“When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were
greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.” Matthew 18:32
The Lord gives us an example of a servant who is shown great
mercy but who does not show mercy to his fellow servants. He
is the opposite of one described in the fifth beatitude. “Blessed is he
who is merciful for he shall receive mercy.” In this parable we see
see the exact opposite behavior.
When his fellow servants saw what had taken place Others saw
what the unmerciful servant had done. They are also fellow servants of the master. The Lord says they saw what was done (the word for saw means they grasped the spiritual truth behind the act). God’s word says “be sure your sin will find you out” and in this parable it surely does. Perhaps his peers saw the other servant being thrown in debtor’s prison. We don’t know how they found out or how long it took them to discover what had happened but they did.
They were greatly distressed Other have an immediate reaction to the unmerciful servant’s behavior. Distressed means they have a deep, emotional pain like severe sorrow, grief or sadness. The word is often used of the pain of childbirth. Why were they distressed? They obviously understand this is not the way the master behaves and it should not be the way the master’s servants treat each other.
They went and reported to their master The fellow servants do not go to the unmerciful servant. Perhaps they know there is no reason to try and talk to him. They do not gossip about his actions to each other. They take the issue directly to the master. The word reported means to explain fully. His acts are described in detail so the master knew exactly what happened. Note also there are multiple witnesses to this offense. The master is sure of the facts. We see here the application of the principle “judge not that you be not judged”. The fellow servants had no authority over their peer and it is not their responsibility to condemn or condone his actions. They take it to the master. He alone will judge the actions.
All that had taken place We don’t know what was said but we get the point. The master hears everything, he knows all. He likely is told the action taken, the attitude exhibited and the words used. The master who was moved with compassion to forgive a massive debt now is moved with indignation that the same mercy is not shown by one who received it.
What can we learn? First, we see the surety of this man’s accountability to the master. If the scripture says a man will give an account “for every idle word he speaks” how much more will he give an account for actions that were thought out and intended? Second, we see an act of mercy shown by the other servants. They see the way their fellow servant is treated. They are moved with compassion for him and take his cause to the master. They do not take matters into their own hands nor do they publicly demean the unmerciful servant. They are upset and heartbroken but go to the one in charge. Finally, we see that those whose hearts are not changed by God to show mercy to others do not belong to the master. Being poor in spirit and broken hearted over our sin creates a softness so that showing mercy to others who harm us cannot be helped.