not have shown mercy to your fellow slave, just as I showed it to you?’” (18:31-33)
Now, this is not a judgment against the Jews, but rather, an illustration of the historical situation, while also being an illustrated sermon of what Jesus has said is demanded of His people, so with the final words of this parable it is made clear what is the response of the God of Israel to those that fail to treat an offending brother as a Gentile or tax collector (according to what we have seen is the way that Jesus treats them), or if one fails to offer unending forgiveness to their covenant brethren. We read “And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture him until he repaid all he owed. So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive your brother from your heart” (18:34-35). As forgiveness and love form the functional basis for our relationships within the body that calls Jesus Lord, we do well to consider ourselves fortunate enough to be considered as Gentiles and tax collectors, while also having the opportunity to consider others as Gentiles and tax collectors as well.
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