A Hanukkah/Christmas Mashal: “Don’t Get Scrooged!”

1. From a Jewish point of view Christmas is really perplexing
2. In the Messianic Age Christmas will be replaced by Sukkot
3. The Mashal of the Original Scrooge
   
4. An incredibly large sum of money was owed
5. The Generous King was more rich than King Solomon
6. We all owe a debt that is beyond our ability to repay
7. The lack of forgiveness of the Ungrateful Servant was inexcusable
8. The Ungrateful Servant built himself his own personal prison to live in
9. In the Kingdom of God forgiveness is a compulsory act!

From a Jewish point of view Christmas is really perplexing:

It appears presently Christmas has more to do with gross materialism–greed–more than it is a celebration of the Eternal Light of God coming into the womb of the Jewess Miryam. Furthermore, we are somewhat embarrassed that the gentile world at the advent of winter is celebrating Christmas when it should be celebrating Chanukkah. For we believe the time of the conception of Messiah was on Chanukkah. So the winter is not the time of Yeshua’s birth. The Messiah was born in the fall; on the first day of Sukkot!

In the Messianic Age Christmas will be replaced by Sukkot:

We are told by the prophet Zechariah that one day, we believe in the near future, the whole gentile world will correct this glaring error—regarding when to celebrate the birth of the Messiah Yeshua— when all of the nations and peoples of the world will learn to correctly celebrate the Messiah’s birthday on the Festival of Sukkot.

Therefore, it is written in Zechariah 14:16:

והיה כל־הנותר מכל־הגוים הבאים על־ירושלם ועלו מדי שנה בשנה להשתחות למלך ה’ צבאות ולחג את־חג הסכות׃

וְהָיָה כָּל־הַנֹּותָר מִכָּל־הַגֹּויִם הַבָּאִים עַל־יְרֽוּשָׁלִָם וְעָלוּ מִדֵּי שָׁנָה בְשָׁנָה לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֹת לְמֶלֶךְ ה’ צְבָאֹות וְלָחֹג אֶת־חַג הַסֻּכֹּֽות׃

“Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the Melekh, Adonai Tseva’ot and to celebrate Chag Ha-Sukkot.”

The Mashal of the original Scrooge:

Messiah spoke about the original Scrooge who never took advantage of the opportunity of the second chance. This highly wealthy and successful person failed to sincerely repent of his maltreatment of his fellow humanity; nor did he ever know the joy of receiving the regenerating life of the Spirit of Grace. Here then is a special Jewish story for the winter holidays that all of us should take to heart:

עַל־כֵּן דּוֹמָה מַלְכוּת הַשָׁמַיִם לְמֶלֶךְ בָּשָׂר וָדָם שֶׁהָיָה יוֹרֵד לְחֶשְׁבּוֹן עִם־עֲבָדָיו׃ וְכַאֲשֶׁר הֵחֵל לְחַשֵׁב הוּבָא לְפָנָיו אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר הָיָה חַיָּב לוֹ עֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים כִּכְּרֵי זָהָֽב׃ וְלֹא הָיָה־לוֹ לְשָׁלֵּם וַיְצַו אֲדֹנָיו לִמְכֹּר אוֹתוֹ וְאֶת־אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת־בָּנָיו וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ וִישַׁלֵּם׃ וַיִּפֹּל הָעֶבֶד עַל־פָּנָיו וְיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לוֹ לֵאמֹר אֲדֹנִי הַאֲרֶךְ־לִי אַפֶּךָ וַאֲשַׁלֵּם לְךָ הַכֹּל׃ וַיֶּהֱמוּ מְעֵי אֲדֹנֵי הָעֶבֶד הַהוּא וַיִּפְטְרֵהוּ וַיִּמְחֹל לוֹ אֶת חוֹבוֹ׃ וַיֵּצֵא הָעֶבֶד הַהוּא מִלְּפָנָיו וַיִּמְצָא אֶחָד מֵחֲבֵרָיו וְהוּא חַיָּב־לוֹ מֵאָה דִינָרִים וַיַּחֲזֶק־בּוֹ וַיַּחְנְקֵהוּ לֵאמֹר שַׁלֵּם אֵת אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה חַיָּב לִי׃ וַיִּפֹּל חֲבֵרוֹ לִפְנֵי רַגְלָיו וַיְבַקֵּשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ לֵאמֹר הַאֲרֶךְ־לִי אַפֶּךָ וַאֲשַׁלְּמָה לְּךָ הַכֹּל׃ וְהוּא מֵאֵן וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיַּנִּיחֵהוּ בַּמִּשְׁמָר עַד שֶׁיְּשַׁלֶּם־לוֹ אֶת־חוֹבוֹ׃ וְהָעֲבָדִים חֲבֵרָיו רָאוּ אֶת־אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה וַיֵּעָצְבוּ מְאֹד וַיָּבֹאוּ וַיַּגִּידוּ לַאֲדֹנֵיהֶם אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה׃ וַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו אֲדֹנָיו וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אַתָּה עֶבֶד בְּלִיַּעַל אֶת־כָּל־הַחוֹב הַהוּא מָחַלְתִּי לְךָ יַעַן אֲשֶׁר־בִּקַּשְׁתָּ מִמֶּנִּי׃ הֲלֹא הָיָה גַם־עָלֶיךָ לְרַחֵם עַל חֲבֵרֶךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר רִחַמְתִּי־אֲנִי עָלֶיךָ׃

על כן דומה מלכות השמים למלך בשר ודם שרצה לערך חשבון עם עבדיו. כאשר החל לחשב הובא לפניו איש שהיה חיב לו עשרת אלפים ככרי כסף. כיון שלא היה לו לשלם צוה אדוניו למכר אותו ואת אשתו ואת בניו ואת כל אשר לו כדי שישלם החוב. כרע העבד והשתחוה לו באמרו, ‘אנא, היה סבלן כלפי ואשלם לך את הכל.’ נכמרו רחמי האדון על העבד ההוא, פטר אותו וותר לו על החוב. כשיצא העבד ההוא מצא את אחד מחבריו העבדים שהיה חיב לו מאה דינרים. תפס אותו בגרונו ואמר, ‘שלם מה שאתה חיב!’ נפל חברו לרגליו ובקש מאתו, ‘אנא, היה סבלן כלפי ואשלם לך’. אלא שהוא לא הסכים ועוד הלך והשליך אותו לכלא עד אשר ישלם את החוב. כשראו חבריו העבדים את הנעשה התעצבו מאד ובאו וספרו לאדונם את כל אשר היה. אז קרא לו אדוניו ואמר לו, ‘עבד רשע, את כל החוב ההוא מחלתי לך משום שבקשת ממני. האם לא היית צריך גם אתה לרחם על חברך העבד כשם שאני רחמתי עליך?פ

Mashal (משל)

Therefore, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a certain king of flesh and blood who was going down to settle accounts with his servants. When he had began to settle a man was brought before him who was indebted to him for ten thousand kikkarim (talents) of gold. But since he did not have any way to repay, his master commanded to sell him, along with his wife and children and all that was his, for repayment to be made. The servant fell down on his face (prostrated himself before him), saying, “Master, be slow to anger with me, and I will repay everything to you.” The master of that servant was moved with compassion, so he released him and pardoned him of his debt. That servant went out from before him and found one of his fellows who owed him a hundred denarim. He grabbed him and (began to) choke him, saying, “Pay me what you owe me!” His fellow (servant) fell down at his feet and entreated him, saying, “Be slow to anger with me, that I may repay everything to you!” But he refused (was unwilling), and he went and left him in prison until he should pay back his debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were very upset, so they came and told their master all that had been done. The master called to him and said to him, “You worthless servant! I pardoned your whole debt in response to your request to me. Was it not incumbent upon you to show mercy to your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?”

Nimshal (נמשל)

ובכעסו מסר אותו אדוניו לנוגשים עד אשר ישלם את החוב כלו. ככה גם אבי שבשמים יעשה לכם אם לא תמחלו איש לאחיו בכל לבבכם.פ

וַיִּקְצֹף אֲדֹנָיו וַיִּתְּנֵהוּ בְּיַד הַנֹּגְשִׂים עַד כִּי־יְשַׁלֵּם אֶת־כָּל־חוֹבוֹ׃ כָּכָה יַעֲשֶׂה לָכֶם גַּם־אָבִי שֶׁבַּשָׁמָיִם אִם־לֹא תִמְחֲלוּ אִישׁ לְאָחִיו בְּכָל־לְבַבְכֶם׃

His master became angry and gave him over to the torturers until he should repay his whole debt. “My Father who is in heaven will do the same to you, if you do not completely pardon (forgive) others from your heart.”

An incredibly large sum of money was owed:

The amount owed in the story, by the unmerciful servant, is an extremely large sum (cf. Mattai 18:23-35). Ten thousand talents was an amount equal to sixty million denarim (denarii) and one denari was a normal daily wage. Contrast this amount with Herod’s annual income, which was nine hundred talents. Solomon’s temple, world renowned for the massive amount of gold it contained, possessed an amount of just over eight thousand talents (1 Chronicles 29:4-7). Incredibly, this man owed ten thousand talents. An ancient talent normally weighed between seventy-five to one hundred and ten pounds. So the forgiven amount was just over twelve million *ounces of gold!

*During Chanukkah 2023 one ounce of gold is worth more than $2,000.00.

The Generous King was more rich than King Solomon:

The story setting is placed at the court of an oriental potentate, where gold flows like water and the courtiers are called ‘servants.’ The debtor to the king was likely a man of high rank. Ancient kings assigned provincial governors to collect their taxes and administer their affairs throughout their kingdoms. For this king to have forgiven the vast sum of ten thousand talents, he would have had to be a person who possessed greater material wealth than King Solomon. This extreme degree of material affluence, existing on a grand millennial scale, would not have escaped the notice of the Jewish populace of Messiah’s day. More inspiring was the King’s extreme generosity, compassion, and forgiveness. In a very real sense the debt forgiven was nonetheless a debt owed to the Forgiving King himself.

We all owe a debt that is beyond our ability to repay:

The story of the Unforgiving Servant is a deconstructing one. It addresses our taken-for-granted assumption that forgiveness is a preferential option and not a Divine compulsory act. The story opens us up to the possibility that our own personal experience of Divine forgiveness has been so great that we are morally obligated to give forgiveness to whoever has need of it. This redemptive story of Messiah revises our thinking and re-authors our lives. We have been forgiven a debt which is beyond all paying; for the sins of every person have brought about the death of God’s own Son. The Messiah’s payment of our inestimable debt of sin to God has re-storied our lives. It has inverted our sense of entitlement. No temporal debt owed to us can ever in any way compare to the eternal debt we owe God. Our debt to the heavenly Father has placed such a severe obligation upon us that others are entitled to obtain whatever forgiveness they need from us.

The lack of forgivenenss of the Ungrateful Servant was inexcusable:

The high ranking servant’s blatant public insensitivity to the preferences of the Forgiving King was insulting and disgraceful. The Ungrateful Servant in his impudence, self-importance, and lack of compassion and mercy had harmed the Good King’s name, reputation, and word. The reputation of a king is enhanced by the loyal behavior of his subjects. A subordinate, especially one of the high rank and privilege enjoyed by this man, should have known that he more than others was expected to live his life and administer his affairs in perfect accord with his king’s noble words and deeds. The Forgiving King’s generous and compassionate act of mercy toward his high ranking servant obligated not just the governor but all of the kings’ servants to do likewise. Therefore, the Message here is by accepting the Divine forgiveness we are all obligated to forgive all others who have need of our forgiveness. Tragically, the unmerciful servant who owed ten thousand talents or twenty million ounces of gold, could not bring himself to forgive his fellow servant who owed one hundred denarii (roughly three months pay for an average laborer). This decision greatly and cruelly harmed the humble servant, his wife, and children. It harmed the innocent observers who also were employed in the service of the Forgiving King; who grievously watched as their ruler’s inspiring act of mercy was completely discounted by one of his highest ranking governors.

The Ungrateful Servant built himself his own personal prison to live in:

Most of all the Unmerciful-Unforgiving Servant had harmed himself. For out of his own hardness of heart he constructed the means for his own permanent and “torturous” imprisonment because his debt was too high to ever be repaid. Torturous, for certainly in the tormenting years to come the unmerciful servant must have repeatedly rehearsed in his mind the privileged life he had so foolishly given up for such a small act of self-satisfaction. For in his foolishness the unmerciful servant had traded his place in a kingdom characterized by unlimited compassion, generosity, and affluence for the severe confinement and permanent deprivation, depression, and despair of a jail cell.

In the Kingdom of God forgiveness is a compulsory act!

This story is a somber warning to all of us: that if we fail to embrace forgiveness in our hearts for others we will inevitably subsist in a prison of our own hard-heart’s making. This is because in the Kingdom of Heaven the practice of compassion, mercy, and forgiveness is not optional. It is universally required. Therefore, in the Kingdom of Heaven forgiveness is a compulsory act! Those subjects of The Forgiving King who foolishly persist in practicing vengeance, anger, wrath, malice, bitterness and unforgiveness will ultimately incur the wrath of God. In the exact measures that these ungrateful servants have ruthlessly punished others so will their punishment be. Divine Forgiveness or Judgment? The decision this Chanukkah season is really entirely up to us.

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