Because of this, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, who would make a reckoning with his servants.
3 sermons cite this verse
… Jesus, as he often did, answers the question with a fictional story, a parable. It's recorded in Matthew chapter 18, starting at verse 23. Jesus said, For this reason, the kingdom, the rule and reign of heaven has become like a certain king. who wished to settle accounts with his servants. And as he was settling, one servant was brought before him who owed 10,000 talents. 10,000 talents, which would have taken the average day laborer somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 million workdays to pay back an impossible debt. And so, because he could not pay it, the master ordered that the servant be sold. along with his wife and his children and all that he had and payment to be made. So the servant fell down before him and pleaded with him, saying, Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything. But because the master was moved with compassion for this servant, he released him and forgave him the debt. Then that same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, a hundred days wages, and grabbing him, he began to choke him, saying, pay what you owe. …
… as many as seven times? Jesus said to him, not seven times, but I tell you, 77 times. For this reason, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him 10,000 talents was brought to him. And as he could not pay, his Lord ordered him to be sold together with his wife and children and all his possessions and payment be made. So the slave fell on his knees before the king saying, have patience with me and I will pay you everything. And out of pity for him, the Lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii. And seizing him by the throat, he said, pay what you owe. Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, have patience with me and I will pay you. But he refused. Then he went and threw him into prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, They were greatly distressed. They went and reported to their Lord all that had taken place. …
We're looking at, we started a series that I guess could be called a series on character or virtue. At least a lot of people would use those words out in our culture for what we're going to be talking about. But I don't think it's not, it doesn't fit. Those are not adequate terms. We saw last week that Paul, in the famous love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13, says that we must remember that morally virtuous behavior can arise out of a heart filled with deep spiritual emptiness. In other words, what Paul said, just a real brief summary. He says people can live, they can be loyal to their families, they can be generous to the poor, deeply committed to moral principles and to biblical principles as well. And the heart motive for that, the force for that, the dynamic for that, can be one of self-centeredness, self-absorption, self-interest, self-righteousness. So see, a character, morally virtuous behavior can arise out of a heart that hasn't actually been changed, that hasn't really been supernaturally changed. …