Unlimited Mercy

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jan 28, 1913

Greatness of sin will not exhaust the abundant mercy of God. This is well illustrated by the parable recorded in Matt. 18: 23-35. The unforgiving servant had been freely forgiven by his king a sum which in round numbers may be stated as $10,000,000 (ten million dollars); but this servant would not forgive his fellow servant a sum equal to fifteen dollars. Now the former sum represents the sinner’s debt to God, the latter sum the sinner’s offense against a fellow sinner.

The free forgiveness of the king of the vast sum shows the unlimited extent of God’s mercy and forgiveness, while the refusal to forgive fifteen dollars shows man’s measure of mercy. There is no comparison between the two; for the fact that the king forgave the vast amount freely showed that his mercy was practically unlimited, while on the other hand there is no reason to believe that the servant would not have shown the same unmerciful spirit if the amount had been one dollar instead of fifteen. Truly does the Lord say: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon [“multiply to pardon”]. For My thoughts [of mercy] are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isa. 55: 7-9.