Welcome back to the podcast! Today, we’re wrapping up our “Generous” series—not with a lesson about money, but about something even more valuable: forgiveness.

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Forgiveness and the $18 Billion Debt: What Jesus Really Meant in Matthew 18

The average American household carries over $100,000 in debt, with over $6,000 in credit card balances alone. Debt is normal in our culture. But imagine this: someone walks up and says, “I just paid off your mortgage, your student loans, your credit cards, your car, and your kids’ college tuition.” You’d be speechless.

Now picture yourself turning around and blowing up at someone who still owes you ten bucks from last week’s lunch. That’s the exact contrast Jesus paints in Matthew 18. It’s extreme. It’s uncomfortable. And it’s meant to be.

Forgiveness Isn't Optional—It's Essential

Matthew 18:21-22

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”

“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!”

Peter thought he was being generous. Jewish tradition taught you only needed to forgive someone three times. So Peter more than doubled that—and Jesus blew it all out of the water. “Seventy times seven” wasn’t a number—it was a mindset. Forgiveness isn’t a ritual; it’s a daily posture.

Jesus’ Parable: The $18 Billion Dollar Debt

Matthew 18:23-24 (paraphrased)

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a king who called in his debts. One servant owed him 10,000 talents.”

In biblical terms, 10,000 talents is about 200,000 years’ worth of wages—roughly $18 billion today. Jesus was making a point: the debt was absurdly unpayable.

Why so much? The man was likely a tax farmer—someone who paid the empire upfront and then overcharged the people to make his profit. Corruption was baked into the job.

Matthew 18:25-27

“Since he couldn’t pay, the master ordered he and his family be sold. The man begged for mercy. The master had compassion and forgave the debt completely.”

The Greek word used here for compassion—splagchnistheis—refers to deep, gut-level mercy. This is the same word used for Jesus in Matthew 9:36 when he looked at the lost crowds and felt moved to act.

The Twist: The Man Who Couldn’t Forgive $30,000

Matthew 18:28-30

“But the forgiven servant went out and found a fellow servant who owed him 100 denarii (about $30,000 today). He choked him and demanded instant payment.”

It’s infuriating, right? This man had just been forgiven a ridiculous debt. Then he turns around and can’t forgive someone else a fraction of what he owed.

His fellow servant even used the same words: “Be patient with me and I will pay it.” But this time, the plea fell on deaf ears.

Matthew 18:31-34

“When the king heard what happened, he was furious. He threw the first servant into prison to be tortured until the debt could be paid.”

Which—spoiler alert—it never could. Endless torture was the point.

The Point of the Parable: Forgive Like You’ve Been Forgiven

Matthew 18:35

“That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”

This story is ultimately about your heart. About your capacity for compassion. About understanding that you owed God $18 billion—and He forgave you. So now, will you forgive the $30k someone else owes you?

What Forgiveness Is (and Isn’t)

Let’s get practical. Forgiveness doesn’t mean…

• That what happened was okay.
• That you’re pretending it didn’t hurt.
• That the other person gets off the hook.

Forgiveness does mean…

• You’re releasing the power that pain has over your heart.
• You’re choosing to stop letting bitterness control you.
• You’re giving a double gift—one to yourself, and one to the offender.

Hebrews 12:15 (NLT)

“Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.”

Forgiveness frees you. You can forgive even if they never say sorry. You can forgive and still have healthy boundaries. And most importantly, forgiveness reflects the heart of God.

Romans 12:18 (NLT)

“Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.”

Final Challenge: Picture That Person—and Forgive

You were in spiritual debt up to your eyeballs. God forgave all of it. So now think about that person who hurt you. Picture their face. Say their name. Ask God for the compassion—splagchnistheis—to forgive them from your heart.

This is what relational generosity looks like. And followers of Jesus should be the most generous people in the world.