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| Chrysoprasus | Posted: Saturday, July 27 2002 5:56 pm
Post subject: to fully understand what was happening
User Location: USA |
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| First, to fully understand what was happening, let's look at why the events in this parable happened the way they did.
It was common practice in these times that if a person owed somebody else, the person they owed was allowed to sell him, and his family, as servants until the debt was paid off. Here's another example of where it happened, this one in the old testament. 2 Kings 4:1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. A more detailed description of this practice is found in Leviticus:
LEV 25:39 And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:
LEV 25:40 But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubilee.
LEV 25:41 And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.
LEV 25:42 For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen.
LEV 25:43 Thou shalt not rule over him with rigor; but shalt fear thy God.
LEV 25:44 Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.
LEV 25:45 Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession.
LEV 25:46 And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigor.
So this is what we see happening at the beginning of this parable. There was the servant of a man who owed his master a debt, and he was unable to pay it. The master did what was common in that time....prepared to sell him, his family, and his possessions in return for the payment owed. The servant begged for more time, and his master had compa/s/sion. He could have just had *some* but and gave him more time to come up with what he owed, but instead he had TOTAL compa/s/sion, and forgave the amount owed.
The amount forgiven was approximately $16,180,000.
After he was forgiven, this servant then went to one of his fellow workers who owed him (approximately $14). He choked him and demanded his payment. His fellow worker requested the same thing the servant had requested.....more time to pay what he owed.
You'd think that a man who'd just been forgiven an amount that nobody at that time would have been capable of paying off would understand and be compa/s/sionate towards another in the same position...and this wasn't even CLOSE to the same amount! Yet he didn't...he was angry and unforgiving, and had the man imprisoned.
When his master found out what he had done, he reminded him of his previous debt, and wondered that the servant didn't have the same compa/s/sion on his fellow worker.
The master then reinstated the debt. I'm not sure what the tormenters were...I'd guess it was worse than being sold, unless it means the same thing. Someone else can jump in and explain this part.
Anyhow, the moral of the story? Do unto others as you'd have done to you! Christians, you have been forgiven a debt you could have never paid. In comparison to that, how hard can it be to forgive your fellow men offenses against you?
Chrys _________________ Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth.
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| Courtney MacRae | Posted: Saturday, November 20 2004 12:57 am
Post subject: Listen if you have ears
User Location: Queensland, Australia |
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| As you treat others in life so to shall ye be treated.
Forgive others and you will be forgiven. Be merciful to others and God will show you mercy.
What we see in life is a dim reflection of ourselves.
God does work through everyone and every thing.
The good the bad and the ugly.
Be merciful to thers when they wrong you, forgive them and you will find that people will treat you the same.
Love your brother as you love yourself.
Forgive others and God will forgive you.
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