Saturday, 11 April 2026 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ Matthew 18:28 “And the servant, that, having withdrawn, he found one of his co-servants who he owed him a hundred denarii, and having seized him, he choked him, saying, ‘You pay me any you owe.’” (CG) In the previous verse, Jesus continued the parable of the unforgiving servant, noting that his master forgave his debt. He continues now, saying, “And the servant, that, having withdrawn.” The meaning is that having been released from custody, he withdrew from the presence of his master a free man. In this state, and probably very relieved concerning his situation, it next says that “he found one of his co-servants.” A new word is seen, sundoulos, a co-servant. It is comprised of sun, with or along (the word denotes union), and doulos, a slave, and thus a servant. As such, these two are on an equal standing within the society. However, the words continue, saying, “who he owed him a hundred denarii.” Another new word is used, the verb opheiló, to owe. It refers to monetary obligation, but figuratively, it can refer to one’s obligation, meaning what should or must be done. A denarius was equal to about a day’s wages. A hundred denarii would thus be worth a bit more than three months’ wages. It isn’t chump change, but it is also whoppingly less than the amount he owed his master in the previous verses. Vincent’s Word Studies says, “Less than a millionth part of his own debt.” Without saying why this servant takes the next action, Jesus continues, saying, “and having seized him, he choked him, saying, ‘You pay me any you owe.’” What would prompt him to act in this way can only be speculated, but the fact is, he owed his own master a huge sum of money. It was more than any servant could ever pay off. As such, he was a money-waster. Further, if this guy owed him money, it quite probably came from his own debt. Three months’ pay for a servant, especially if he was a bonded servant, would be hard to earn. Everything about this smacks of a person who is irresponsible. Adding in the poor treatment of his co-servant, he is also an uncaring buffoon. And yet, he is not done with his buffoonery, as will be seen in the coming verses. Life application: It is easy to quickly forget about unpleasant circumstances, tough times, unhappy events, and so forth. Our minds tend to repress such things quickly. In the case of this servant, he was just forgiven a giant amount, and yet he is like the dog who rushes to his vomit, not considering how different his life was just a short time earlier. It is good to remember who we were and where we came from in relation to our time with Jesus. To forget our past sin will easily lead to us treating other sinners who need Jesus with contempt, as if we were so much better than they are. This is true with nations. Going to a nation that is filled with poverty, you will see people who appreciate the small things in life. They are generally humbler and accept things with a much different attitude than wealthier countries. However, if that poor country suddenly becomes wealthy, something that happens from time to time, a sense of arrogance builds in the nation as the old challenges are quickly forgotten. This has happened to Asian, Eastern European, Latin American, and South American nations in the past century. They no longer have the humble attitude that was once evident among the people. In our lives, we should try to remember our roots, consider others better than ourselves, and be willing to help others towards reconciliation with Jesus, just as someone once took the time to do with us. Proper doctrine is good and honorable, but we all started with no doctrine at all. So, we should likewise have a gentle attitude towards those who are at a different level of Christian understanding in their walk with the Lord. Such things are good and right as we live our lives in the presence of God. Lord God, may we be kind, caring, and patient with others. Even if we have more money, knowledge, ability, etc., than they do, the fact is that others excel us in those ways as well. May we strive for the betterment of ourselves and others always. To Your glory. Amen.
