The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-02-09
SUNDAY MEDITATION.

Practical Duties Taught by Study Of the Inter-
national Sunday school Lesson Appointed for
Feb. 49, st. Matt, Is: 21-35.
Zone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
indicated above.l
SUBJECT: CHRIsT's PARABLE OF THE UNFoR-
GIVING SERVANT, OR THE Two DEBTORS.
This parable was uttered in June A. D. %,
1850 years ago. 1t was written in the year 90,
or after an interval of 30 years from the time
it was spoken. Christ was in his 33d year Of
life, and the 3Sth of his ministry. 1t was ut
tered in Capernaum at the house of st. Peter.
Mark, L. 49, The speaker of the parable was
Christ. The hearers were the Disciples. (St.
Matt, 1871. We probably are to understand
by the Disciples the Twelve Apostles. One of
them is mentioned by name-to wit, st. Peter
in Verse q.
The occasion of the parable was the question
Of St. Peter, How oft shall my brother sin
against me, and / forgive him +? till seven
times" In the first place Christ answered
the question direct, thus: " ] say not unto thee
Until seven times; but, Until seventy times
seven" In st. Luke, 17:4, we find it is
Christian duty to forgive $50 times daily. 1t is
thought by many that Verse 10 suggested st.
Peters question. In that verse Jesus said: f" If
thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and
tell him his fault between thee and him alone"
st. Peter wanted to know how many times he
/ tween an offender and himself. Some hold
that the Apostle Peter by reason Of his for
Wardness and the jealousy of his associates
caused by the concentrations OF Christ VERSES
/ 1920 Of Chapter 49, became an object of envy
and hence of dislike on the part of the IL Apos-
| ties, and that as a consequence he met with
many unkind criticisms and rebukes he was
! hurt by their conduct, and asked the question
Of Verse q so as to place himself in right at
| titude toward them. Is there no end to pa
! thence? he meant. Must endure this always,
and say nothing adverse2
| st. Peter thought he reached Wondrous
| stretch of charity when he suggested seven
times as the limit of forgiveness. Seven was
| in early times among the Hebrews styled a
complete number full rounded fgure-and
was often used in the sense of frequency or a
| multitude. The Jewish teachers enforced the
| duty Of forgiying three times, but not four
| times. ST. Peter more than doubled the usual
and orthodox limit He gave the three plus
four of Amos, l: 3. But Christ outdid the Apos-
tle He replied, Forgive 400 times every day.
(See st. Matt, 16: %, and st. Luke, II: 4.
Contrast Gen., : pa It was better Christ fix
high but definite number than any uncertain
number. This may be hyperbolic stretch Of
charity. With the limitation placed on the
duty Of forgiveness in st. Luke, 17:4 to wit,
the repentance of the offender Christ's rule is
practicable and obligatory. In the case of true
repentance your forgiveness is not thrown
away, and whenever it can be serviceable let
it be exercised. 1t is not supposed you are to
keep an exact account and stop forgiving at
the 491st ofense. You are always to be in a
charitable mood Never be off guard.
Therefor" ". 49, Now comes the Parable
of the Two Debtors, uttered for the very pur.
pose of illustrating our Savior's reply to St
Peter 1t sets forth the principles which
should guide US in our relations TO each other
Godfc nf
with offenders against divine laws.
Let us first look at the parable literally
The persons who figure in it are King and
his advisers. Most Of the Governments of that
day were kingly and autocratic. By the Kings
servants are not meant slaves or menials, but
officers Of trust, satraps, persons receiving mon
eys into the royal treasury and expanding
therefrom. No ordinary or manual employC
could owe such sum as that due from thC
greater debtor.
One of these servants Is mentioned in partic
ular. Great confidence had been put in him
Websters Dictionary, in defining the Hebrew
talent, tells US the value ranges from 81 ,645 tt
$1,916. Take the mean value, to wit, 81, 7s050
Ten thousand talents would then equal SIT,
sos 600. The King demands financial report
from this servant, and the officer cannot &C
count for nearly $18,000,0O0 lie says: " Have
patience with me and | will pay thee all.
We must suppose this only an intense form o
plea. The man could never make up such {
deficit. Hence it was not promise to pay
but petition for mercy. The result confirms
this view of the matter, for the King released
him from any obligation to pay the debt. III
! had compassion on the debtor. The litera
meaning Of the word compassion in Verse 81 i
to feel the bowels yearn over one. Webste
says, in his dictionary, the bowels are eth
seat of pity or kindness" Shakspere says t
one lacking in tenderness, "Thou thing of III
bowels" Compassion and pity" in Vers
33, are both from the Greek verb eleeo, from
which we get our word eeemosynary, an
means pity accompanied by determination t
assist.
The officer thus released goes forth an