The following is my translation of the notes and useful applications for the Holy Gospel for the Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity, Matthew 18:21–35, as they are found in Das Weimarische Bibelwerk (1877). Square brackets indicate my own notes and additions. For the useful applications, I recommend the reader see this very helpful article by Dr. Benjamin T. G. Mayes.
III. Peter’s conversation with Christ concerning brotherly reconciliation, and the parable belonging to it concerning the wicked servant. (v. 21–35)
Annotated Text
21. Then Peter came to Him (to Christ) and said, “Lord, how often must I then (according to Your admonition, Luke 17:3) forgive my brother (my neighbor and fellow Christian), who sins against me? Is seven times enough?”1
1 Greek: alternatively, “How often may my brother sin again me, so that I must forgive him? May it perhaps happen as many as seven times? (Peter must have thought so many times would be enough.)
22. Jesus said to him, “I say to you, not seven times, but seventy times seven (that is, as often as he offends you and asks you for forgiveness, you ought to be willing and ready to forgive him).
(Luke 17:4)
23. Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a king (The estate of the Church of God here upon earth can very justifiably be compared to a great and mighty king), who wanted to reckon with his servants (to inspect the income and expenditure of his servants, in order to learn how they have managed his goods).
24. And as he began to reckon, one came before him, who owed him ten thousand pounds (A talent or pound is estimated at six hundred crowns; therefore, ten thousand pounds thus makes six million crowns, or six tons of gold).
25. Now when he had nothing with which to repay, the Lord commanded him to be sold and his wife and his children and all that he had, and (from the redeemed gold) payment to be made. (For in previous times, the debtors who could not pay were sold along with all those who belonged to them into servitude, in order that his debt might be repaid from the money that had been obtained from them to the creditor.)
26. Then the servant fell down and prayed to him (that out of great humility he fell at his feet) and said, “Lord, have patience with me; I will repay you all.”
27. Then the Lord of the servant pitied him, released him freely (that neither he nor his wife nor his children might be sold), and also forgave him the debt (from pure meekness and goodness).
28. Then that same servant went out 1 and found a fellow servant who owed him a hundred pennies (A denarius or a penny is valued at one Schreckenberger, as we call it; ten denarii are reckoned approximately at one crown, and thus a hundred pennies make ten crowns); and he grabbed him and choked him (he grabbed him by the neck so that he might have strangled him) and said, “Pay me what you owe me!”
1 Greek: “But” [δὲ] (This little word already reveals the abomination of ingratitude.)
29. Then his fellow servant fell down (at his feet), and pleaded with him and said, “Have patience with me (do not press me so hard), I will repay you all (in time).
30. But he did not want to (wait with patience for the payment), but rather went and threw him (allowed him to be thrown) into prison, until he should repay what he owed.
31. But when his fellow servants saw such, then were very troubled and they came and brought everything before their Lord (they recounted to Him in an orderly manner), what had happened.
32. Then his Lord demanded him before Him and said to him, “You wicked servant (you ungrateful spiteful fellow), all this (great) debt I have remitted to you, because you prayed to me.
33. Should not * you also have had compassion upon your fellow servant, as I myself had compassion upon you?”
* Matthew 5:7; James 2:13
34. And his Lord was angry and delivered him to the tormentors (that they should cast him into prison and torment him therein, and also let him remain stuck in prison), 1 * until he should repay all that he owed Him (which could never have, for it was impossible for him to repay such a great sum).2
1 † For when bondservants had committed a great crime, they were not only thrown into prison, but rather also kept therein in harsh conditions.
* Matthew 5:26
2 Since he had forfeited the former forgiveness, and on the contrary had brought forth his old sins anew and approved them. See Ezekiel 33:12.
35. In this way * My heavenly will also do to you (He will punish you in a similar form), if each of you does not forgive his brother his faults (everything with which he offended him) from your hearts.”
* Mark 11:25–26 (Matthew 6:15)
Useful Applications
III. WARNING: Concerning irreconcilableness and mercilessness toward the neighbor, which is a sin that will be punished with the eternal torment of hell. (v. 33–35); DOCTRINE: Whereby all previously obtained forgiveness shall not help if one falls back again into the old sin or into a new sin. (v. 33–35)
PATTERN OF SOUND WORDS 