Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-30
Doctrine Illustrated by Parable.

The picture presented in this parable
is oriental. 1t is of a king who is the
absolute owner of his servants. He sum-
mons them before him and demands that
they give an account OF their dealings
with him. The condition of one of them
was found to be hopeless. He owed his
king 10000 talents. This was an enor-
nous sum. 1t Appropriated ten millions
of dollars, sum which at that time was
fabulous. The case was one CT theft.
The man had wasted the kings revenue
by shameless extravaganza. The law of
Moses required that he and his family
should be sold CEN. 23:3). And this is
said to be the condition in Syria until
this day. The man, greatly alarmed. fell
down before the king and worshiped him.
saying: Have patience with me and |
will pay thee ALL
1t was vain promise, wrung from him
by fear. The king. seeing that the case
was hopeless, touched by pity, Graciously
by this illustra ton is the hopeless in
debtedneSS of the sinner to God. Pay
ment is impossible. There is nothing with
which to pay. Time, talent, energy, pos
sessions, all belong to God. If for every
moment of the future all that we have
and all that we are should be consecrated
to Him and used in His service it would
be no more than the demands of God
upon us for that time. Nothing Of the
vast indebtedness of the past could ever
we are ever free it will be through the
boundless grace of Gcd. The sinner is
bankrupt. He has nothing to pay.
There's Wilderness in Gods mercy like
the Wilderness of the sea" The lord OF
that servant was moved with compass
sion and loosed him and forsave the debt.
But the story proceeds: But the same
servant went out and found enc of his
fellow-servants which owed him debt
Of hundred pence 0ess than mil
labt md !, Lotto
hands on him. and took him by the
throat, saying: Pay me that thou owest!'
AS he had done before this. his fellow
servant fell at his feet; he pleaded for
patience. and promised in due time to
paw him ell
One would have supposed that the mag
nanimity of the king in forgiving him a
debt so vast. and one which. had pay
ment been demanded. would have been so
hopelessly crushing. would have so
that it would have been impossible for
him to have been severe and exacting
with a fellow servant. But this Is a
result that does not necessarily follow.
The picture is true to life. And he
would not: but went and cast him into
prison till he should pay the debt"
The practical lesson of this parable
comes home to us all. The parable says
that when the king heard of the conduct
of the man whom he had forgiven he was
ness and delivered him to the tormentors,
till he had paid all that was due him.
The plain meaning of this is that unless
we forgive those who have trespassed
against us we cannot be forgiven of
God This is an old truth. but it is one
the Importance of which we find it diff
cult to grasp. How many Christians.
men and women, all around the globe
are unwilling to forgive the offense of
some slight word or the deed of some
though.less moment while they are ask
ing God to forgive them for the gross and
daring and persistent offenses of many
years! The parable teaches us that while
we cherish an unforgiving spirit our
prayers for pardon will not be an
swered. The language of the thirty-dfth
verse is as emphatic as 1t is terrific: so
likewise shall my heavenly Father do
also with you If you from your hearts
forgive not every one their trespasses.
The last lesson is this. God does not
forgive such because they are unforgivable
The unforgiving spirit is not conscious
of it's own transgressions. Besides, it
lacks humility, and penitence. In such
q condition it cannot realize its peril
nor can it exercise faith in the pardoniug
love of God The unforgiving spirit
closes the door of mercy, because 1t
sleeps the soul in the gall of bitterness
and binds it fast with the bonds of ini-
guilty. Let us remember we cannot
change the laws of God: besides, He
Himself has taught us to pray. Forgive
us our trespasses as we forgive those
who treSpaGs against u.s."