Parable of the Unforgiving Servant–How Many Times Should I Forgive?

How many times should we forgive someone who wrongs us? Peter asked Jesus this exact question — and Jesus answered with the Parable of the Unforgiving (or wicked) Servant (Matthew 18:21-35). In this sermon, we look at a servant who is forgiven an impossible debt by his king — a debt equivalent to hundreds of millions of dollars — only to turn around and refuse to forgive a fellow servant who owed him a small fraction of that amount. Jesus uses this parable to teach us something profound about God's mercy toward us, and what that mercy demands of us in return. We all carry a debt to God that we could never repay in a thousand lifetimes. And yet, by his grace, that debt has been wiped clean. The question this sermon asks is simple but convicting: if we've received that kind of mercy, how can we withhold forgiveness from others? 📖 Gospel Lesson: Matthew 18:21-35 In this sermon, we cover: Peter's question — where are the boundaries of forgiveness? The king who forgave an impossible debt. Why the servant's hard heart cost him everything. What it means to forgive "from the heart". How withholding forgiveness affects our relationship with God. If this sermon speaks to you, share it with someone who needs to hear it today.