Feb. 04, 2024

Jesus answers questions on forgiveness, marriage, and divorce,

Matthew Lesson 32 Study Questions

1.    Up to seventy times seven: Jesus answered unexpectedly, saying we are to forgive the repentant an __________ number of times. Unlimited is surely the idea behind up to seventy times seven; it would be strange if Jesus expected us to count offenses against us up to 490, and at the 491st offense, to deny forgiveness.

2.    Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all: The promise of the servant made no sense. He spoke as if all he needed were patience; that if he were given enough ______ he could actually pay this ________ debt. The disciples listening to Jesus would think this was humorous.

3.    The master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt: The master showed _______ prompted by ___________, forgiving a debt that obviously could never be ________ – despite whatever promises the servant made.

4.    One of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii: The servant who had just been forgiven an unpayable debt went out and found the one who owed him money. Upon meeting him, he immediately assaulted him (took him by the throat) and demanded payment. The debt was real. 100 denarii was roughly equal to 100 days’ wages. This was not an insignificant amount, but it was almost ________ compared to the debt _________ by his master. It was actually 1/600,000 of the debt owed to the master by the first servant.

5.    You wicked servant… delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him: When the master heard of this, he was understandably angry. It was just wrong for a man who has been forgiven so much to then be so ____________. He then gave the first servant what he deserved – ________ instead of ______.

6.    So My heavenly Father also will do to you: The principle is clear. God has forgiven such a great debt, that any debt owed to us is absolutely ____________ in comparison. No man can possibly offend me to the extent that my _____ have offended God. This principle must be applied in the little things done to us, but also to the great things done unto us.

7.    If each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses: “We should not forgive another person who sins against us until they are properly repentant. God doesn’t forgive me without my repentance; therefore, I must withhold forgiveness from others who sin against me until they properly repent.” That thinking is wrong, because I do not stand in the same place as God in the equation, and I never can. God stands as One who has never been forgiven and never needed ___________; I stand as one who has been forgiven and needs __________ forgiveness.

8.    So, My heavenly Father also will do to you: It would be wrong to make this into the idea that unforgiveness itself is the _____________ sin. It is better to say that forgiveness is __________ of truly being forgiven, and that _________ unforgiveness may show that a person’s heart has never really been touched by the love of Jesus.

9.    Have you not read: The Pharisees wanted to talk about divorce and rabbinical _________, but Jesus wanted to go back to the ___________ and talk about marriage. 

10.    The two shall become one: “The reference is primarily to the physical fleshly unity. But flesh in Hebrew thought represents the entire man, and the ideal unity of marriage covers the whole nature. It is a unity of _____ as well as of ______: of sympathy, interest, purpose.”