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Parables are used by our Lord not only to tell important stories with deep theological meanings; they are used by our Lord to explain faith itself. The stories which Jesus told illustrated either a truth about the Kingdom of Heaven, or a truth about His own nature and work. But even beyond that, the fact that they were not understood by most, were not even understood sometimes by His own disciples without His later explanations, illustrate "how" faith is imparted. Not everyone with ears to hear, did hear. Not everyone who heard Jesus' messages "got it."

In the parable of the "unforgiving servant" the King decides to settle accounts with his servants. The King represents God and the first servant represents, at the beginning of the parable, all of you.

Accounts have to be settled. There has to be pay-back, recompense, and restoration; it's only fair. After Adam ate from the tree which the Lord told him not to eat from, the eating of its fruit which would bring about death, there had to be a "settling of accounts." It's only justice. While the world and the serpent were cursed, Adam was given a stay of execution. Oh, the man and His "help-mate" would die earthly deaths, but their real death was put on hold pending a different sort of "settling of accounts" which would occur outside Jerusalem on a dark Friday afternoon at 3:00.

You are all like the first servant when you look to yourselves. He looked at his pockets, his wallet, his own accounts, and had nothing. You look to your own powers, talents, inner resources, and you too have nothing. You owe 10,000 talents; that means you owe a debt so large that it is un-payable. You're not able to pay. You're not able to satisfy justice and make amends for that which has to be balanced. You too should be sold with all that you have, your stuff, which isn't worth the price that is owed.

If you realize all of this, praise be to the Lord, you have ears, and you have heard. That means you believe. That means you know your sin, it is "before your face," and that you are looking for a savior out of the terrible and fatal predicament you're in.

You fall to your knees asking, begging, for mercy. But even in this position of seeming contrition, some people don't yet "get it." Like the servant in the parable they're scared and aware of their impending fate, but even then still think there is something "they" can do. "Master, have patience with me and I will pay you all." The words from some "works righteous" synergist? Yes. But doesn't this also sound just like your "old Adam" as well when you try bargaining with God: "I'll be good, I'll change, I resolve to... I promise...I'll really start reading my Bible and coming to church...I..."

The first point of Jesus' parable is found in the Master's action, not in the servant's willpower. The point is contained in verse 27: "Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt." Note well, the Master didn't make the servant so that he had never incurred the debt, rather he forgave the debt. God doesn't make you perfect. God absolves you, forgives you your trespasses, let's you go free from your horrible bondage to Satan, the world, and your flesh. God wipes away your "account owed" like wiping the chalk of the added up "bill" from off his cosmic black-board. It's gone. But He wipes it away with His own hand, the pierced hands of His only Son. The marks against you are cleansed and scrubbed away by Jesus' own precious blood. Red blood makes white lambs.

But goats refuse to be lambs. Goats refuse to be washed. Many, most, refuse to believe in the forgiveness freely given them. Many, most, don't love the forgiving King, the merciful Lord, but instead reject Him and His grace.

Thus the second part of Christ's parable. The forgiveness of sins had all of its "input" on the cross at Calvary. When Christ suffered and died on that tree. He did it for the sin of the world. That is a true objective fact. But only those who have faith, receive this inestimable benefit. The "output" of His Body given and His Blood shed comes to His own when the Holy Spirit delivers them in the Word, and in the Sacraments. Those that receive Jesus by faith, those who believe in Him and believe that He has forgiven them all their evil, will act a certain way. They will. Those that don't believe will act the way the first servant in the parable did; they will grab others by the throat and demand payment for what they think is owed to them.

Being a sinner who has a hard time forgiving people.... that is not the unforgivable sin. Being a sinner who from time to time holds grudges and is petty and vindictive...those are not unforgivable sins. Not believing in the love and forgiveness of the Master, the Lord, the Christ...that is the unforgivable sin; not believing your sins are forgiven in Jesus' perfectly obedient life and atoning sacrifice; that is the unforgivable sin. It's the difference between Judas and Peter, between the first ungrateful servant and you. Like the unnamed woman who whet Jesus' feet with her tears of joy; you too can love much because you have been forgiven much, and because you believe! You do good works; you love God and your neighbor, and forgive your neighbor, because you have been forgiven everything.

In the Name of The Father and of The Son + and of The Holy Ghost