St Matthew Chapter XVIII : Verses 21-35
Contents
- Matt. xviii. 21-35. Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
- Notes on the text.
Matt. xviii. 21-35
 |
| Christ teaches His disciples. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum. |
Tunc accedens Petrus ad eum, dixit : Domine, quoties peccabit in me frater meus, et dimittam ei? usque septies?
22 Jesus saith to him: I say not to thee, till seven times; but till seventy times seven times.
Dicit illi Jesus : Non dico tibi usque septies : sed usque septuagies septies.
23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened to a king, who would take an account of his servants.
Ideo assimilatum est regnum cælorum homini regi, qui voluit rationem ponere cum servis suis.
24 And when he had begun to take the account, one was brought to him, that owed him ten thousand talents.
Et cum cœpisset rationem ponere, oblatus est ei unus, qui debebat ei decem millia talenta.
25 And as he had not wherewith to pay it, his lord commanded that he should be sold, and his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.
Cum autem non haberet unde redderet, jussit eum dominus ejus venundari, et uxorem ejus, et filios, et omnia quae habebat, et reddi.
26 But that servant falling down, besought him, saying: Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Procidens autem servus ille, orabat eum, dicens : Patientiam habe in me, et omnia reddam tibi.
27 And the lord of that servant being moved with pity, let him go and forgave him the debt.
Misertus autem dominus servi illius, dimisit eum, et debitum dimisit ei.
28 But when that servant was gone out, he found one of his fellow servants that owed him an hundred pence: and laying hold of him, throttled him, saying: Pay what thou owest.
Egressus autem servus ille invenit unum de conservis suis, qui debebat ei centum denarios : et tenens suffocavit eum, dicens : Redde quod debes.
29 And his fellow servant falling down, besought him, saying: Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Et procidens conservus ejus, rogabat eum, dicens : Patientiam habe in me, et omnia reddam tibi.
30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he paid the debt.
Ille autem noluit : sed abiit, et misit eum in carcerem donec redderet debitum.
31 Now his fellow servants seeing what was done, were very much grieved, and they came and told their lord all that was done.
Videntes autem conservi ejus quæ fiebant, contristati sunt valde : et venerunt, et narraverunt domino suo omnia quae facta fuerant.
32 Then his lord called him; and said to him: Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all the debt, because thou besoughtest me:
Tunc vocavit illum dominus suus : et ait illi : Serve nequam, omne debitum dimisi tibi quoniam rogasti me :
33 Shouldst not thou then have had compassion also on thy fellow servant, even as I had compassion on thee?
nonne ergo oportuit et te misereri conservi tui, sicut et ego tui misertus sum?
34 And his lord being angry, delivered him to the torturers until he paid all the debt.
Et iratus dominus ejus tradidit eum tortoribus, quoadusque redderet universum debitum.
35 So also shall my heavenly Father do to you, if you forgive not every one his brother from your hearts.
Sic et Pater meus cælestis faciet vobis, si non remiseritis unusquisque fratri suo de cordibus vestris.
Notes
21. Lord., how often, etc. ? This question was evidently suggested by our Lord’s teaching concerning the reconciliation of enemies.
seven times. Seven is a number which expresses completeness. Perhaps St Peter suggested this number because he had heard Jesus say : If he sin against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day be converted unto thee, saying I repent: forgive him (St Luke xvii. 4).
In the book of Amos we read : For three crimes of Moab and for four I will not convert him (ii. 1). On these words the rabbis based their teaching that three offences might be overlooked, but not a fourth. “ The Jews were very fond of defining and limiting moral obligations, as if they could be accurately prescribed by number. Christ demolishes this attempt to define by law the measure of grace.”
22. seventy times seven, — i.e. an unlimited number of times — as often as, our brother offends against us. St Paul echoes his Masters teaching : And be ye hind one to another, merciful, forgiving one another, even as God hath forgiven you in Christ (Eph. iv. 32).
23. Therefore. This connects the parable with our Lord’s answer to St Peter. God would have us be merciful to others, even as He has been forbearing with us. This is the lesson of the parable, which, like that of “ the labourers in the vineyard,” was called forth by a question from St Peter. (See supra, xix. 27.)
take an account. “ In figurative language, the dealings of the earthly king with his servants are made to shadow forth the dealings of God with His creatures, and especially with us, the members of His Church on earth. To us He has permitted the use of great treasure-blessings of nature and of grace ; and even during our lifetime He will visit us, and enter into a reckoning with us ” (Ryan, vol ii. p. 334).
of his servants. The Greek word (δοῦλοι) used here does not mean slaves, but “ministers or stewards.” By the πραθῆναι of verse 25, they could not be slaves in the literal sense. But in Oriental language (see Herodotus, passim) all the subjects of the king, even the great ministers of state, are called δοῦλοι. The individual example is one in high trust, or his debt could never have reached the enormous sum mentioned. See Is. i. 18” (Alford, p. 175).
24. when he had begun, etc. God takes account, even in this life, by the setting of our sins before our face, — by awakening and alarming our conscience that was asleep before, by bringing us into adversities (2 Par. xxxiii. 11-13), by casting us into sore sicknesses (Job xxxiii. 19-30), into perils of death, so that there is not a step between us and it (4 Kings xx. 4) ; He takes account with us when He makes us feel that we could not answer Him one thing in a thousand, that our trespasses are more than the hairs of our heads ; when, by one means or another, He brings our careless carnal security to an end (Ps. xlix. 21 ; Acts xvi. 30). Thus David was summoned before God by the words of Nathan the prophet (2 Kings xii.) ; thus the Ninivites, by the preaching of Jonas (Jonas iii. 4) ; thus the Jews, by John the Baptist (St Luke iii. 3-14), (Trench, On the Parables, p. 152).
ten thousand talents. The talent was a standard weight of gold or silver, which varied in different countries. The sum was immense, even supposing the talents to be silver. If the Hebrew talent of gold be intended, then the sum would equal about £50,750,000, since one Hebrew talent was worth £5075. A minister of state would have enormous revenues passing through his hands, and could therefore defraud his lord of immense sums.
Ten thousand talents was the amount offered by Darius as a bribe to Alexander to cease waging war in Asia. This same amount was offered by Aman to Assuerus, in order to obtain permission to massacre the Jews. Cf. If it please thee, decree that they may he destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents to thy treasurers (Esther iii. 9). The point brought out here is the greatness of the debt that the sinner owes to God.
25. he had not wherewith to pay. Man is ever insolvent with regard to God.
his lord commanded, etc. The letter of the Jewish Law permitted this in the case of a theft. Cf. If he have not wherewith to make restitution for the theft, he shall he sold (Exod. xxii. 3). That this law was sometimes enforced for debt, we learn from the example of the poor woman, for whom Eliseus miraculously provided oil, that her sons might not be sold to pay their deceased father’s debts (see 4 Kings iv. 1-7).
This law was, however, mitigated by the custom of liberating such slaves in the year of jubilee, and in our Lord’s time it seems to have fallen into disuse. But Oriental despots were accustomed to treat debtors and criminals with great rigour, and a man’s crimes frequently brought ruin on all his family. Thus Aman was hanged and all his kindred before the gates of Susan (see Esther xvi.). Also we read that by the king’s commandment, those men were brought that had accused Daniel : and they were cast into the lions’ den, they and their children, and their wives (Dan. vi. 24).
payment to be made, — i.e. partial payment.
26. besought him. Better, “continued beseeching him” (προσεκύνει αὐτῷ). The imperfect tense in Greek points to the repetition of the action.
Have patience, etc. The original passage might be rendered “ wait a little longer” (Μακροθύμησον ἐπ’ ⸀ἐμοί). He asked for time to meet his liabilities.
I will pay thee all. The debtor promises more than he can possibly perform.
27. being moved with pity. By the man’s abject demeanour and earnest supplications. Thus God is touched when the sinner cries for pardon.
let him go .. . forgave him. The delator receives far more than he had asked or hoped for.
28. found one of his fellow-servants, etc. Probably an inferior official in the royal household.
an hundred pence. A sum equal to about £3, extremely insignificant when compared with the 10,000 talents.
laying hold, etc. The unmerciful servant at once has recourse to personal violence and abuse.
Pay what, thou owest. Lit. “ If thou owest somewhat, pay back ” (Ἀπόδος εἴ τι ὀφείλεις). This, however, is an idiomatic expression, of which the sense is correctly given in our Rheims Testament.
29. falling down, besought him, etc. The fellow-servant acts towards the unmerciful servant as the latter had acted towards the king.
30. he would not, etc. This verse illustrates the severity of men in their dealings with one another.
31. Now his fellow servants, etc. These servants, in their grief and indignation, went without delay to the master and told him “ accurately ” all that had happened (διεσάφησαν . . . . ν πάντα τὰ γενόμενα.). They informed against the unmerciful servant, not out of malice, but urged by a sense of justice.
32. Then his lord called him. He is summoned this time, and charged with the crime of having dealt harshly with his fellow-servant.
33. have had compassion. The king does not even insist that the lesser debt should have been remitted, but that the unmerciful servant should have been forbearing. The latter, forced to admit that the charge is just, makes no attempt to defend or excuse himself.
34. to the torturers. Debtors were sometimes tortured, in order to make them confess if they had concealed some treasures which might cover the amount due.
“ The idea is taken from the practice of Oriental despotism, which might thus punish an offence considered supremely detestable. In a mystical sense, these are the ministers of divine vengeance, who carry out the behests of the King.” Thus St James writes : judgment without mercy to him that hath not done mercy (ii. 13).
until he paid all the debt. This he could never do, hence his punishment was to last as long as his life.
35. So also shall, etc. Again our Lord interprets the parable Himself. The great lesson inculcated is the necessity devolving on us of shewing mercy to our fellow-men. On our conduct to them, our eternal salvation depends.
Note. — We are met with a difficulty here, since it seems that the pardon given in the first instance was cancelled by a subsequent crime. Hence it would appear as though God charged the sinner, who lapses again into sin, with the guilt of those offences which had been forgiven. This is explained thus : — God’s gifts are indeed without repentance (Rom. xi. 29), and He is faithful to His promises, so that when man repents sincerely, God casts his sins into the bottom of the sea (Mich. vii. 19), But by relapsing into sin man contracts a fresh debt, to which God must award a punishment as severe as that which the first offence merited, and in this sense the previous pardon is virtually cancelled, since the man not only does not in any way profit by it, but the very fact of his previously having been pardoned, renders his fresh offence more inexcusable.
Interpretation of the Parable of the. Unmerciful Servant.
The King. God the Father.
The Account taken. God calling men to give an account of their stewardship in this life.
The ten thousand talents. Man’s sins and offences against God.
The fellow-servant who owed an hundred pence. Our neighbour who offends us in small matters.
The anger of the king. The just wrath of God.
The punishment of the unmerciful servant. The spiritual punishment which awaits the unmerciful.
Lesson. — Man must forgive, if he would he forgiven.
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
No comments:
Post a Comment